Senior Project Manager

 Reference Number : 912 

Status : Permanent - Full-time  

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

Number of positions to be filled : 1 

Application Deadline : 07/21/2025

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 Senior Project Manager New Fleet will be working in close collaboration with the different teams of the Fleet Renewal programs responsible for execution and transition to Operations. Throughout the processes, the Senior Project Manager plays a key decisional role to guarantee a qualitative, efficient and economic execution of the program and projects providing the required results in terms of timeline, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. He or she will be leading and managing large scale projects from the programs and business needs ensuring project delivery, while following guidelines from the PMO and gate review criteria to ensure successful transition for operations.

Additionally, ensuring the gating process for a successful delivery of major building infrastructure. Gate processes for the completion and ready for operations for train maintenance centres will require close follow-up of critical path until Q3 2026 for the Toronto project. More immediately and similarly, ensuring the same for the Montreal project. He or she will also support the integration of other train operators' activities in our ecosystem as service offerings, applying the same consistent PMO guidelines to ensure profitability and handover to the operations.

Responsibilities:

Project Management activities in a Major Program:

• Lead capital projects activities under the envelop of a Major Program including the preparation of business cases for prioritization;
• Ensure progress of the different project phases with rigorous follow-ups of project delivery while respecting fixed deadlines;
• Establish and management of scope, budget, forecast, schedule, dependencies, risks, issues of each project;
• Define the project acceptance criteria and manage the quality process, including a rigorous project Gate process;
• Ensure collaboration between the different departments and business units, particularly the Operations, and the PMO;
• Ensure that key decisions, change requests and usage of contingencies options are well documented;
• Prepare and participate to meetings are different committees at multiples levels including with suppliers;
• Ensure the elaboration of a communication and change management plan;
• Manage the workload of the project resources to ensure quality and timely project delivery.

Major Program governance:

• Ensure appropriate quality management processes (project Gates) are implemented and rigorously followed;
• Obtain a Gate criteria list that ensure successful handover from the project to the operations. Obtain sign-off from stakeholders involved;
• With the support of the master planner, develop a schedule critical path;
• Manage the progress of critical activities to maintain on time project delivery;
• Manage stakeholders, resolve disagreements to maintain a cooperative working environment;
• Reporting to management, produce and maintain program KPI;
• Lead the lessons learned process.

External Service Agreements and business integration:

• Lead and manage projects with external partners while following PMO processes and industry best practices across VIA Rail’s various locations of operations;
• Lead the development of statements of work (SOW) with a cross-functional internal team and the external partners. Oversee the signature of the service agreements;
• Manage budget ensuring profitability, contractual scope, projects risks and quality of deliverables.Ensure smooth integration with the Operations while minimizing service disruptions before handover and project closure. Develop a well coordinated service launch plan.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or administration;
• A minimum of 10 years in project management experience in the field of operations or transportation or large-scale program management;
• Understanding of Finance, Procurement, Maintenance and Operational processes;
• Experience in successfully executing projects involving vendor interactions and coordination of internal multifunctional teams;
• PMP Certified, you have also demonstrated hands-on knowledge of project management activities development and project management tools and methodologies such as Microsoft Office suite;
• Bilingualism English-French (essential). Both spoken and written;
• A combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Competencies: 

• Client focused approach in project delivery and satisfaction;
• Aptitude to manage and mobilize a team;
• Capable to collaborate effectively with multifunctional teams;
• Exceptional planning and organizational competences;
• Strong communication skills; openness toward others;
• Disciplined, focused on quality, team player contributing to the success of projects with other knowledge workers;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships within the team and with clients;
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage parallel activities as part of multiple projects. Strong ability to achieve results;
• Experience working in a matrix management environment;
• Creativity and resourcefulness in solving complex problems;
• Demonstrated customer orientation;
• Good with numbers;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Capacity to lead and influence team members by their attitudes and professional competence;
• Good negotiating skills and ability to influence others.

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.

Join our 3,000 other employees in helping provide Canadians with a safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable way to travel!