Senior, Project Manager

 Reference Number : 1265 

Status : Permanent - Full-time  

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : $102 816 - $127 008

Number of positions to be filled : 1 

Application Deadline : 05/04/2026

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility. 

The Long-Distance, Regional and Remote (LDRR) lines serve many major cities and several Indigenous communities: they are a crucial vital link. In addition, they bring travelers from around the world to see some of Canada’s most glorious landscapes on the iconic The Canadian, The Ocean and The Hudson Bay lines. As the LDRR fleet is aging, VIA Rail is launching an ambitious program for its renewal. As the project core team will be centralized in Montréal, the program’s span will reach across Canada as the new locomotives and cars will enter into service.

Reporting directly to the program senior manager part of the program management office, the senior project manager will be dedicated to the LDRR renewal program and particularly for the Locomotives contract. He will support the start of rolling stock project and support their execution while working in close collaboration with the project directors and managers of the program, procurement, legal, planning and project control. The senior project manager will be responsible to support the start of project, ensuring adherence to governance, define and follow production of deliverables, coordinate the stakeholders, support the risks management and lead the gate review process.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project management

• Support the project Directors for the start of rolling stock contract;
• Support the definition of the project management plan and support its executions;
• Support the definition of projects deliverables and actively contribute to their production;
• Lead the planification, preparation and execution of project reviews with the relevant stakeholders;
• Ensure analysis required are provided in a timely manner to support decisions for the projects, identify issues and participate in the action plans and follow-up for closing actions;
• Collaborate with Master planner for the review of schedules, critical path analysis, action plan definition to mitigate deviations, impact analysis;
• For project matters, participate to the change process in the preparation of change requests, impact analysis and decision log;
• Ensure coordination between VIA’s team and Suppliers of progress follow-up of design, production, testing and commissioning;
• Coordinate between manufacturers and VIA internal services and department for defining plan for validation milestones, handovers, logistics and other aspects required;
• Prepare supporting documents for all meetings, including project steering committee sessions;

Projects Gate Reviews

• Work in collaboration with the program stakeholders for the definition of the gate reviews roadmap;
• Lead the definition of project life cycle for the execution phase;
• Lead the definition of the criteria and checklists, coordinate the project stakeholders for the gate review passing, present results, log open items and track their closure;
• Conduct the execution of Gate reviews, coordinate stakeholders to reach the passing status and provide reporting of the progress;

Risks management

• In collaboration with the Risks manager, coordinate the project directors and function directors to ensure the identification, evaluation et mitigation of the program and project risks are conducted diligently and updated regularly;
• Ensure actions for risks mitigation are identified, executed, their effect measured and closed;
• Support reporting to the projects and program;

Benefits management

• Lead the benefits realization management;
• Define the plan for the several steps related to the benefits management for the LDRR program and obtain approval of relevant stakeholders;
• Coordinate the program internal and external stakeholders for the definition, measurement, achievement and handover;
• Participate to the analysis for change orders to ensure adherence to benefits plan. Update the benefit realisation management plan accordingly and obtain approval of relevant stakeholders;

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Bachelor in engineering, administration or equivalent;
• 7 years minimum experience in project management, preferably in railway industry or equivalent;
• Results and solution driven, financial literacy and holistic approach;
• Adaptive and collaborative;
• Analytic and problem solvers with customer centric mindset;
• Organisational and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to prioritize and rapid and structured decision-making ability;
• Effective communication skills with capacity to adapt to the audience of team members, directors, and executives;
• Ability to work in a matrix organization and manage various stakeholders from diverse background and knowledge;
• Excellent written and verbal proficiency in both official languages (English/French).  

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

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