Senior Project Manager

EllisDon•Mississauga, ON

1d•CA$110,000 - CA$135,000•Onsite

About The Position

EllisDon's Project Advisory & Management (PAM) division is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead our project management team. Acting as both a hands-on delivery leader and the primary owner's representative on major assignments, you will direct the planning, execution, and commercial administration of ICI and major building projects from initiation through close-out — ensuring they are delivered safely, on time, within scope and budget, and in full compliance with contractual obligations. Beyond project delivery, you will lead, mentor, and develop a team of project managers and Assistant Project Managers/Coordinators, set the standard for project controls and reporting across the division, and serve as the alignment point between clients, consultants, contractors, and internal leadership. The ideal candidate combines a results-driven mindset and excellent leadership abilities with a deep understanding of construction project execution and contract administration in Ontario, Canada.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience managing commercial, industrial, or institutional (ICI) construction projects in Canada, including several years in a senior or lead capacity.
Degree or diploma in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or a closely related discipline (or an equivalent combination of academic and practical experience).
Demonstrated command of CCDC 2 (2020) stipulated-price contracts and supplementary conditions, and experience administering the full change-order lifecycle on Canadian contracts.
Working knowledge of the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Construction Act (progress payments, holdback, lien periods, and certification), and City of Toronto / GTA authority processes.
Proven ability to read, build, and challenge a CPM schedule — critical path, predecessors, float, and recovery scenarios — using MS Project and/or Primavera P6.
Strong cost-control discipline: Schedule of Values, change-order valuation, contingency and cash-allowance management.
Experience managing general contractors, consultants, and design teams as an owner's representative.
Demonstrated leadership and mentoring ability, with the initiative to work independently and drive projects and people to successful completion.
Excellent written reporting and stakeholder communication — able to brief executives and hold contractors accountable in the same week.
Proficiency in MS Project, Excel, Word, and project management software (e.g., Procore).
Capable of travelling between multiple project sites.

Nice To Haves

PMP, Gold Seal Certified (GSC), P.Eng., or equivalent designation.
Experience with construction restoration projects, procurement, tender, design management, contracts, and project financials.
Experience with design-build, construction management, or fast-track delivery models.
Familiarity with bonding, builder's risk, wrap-up, and pollution-liability insurance requirements.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop the PAM project management team — assigning projects, balancing workloads, and coaching project managers, coordinators, and junior planners on schedule logic, project controls, and report quality.
Set and enforce consistent standards for project documentation, change management, reporting, and record-keeping across the team's portfolio.
Serve as the primary escalation point for clients, general contractors, consultants, and suppliers, and as the alignment point between project teams and internal leadership.
Support business development through proposal input, bid and contract documentation, and building trusted client relationships.
Direct the technical and commercial administration of ICI and major building projects from initiation through close-out.
Lead project planning, scheduling, and execution, ensuring adherence to safety requirements, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
Coordinate across trades and disciplines (structural, envelope, mechanical, electrical), managing interfaces between owner, construction manager, design consultants, manufacturers, and subtrades.
Apply the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Construction Act (notice, holdback, and timing requirements), and City of Toronto / GTA authority requirements; manage permits, inspections, occupancy, and site servicing with authorities having jurisdiction.
Identify, escalate, and resolve constructability, sequencing, and quality issues in the field.
Administer Canadian construction contracts commonly used in Ontario — including CCDC 2 stipulated-price, CCDC 5A/5B (Construction Management), OAA 600, and project-specific supplementary conditions — upholding the owner's rights and obligations throughout the project.
Oversee the full change lifecycle: contemplated change notices (CCNs), proposed change orders, change directives, quotations/CORs, and formal Change Orders — validating scope, entitlement, pricing, overhead/profit markups, and time impact before recommending approval.
Review change pricing for reasonableness across labour, material, equipment, subcontractor, and mark-up components; identify double-counting, betterment, base-scope leakage, and missing credits.
Manage cash allowances and contingency draws, ensuring expenditures are properly authorized and reconciled by change order.
Coordinate progress payments against the Schedule of Values: confirm work-in-place, verify consultant certification, and administer the statutory 10% holdback and its release after lien expiry.
Maintain clear, auditable change logs, cost registers, and supporting documentation suitable for the project file and downstream claims.
Establish project controls and oversee the development, review, and acceptance of realistic, logically linked CPM baseline schedules reflecting means and methods, sequencing, phasing constraints, permits, design deliverables, and long-lead procurement.
Monitor progress against the critical path on a weekly/monthly basis; track total and free float, identify slippage early, and require and assess recovery plans (resequencing, added shifts, expanded crews, fast-tracking).
Track and manage RFIs, submittals, change orders, and other project documentation to ensure proper record-keeping.
Track milestone triggers (structural completion, envelope watertight, M&E rough-in, interior finishes, substantial performance) and align payment milestones to actual certified progress.
Own the project budget and cash-flow forecast; reconcile committed costs, change-order values, and contingency against the contract price.
Monitor project costs and financial forecasts, identifying cost-saving opportunities while maintaining quality; challenge contractor and consultant pricing where it is not substantiated.
Produce executive-level governance reporting: program status, schedule health, cost position, risks, and decisions required.
Run and document design and progress meetings with contractors and consultants; record decisions and action items and ensure timely follow-up.
Maintain strong communication with clients, consultants, and project teams — communicating clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences and ensuring expectations are managed and met.
Drive substantial performance certification, deficiency tracking and correction, occupancy, and the full close-out package (as-builts, O&M manuals, warranties), confirming all requirements for final completion and holdback release are satisfied.