Apply By: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 11:59 pm EDT

Connecting places and people.

The Major Highway Projects Division is looking for a strategic people leader with sophisticated stakeholder engagement experience who can lead high profile highway initiatives beginning to end. As Director you will be a connector of communities in Ontario and lead a team responsible for the delivery of highway projects and supporting government initiatives across the province. Our division is responsible for the planning, design, and delivery of projects such as Highway 413, Bradford Bypass, Garden City Skyway twinning, Ring of Fire roads, and Highway 401 tunnelling, among others. As Director, you will play a vital role in leading some of these projects.

The Director will lead a high performing team to work collaboratively with external partners, other levels of government and internal partners across the ministry and the OPS to provide client-focused services. The Director will also work with the divisional leadership team and staff to advance innovation, creative problem-solving, and best practices for highway project delivery. As a member of the ministry’s senior leadership team, this Director will be accountable for advancing employee engagement and wellbeing, while upholding a diverse, inclusive, accessible, and respectful workplace where every employee has a voice and the opportunity to fully contribute.

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact ExecutiveAccommodations@ontario.ca . All information discussed related to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

What can I expect to do in this role?

Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Minister, the Director, Major Infrastructure Project will:

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the development and implementation of transportation sector, ministry and multi-ministry strategies, provincial projects and programs that drive and influence the highway development needs for Ontario.
• Champion change and lead creative solutions and delivery methods to transform the project delivery for highway government priorities in Ontario.
• Build and promote effective relationships and partnerships with transportation sector stakeholders, across the ministry and with other ministries.
• Create strong team structures and processes to ensure efficient and effective delivery for a dynamic portfolio.
• Provide briefings and strategic advice to the Minister, Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister on project options, analysis, and recommendations.
• Advance a culture among colleagues and staff that prioritizes collaboration, engagement, inclusion, equity, accessibility, excellence, and well-being.

How do I qualify?

Mandatory:

You are licenced by the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)

Leadership:

You are a seasoned people leader with proven abilities in:

• leading through transformational change with a track record of championing the adoption of innovative methods and technologies that drive true transformative business practices and solutions while taking measured and appropriate risks related to innovation
• leading and influencing people, while promoting improved project delivery and development
• creating a culture of diversity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism, and equity in the workplace
• demonstrating resiliency, leading, and motivating high-performing and multi-functional teams in a fast-paced, highly visible, and demanding environment, while promoting employee wellbeing and engagement

Relationship Management and Political Acuity:

You are an effective communicator, negotiator, and consensus builder with proven abilities in:

• fostering collaborative internal and external relationships to promote a seamless integration of project design and service delivery
• demonstrating political acuity while delivering strategic and confidential advice to the senior leaders and other various stakeholders
• working collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to advance shared priorities and manage complex issues
• building and managing relationships with external partners and stakeholders based on transparency, accountability, and trust
• managing complex, politically sensitive issues within the context of multiple interests, with high public profile and scrutiny

Job Knowledge:

You are a dynamic leader with proven:

• experience in project management and project management methodologies.
• ability to determine long-term issues, problems and opportunities and develop sound strategies and plans to address project challenges
• experience in engagement, consultation, and negotiation methods, techniques, and best practices; new and emerging trends to manage the development and implementation of stakeholder, and key partner relations and communications strategies and to support ministry initiatives
• experience with LEAN methodologies
• ability to translate subject matter expertise to plain language for senior decision makers