Associate Director,… | Ottawa International Airport Authority
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Associate Director, Mechanical Systems

The Ottawa International Airport Authority (Authority) is accepting applications for a full-time Associate Director, Mechanical Systems.

The person in this role is the senior technical authority for campus-wide mechanical systems and provides strategic leadership for long-term infrastructure planning, asset lifecycle management, sustainability, resilience, and capacity growth. 

Responsibilities include developing multi‑year capital renewal roadmaps, modernizing legacy systems, integrating emerging technologies, and providing end‑to‑end technical oversight from design through commissioning and operational handover. 

This individual ensures regulatory compliance, drives technical standards, and fosters collaboration across projects, maintenance, consultants, and external authorities to deliver safe, high‑performing systems.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 

  • Serve as the final technical authority for all mechanical-based systems
  • Define and champion a 20-year mechanical systems infrastructure roadmap, transitioning legacy systems into resilient, modern, and sustainable installations
  • Develop technical master plans and justify multi-year capital renewal investments based on lifecycle risk, system performance, and capacity needs
  • Lead the adoption of emerging technologies and shift the organization toward proactive, data-driven risk and asset management
  • Establish robust technical standards, commissioning frameworks, and acceptance criteria to ensure consistent, high-quality outcomes
  • Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture grounded in safety, accountability, and continuous learning
  • Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and assist in performance reviews of the technical support team
  • Define, build, and lead the Mechanical Systems Technical Support function
  • Recruit, onboard, and mentor internal technical staff and oversee integrated teams of consultants, contractors, and specialists
  • Act as the primary liaison between project teams, maintenance operations, external authorities, and auditors
  • Own and manage assigned capital renewal budgets, including cost control and financial forecasting
  • Direct single-discipline capital renewal programs (e.g., campus-wide potable/storm/sanitary water works sustaining maintenance and upgrades, backflow preventer and water main valve renewals) without requiring dedicated Project Managers
  • Manage and oversee specialist consultant and vendor contracts to ensure technical, quality, and safety objectives are met
  • Provide regular reporting and advisory support to Technical Services leadership on progress, risks, and system trends
  • Act as the key link between project delivery and facility maintenance, ensuring seamless transition from construction to operations
  • Establish inspection, performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance frameworks
  • Lead the development and continuous improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintenance manuals, and technical safety standards
  • Serve as senior advisor on high-risk mechanical/HVAC activities and Job Task Safety Analyses (JTSA)
  • Partner with leadership to forecast maintenance labour, spares, and training requirements for new and emerging systems
  • Translate system health assessments into prioritized capital reinvestment plans
  • Monitor potable/storm/sanitary water, sprinkler, and HVAC operational system capacities, conditions, and constraints, as well as redundancies to support airport growth and expansion
  • Define technical requirements for new projects to eliminate legacy constraints and support automation and sustainability
  • Approve all proposals involving mechanical system modifications and associated operational monitoring system changes
  • Lead execution of assigned capital scopes, managing budget, schedule, and risk
  • Provide strategic direction to consultants on construction phasing to minimize outages and protect critical operations
  • Ensure high-quality as-built documentation, computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) asset data, and regulatory compliance prior to handover

 

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS 

  • EDUCATION
    • College diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology or HVAC Technology, or Civil Engineering Technician (CET) in Mechanical Engineering or Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, or Civil Engineering or related discipline
  • EXPERIENCE
    • Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in technical project management, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
    • Minimum 5 years leading professional and technical teams across multiple disciplines
  • SKILLS
    • Demonstrates a proven track record of leading large-scale sustaining capital, infrastructure renewal, and multidisciplinary technical projects to successful completion
    • Strong strategic, financial, organizational, and negotiation skills
    • Must possess exceptional leadership skills, strong business acumen, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex and dynamic operational environment
    • Able to be a strategic thinker with outstanding organizational, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
    • Excellent judgment, political acuity, and ability to lead under pressure
    • Applies sound judgment, political acuity, and resilience to manage high-pressure situations while building positive and productive relationships with stakeholders, consultants, contractors, and operational teams
    • Demonstrated expertise in budgeting, cost control, and capital forecasting
    • Expert knowledge of technical project management principles, including procurement, contracts, scheduling, commissioning, and construction financial controls
    • Advanced knowledge of mechanical infrastructure systems, asset lifecycle management, reliability planning, and maintenance optimization practices
    • Advanced knowledge of safety regulations, regulatory compliance requirements, and quality management processes within complex infrastructure or construction environments
    • Proficiency with project management, CMMS, and asset management software, including MS Project, Primavera P6, and Microsoft Office Suite
  • LANGUAGE
    • Excellent communication skills in English

 

ASSETS 

  • Bilingualism (English/French)
  • Professional Engineer designation (P.Eng)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP), Facility Management Professional (FMP), or equivalent professional designation
  • Experience in airport or highly-regulated, security-based facilities
  • Proficiency with MS Project, Primavera P6, and MS Office
  • Advanced knowledge of safety, quality management, procurement, contracts, and construction financial controls

 

ABOUT THE POSITION 


Job requirements

  • Have a valid driver’s license (Class G or equivalent) 
  • Provide a driver’s abstract (issued within the last month)
  • Successfully obtain:
    • A security clearance check for a Restricted Area Identity Card (RAIC)
    • An Airside Vehicle Operators Program (AVOP) permit

 

To explore this opportunity, please send your resume to [email protected].

The Authority is committed to the principles of Employment Equity and to achieving a workforce that is representative of the diversity of the Canadian population. We strongly encourage candidates to self-identify if they are Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, or members of visible minorities.