Director of Construction

About Matrix360

Matrix360 has been at the forefront of building and transforming the commercial real estate and development (CRED) landscape for diverse and inclusive teams for over two decades. We continue to partner with our clients to deliver solutions as Canada’s talent management and workplace strategy leader.

We are committed to contributing to the transformation of our industry, evolving workplaces to be a greater pathway to access to opportunities, and creating possibilities for all people.

Our underlying value system is centered around educating and promoting Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility in the workplace. A human-centred approach and connectivity are at the core of everything we do.

We are the ‘go to’ for building the future of the CRED industry - including recruiting talent, educating and delivering tools for professional development, and guiding organizations on how to build better through equitable and inclusive workplace strategies.

Our search and talent management and workplace consulting tenure has guided organizations to increase diverse representation and build and enhance workplace policies and processes to expose, attract, advance, and retain talent and create inclusive workplace cultures that engage all employees.

We are the platform invested in championing Diversity and Equity in the CRED industry.

We actively create better pathways for career development and advancement for candidates. We proudly participate and invest in various CRED associations and educational institutions throughout Canada and the USA.

Over the last 36 months, we have invested and financially contributed over $250,000 to various charities, associations and diverse community groups in Canada and the USA.

We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity and accommodation for all individuals in employment, services, programs, and activities.

About Our Client

Northcrest Developments (Northcrest) leads the planning and redevelopment of the 370-acre Downsview Airport Lands in Toronto, an unprecedented opportunity to transform this site into a thriving mixed-use urban environment over the coming decades.

Northcrest is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP). PSP is one of Canada’s largest pension investment managers, responsible for the pension plans of the federal public service, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Reserve Force. PSP purchased the Downsview Airport Lands from Bombardier Aerospace in 2018 and established Northcrest in the same year.

As lead developer, Northcrest’s vision is to create a future-focused city within a city – a series of walkable neighbourhoods with housing, employment spaces, parks, shops and community facilities – and to build and operate it with the lowest carbon footprint possible while creating opportunities for as many people as possible, especially local and equity-deserving groups. The company is composed of a dynamic group of professionals with experience in a range of disciplines.

Northcrest works closely with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and a broad and diverse set of stakeholders to ensure that the transformation of these lands is a model for sustainable, healthy, equitable, and resilient communities, while delivering meaningful returns to its shareholder.

For more information about our client, please visit

Director, Contruction Management

Reporting to the Vice President, the Director, Project Management’s primary function relates to providing project management leadership for outsourced construction management services and direct construction management services for select marquee projects.

The Director will also act as a seasoned construction professional working alongside the various business units within Northcrest to assist in advancing select projects through the various stages of planning, design & approvals, construction, commissioning, occupancy & move-in processes. Immediately, projects will include major building retrofits, site works, and site activation projects, with larger ground up and new build projects in the mid-term pipeline. The Director will either self-perform as the project manager, oversee an in-house junior project manager, or will manage an outsourced project management contract and represent Northcrest’s interests to enforce the terms of that contract.

Working closely with the VP, the Director will also develop tools, templates and protocols for Northcrest’s construction program. Northcrest will adopt a client-focused service model to provide project management services to Northcrest’s internal business units including Asset Management and Site Activation. The Director will also contribute to corporate reporting and risk mitigation for capital projects as well as maintaining and refining templates and standards.

Responsibilities

Program & Team Management

• Oversee in-house project manager(s) and be accountable for their performance and career development.
• Oversee and provide owner’s representation for projects that have been resourced using an outsourced project management contract.
• Working with the originating business unit, coordinate and support the establishment of a clearly defined scope, schedule and budget at the onset of a project.
• Liaise with originating business unit to support delivery of the project by the outsourced PM, as needed.
• Coordinate with expert internal resources (eg: Development, Asset Management, Infrastructure, etc.) to ensure project managers are receiving clear and timely input and direction, working in a collaborative manner towards successful completion of the project.
• Oversee preparation of monthly reports on all projects and present to senior leadership and PSP, as required.
• On an ongoing basis, adapt and standardize project management tools, protocols and template documents and ensure standardized processes and templates are applied consistently.
• Establish and maintain prequalified lists of vendors including planning and design, cost consulting, and outsourced project management.
• Act as a strategic resource to support Northcrest leadership decision making.

Construction Project Management

• Act as a client-focused service provider for the originating business unit (eg: Development, Asset Management, Infrastructure, etc.) to support Northcrest’s business objectives.
• Represent Northcrest and act as chair for project meetings and maintain accurate minutes to ensure appropriate communication and record keeping.
• Lead the preparation of initial scopes, schedules and budgets at the appropriate level of detail for each stage of the project. Update these at various stages as the project advances.
• Lead the selection of qualified consultants to complete the project, including preparation of well-defined scopes of work, RFPs, contract negotiations, etc.
• Lead the design and construction team in securing all required building permits.
• Review all reports and supporting documentation from the consultants to ensure contractual obligations are being met and high-quality deliverables are received. Oversee the finalization of reports, drawings, and other relevant documents.
• Lead the procurement and management of the construction contractor in accordance with industry standards, Northcrest procurement policies and protocols.
• Lead the management of the construction contractor throughout construction, ensuring contract compliance and on-time deliverables.
• Prepare monthly reports, including cost report and cash flow updates.
• Performs other related duties as required or assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8-12 years of related experience within real estate development, ideally having completed the full project cycle on at least 5 projects.
• Undergraduate or post-graduate University Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related.
• Project Management Professional Certification or Gold Seal Certification strongly preferred.
• Specific knowledge and experience managing residential, industrial or commercial developments through multiple stages of development.
• Experience working with construction trades and familiarity with CCDC documentation.
• In-depth knowledge of real estate development industry including planning, design, and construction and ability to read and interpret construction drawings. Working knowledge of the City of Toronto approval process is an asset.
• Experience with procurement and contract management.
• Effective decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Curious, entrepreneurial, self-starter with the ability to motivate and engage direct and indirect team members, consultants, and stakeholders.
• Ability to understand, contextualize and balance the advancement of initiatives with the costs associated with investment.
• Promote and support equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the project.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Powerpoint, Word, Outlook, Sharepoint, and MS Project)

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