Transportation Project Manager (Build Waterloo Region)

The Role

With a primary focus on the Build Waterloo Region’s Strategic Land Portfolio, the Transportation Project Manager reviews and develops transportation plans for large-scale, high-profile, and politically sensitive strategic projects focusing on affordable housing, commercial, institutional, and industrial land sites. The Transportation Project Manager reviews development-related transportation impact studies and recommends transportation improvements where required in support of the Build Waterloo Region Land Readiness team. The Transportation Project Manager reviews and provides recommendations on various engineering elements, including roads, bridges, active transportation facilities, water mains, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, third-party utilities and related studies. 

Duties/Responsibilities

• Working closely with the Build Waterloo Region Team, guides high-profile, complex, and politicized strategic projects focusing on affordable housing, commercial, institutional, and industrial land sites from inception to fruition through all stages, including planning and feasibility assessment, engineering design, preconstruction, procurement, construction, QA/QC and project closure. 
• Prioritizes the Strategic Land Portfolio and guides the Build Waterloo Region team through municipal engineering and transportation elements of high-profile, complex, and politicized projects requiring engagement and collaboration with all levels of government and critical stakeholders, including partner developers, not-for-profits, Hydro One, Metrolinx, Go Transit, Infrastructure Ontario, Federal Railways, among others. 
• Provides site development engineering review of Build Waterloo Region Strategic Projects for core infrastructure servicing requirements, including sanitary, storm and water services to ensure compliance with all local and provincial standards. 
• Supervises students, engineers and engineering interns as assigned. Administers contracts for engineering consultants, planners, and legal, financial, and environmental specialists.
• Uses the transportation demand forecasting model for regional transportation and transit projects.
• Determines needs/justifications for environmental assessment reports for new roads and road widening projects.
• Project manages high-profile/complex transportation planning projects, including master plans (e.g., active transportation, rail, transit). Establishes project scope and requirements. Takes full responsibility for projects from conception to completion. 
• Reviews and analyzes complex/political proposed transportation and development related amendments to Area Municipal Official Plans, Regional Official Policies Plan, and Provincial legislation to assess the impact on regional transportation policies, for manager review.
• Reviews complex/politically contentious development applications and transportation impact studies, analyzes transportation planning implications and provides professional recommendations to the regional position on significant transportation planning issues.
• Represents the Region in politically sensitive meetings (e.g., negotiations, agreements, cost-sharing, approvals, tribunals) with stakeholders including area municipalities, elected officials, utility companies, federal and provincial Ministries, the media, and public.
• Monitors and approves the design, construction, and administration of environmental (e.g., water treatment, supply and storage, wastewater treatment, solid waste disposal) or transportation-related engineering projects (e.g., roads, bridges, active transportation facilities, water mains, sanitary sewers, storm sewers). 
• Reviews contract documents for Build Waterloo Region Strategic projects, ensuring projects meet technical, financial, and scheduling requirements. Reviews tender documents and award reports.
• Manages the selection of engineering consultants and negotiates schedules, budgets, and final terms of reference. Reviews and approves reports for Council and Committees.
• Attends pre-construction meetings and visits job sites to assess quality of work and progress.
• Provides consulting services to departmental clients. Chairs project review meetings and ensures regular communication with engineers and project managers.
• Reviews, participates in, and directs staff in negotiating contentious issues, disputes, and financial claims with consultants, contractors, property owners, businesses, developers, and the public.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Oversees administrative components and conducts technical reviews of Environmental Compliance Approval-Consolidated Linear Infrastructure (ECA-CLI) applications for specific projects. 
• Negotiates cost sharing with developers, local municipalities, and utilities for construction projects.
• Collaborates with regional staff, including IT, Legal Services, Planning, and Finance, to deliver projects and resolve issues.
• Chairs/conducts public meetings and consultations as the project lead. Responds to public complaints regarding high-profile/complex/politically sensitive projects.
• Provides broad technical subject matter expertise.
• Develops contracts and procures goods and services. Manages and negotiates work plans and budgets with consultants. Approves invoices.
• Writes/reviews technical reports.
• Writes Committees and Council reports for supervisor review and presents reports to Committee and Council.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are typically acquired through a degree in a related field such as applied science. engineering, or planning plus progressively responsible related experience in operational and financial matters related to municipal and transportation engineering.
• Must be licensed and in good standing as a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario; 
• -OR be a member in good standing holding a Limited License in the area of practice(s) issued by the PEO; 
• -OR be a Registered Professional Planner in good standing with the Canadian Institute of Planners and Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
• Knowledge of design, construction, and administration of areas including (but not limited to) roads, bridges, active transportation facilities, water mains, sanitary sewers, and storm and sewers.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, guidelines, collective agreements, engineering standards, contract law, and legislation (e.g., health and safety, construction, environmental protection, environmental assessment, water).
• Experience managing high-profile, complex, and politicized projects requiring engagement with all government levels and critical stakeholders. 
• Political acumen with the ability to collaborate and facilitate conversations with regional and local Councillors and staff, land developers, not-for-profits, residents, and relevant stakeholder groups. 
• Knowledge of other processes and requirements related to developing employment lands, including infrastructure servicing, building permits, licensing and other approvals.
• Analytical, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills to make decisions on design and construction issues with corporate or political sensitivity; resolve problems and recommend solutions based on precedents or develop new standards in response to individual projects; respond to regulatory changes and anticipate impact; analyze program performance measures; and ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and per legal contract terms.
• Leadership skills to manage, train, develop, motivate, and support staff.
• Human relations, communications, negotiation skills, and political acuity to conduct presentations, open houses, and respond to inquiries; negotiate claims with contractors/consultants; liaise with regulatory agencies regarding approvals; mediate conflicts between stakeholders (public, regulatory agencies, contractors, staff); and participate as an effective team member.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering manuals, regulations, journals, reports, contracts, memos, textbooks, and correspondence. Ability to write letters, memos, reports, public notices, contracts, and budgets for projects. Ability to keep knowledge current.
• Computer skills with the ability to use software such as Microsoft Office.
• Ability to adjust hours (evenings, weekends) to attend public open houses/information sessions.
• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region. 
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.