Canada Defence Market Leader

At Mott MacDonald, we are driven by purpose and powered by brilliant people. As a trusted engineering, management, and development consultancy, we work with clients to solve complex challenges and deliver sustainable outcomes that make a meaningful difference for the communities we serve.

When you join us as an experienced professional, you will bring your expertise to work that matters while continuing to grow your career. You will collaborate with talented colleagues across disciplines and geographies, contribute your perspective, and help shape better outcomes through technical excellence, innovation, and integrity.

Build on your experience while helping shape what comes next. At Mott MacDonald, you'll work alongside talented people on complex and rewarding projects that make a real difference. We value fresh perspectives, encourage collaboration, and provide opportunities to expand your skills, take on new challenges, and grow your career. Whether you're deepening your technical expertise, broadening your leadership experience, or exploring new opportunities across our business, you'll be supported by a team that is committed to helping you succeed.

Mott MacDonald is seeking a senior, commercially focused leader to establish and grow our Defence and national security business in Canada. Based in Ottawa, this role will define and execute the market strategy, build trusted executive relationships, develop and convert a high-quality opportunity pipeline, and position Mott MacDonald as a valued advisor and delivery partner. The successful candidate will combine deep knowledge of the Canadian Defence environment with the entrepreneurial drive to build a scalable business by connecting our Canadian capabilities with our global Defence experience.

Key responsibilities

• Market strategy and growth: Develop and execute the Canadian Defence market strategy, annual business plan, investment priorities, revenue targets and routes to market.
• Client leadership: Build trusted executive relationships with the Department of National Defence, Canadian Armed Forces, Defence Construction Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, NATO-related organizations and other priority stakeholders; lead selected strategic accounts and engagement plans.
• Pipeline and capture: Translate policy, investment plans and procurement programs into a qualified pipeline; prioritize opportunities and lead capture from early positioning through contract award, including win strategy, competitive assessment, value proposition and executive engagement.
• Partnerships: Build effective teaming relationships with Canadian and international firms, Indigenous businesses and communities, prime contractors, specialist suppliers and small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Integrated capability: Mobilize a differentiated Canadian offering across advisory, engineering, program management, infrastructure, digital, environmental and technical services, drawing on global Defence expertise where it strengthens the client proposition.
• Business readiness: Establish effective governance, account planning, forecasting, performance reporting and delivery readiness; work with corporate functions to address security, contracting, supply-chain, information-management and regulatory requirements.
• Delivery confidence: Ensure pursuit commitments are supported by credible teams, commercial strategies, project governance and risk controls.
• Market profile: Represent Mott MacDonald at relevant industry forums and strengthen the firm’s profile through targeted engagement and thought leadership.
• Leadership and team development: Align internal stakeholders, secure investment and recruit, mentor and develop the multidisciplinary capability required for sustainable growth.

This is a Canada-wide leadership role based in Ottawa, with travel across Canada and occasional international travel as required.

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial and collaborative leader with strong executive presence, sound commercial judgement and a record of converting market insight and senior relationships into sustainable growth.

Required qualifications and experience

• Typically, 15 or more years of senior experience in Canada’s Defence, national security, infrastructure, engineering, consulting or professional services market.
• Demonstrated success developing markets, building executive client relationships, leading major captures and delivering profitable revenue growth.
• Strong understanding of how Canadian Defence policy, capability priorities and funding are translated into procurement programs and delivery opportunities.
• Established relationships across relevant Canadian government, military, industry and delivery organizations.
• Experience developing account plans, qualified pipelines, capture strategies and multidisciplinary p