Head of Engineering - Director of Engineering

49North is a Canadian defence company delivering secure, multi-domain C4ISR capabilities that provide decision advantage in complex and contested environments. A wholly‑owned subsidiary of MDA Space, with more than five decades of trusted Canadian defence delivery, 49North operates as a sovereign Canadian provider of mission‑critical C4ISR systems, bringing disciplined prime‑contractor execution to defence and security programmes. Job Description The Director, Engineering is a catalyst leader and change agent for a rapidly growing Canadian defence system integrator.

The role fully participates in business strategy and technology roadmap development, continuously aligning, improving, and modernising engineering practices to drive enhanced business performance, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. The Director will lead through a significant period of multiple programme execution, and an organisational transition from programme‑based to programme‑product‑based design and development. They will drive the adoption of next‑generation engineering tools, techniques, and procedures optimized for fixed‑price system design, development, integration, test and delivery of complex C4ISR solutions to defence customers.

The Director will also lead technical aspects of product definition, development and launch, together with Product Managers and development teams. The incumbent must be a visionary capable of charting a course for the technology base of the engineering organisation that meets current needs and anticipates future trends and challenges. They are dedicated to creating a world‑leading capability that continuously improves.

Responsibilities Engineering Process Governance – assumes responsibility for establishing and maintaining functional standards, systems and policies, and ensures compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory rules and standards. Engineering Strategy Ownership – works closely with 49North leadership to understand the company’s business strategy and shapes engineering capability and product offerings accordingly. Innovation Leadership – defines the technology roadmap, leads technology development efforts, and continuously improves technical solutions to meet customer requirements, budget, and schedule.

Includes development and ownership of 49North’s Intellectual Property portfolio. Bid Solution Governance – leads engineering discussions in bid development and the review process to ensure proposed solutions and costing align with customer priorities, competitive environment needs, and the programme‑product‑based strategy. Design‑to‑Cost Leadership – creates an environment that challenges bid teams, programme teams and product development teams to continuously engage in a design‑to‑cost approach.

Independent Review Teams – chairs independent technical, cost and schedule assessments to ensure the optimal technical solution is supported by accurate cost and schedule baselines, together with appropriate risk assessment and mitigation plans. Customer Technical Interface – represents 49North’s Engineering capability in customer meetings and business development initiatives. Continuous Improvement Leadership – proactively identifies engineering process deficiencies, risks or inefficiencies through data analysis, reviews and stakeholder feedback; develops clear recommendations, leads implementation, and measures effectiveness.

Budget and Team Management – creates and manages the departmental budget, determines the people needs to execute that budget, and recruits and trains the team. Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement – partners closely with Project Managers, Operations and Quality teams to align engineering governance with operational realities and quality objectives. Capability Building & Training – develops and delivers training, guidance and coaching to engineers and project teams on engineering standards, processes and best practices, and supports onboarding and ongoing capability development.

Requirements BSc, BEng or equivalent in an engineering or applied science discipline. Minimum 15 years of experience in a safety‑critical or mission‑critical engineering environment (e.g., aerospace, defence, space systems, regulated software or systems engineering). Experience with one or more of 49North’s technical domains such as C4ISR software, defence system integration, uncrewed systems, and/or defence electronics.

Proven past performance leading multi‑disciplinary engineering teams. Demonstrated leadership of engineering culture change management. Experience in product‑based, design‑to‑cost environments considered an asset.

Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills. Result orientated and exhibits excellent critical thinking. Works well in a dynamic environment where some parameters are unknown and some change regularly.

Strong knowledge of system and/or software engineering standards, methodologies and lifecycle practices. Comments / Special Considerations Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the secret level and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) . Benefits Statement 49North provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations.

As a team member of 49North, you and your qualified dependants are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including extended health care and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans, and an employee and family assistance program. Equal Opportunity Statement 49North is an equal opportunity employer prizing diversity and inclusion. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity.

If you require assistance or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please feel free to notify us. Accommodations 49North is proud to provide accommodation(s) during the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodations, please indicate this on your application or cover letter and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

Compensation The compensation range for this position is $156,000.00 – $214,500.00 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. #J-18808-Ljbffr