Senior Project Manager (Internal PM)

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

Ottawa, ON., (CAN.), Hybrid

Position Summary

Thales has a vacancy for a Senior Project Manager (Internal PM) who is accountable for the integrated execution, governance, performance management, and operational effectiveness of the AJISS Program. Acting on behalf of the Program Manager, the Internal PM provides leadership, coordination, and oversight across all AJISS delivery functions, ensuring alignment of schedule, cost, risk, resource, quality, contractual, and operational objectives across the program. The Internal PM serves as the operational integrator for the AJISS Program and provides performance oversight across all major delivery functions and control accounts, exercising delegated authority from the Program Manager to drive program outcomes.

The AJISS Internal PM has a central position within the AJISS Program to ensure the operational performance of the AJISS team composed of Deputy Program Managers, Service Delivery Managers, and the Chief Engineer, supported by the Project Management Office, Integrated Management Office (IMO), and support functions such as Finance and Legal & Contracts. This requires project management expertise, exceptional relationship management, and highly developed networking and influencing skills. This role is accountable for coordinating and directing the activities of senior functional leaders across the AJISS Program, ensuring alignment to program objectives and performance commitments.

The Senior Project Manager carries out an integral leadership role and is responsible and accountable for maintaining program governance, business rhythm, and execution effectiveness to ensure successful delivery of program objectives. The role demands effective stakeholder management and engagement skills, combined with broad operational and business expertise, to ensure Thales achieves schedule, cost, scope, quality, and customer performance requirements. The ability to lead and motivate a cross-functional integrated team is critical to success.

The AJISS Internal PM reports directly to the Program Manager, AJISS, and oversees the performance of all AJISS control accounts, many of which are managed by Senior Project Managers and Project Managers. The role supports solution delivery and represents the program at customer-level meetings as required by the Program Manager.

Regulatory Compliance Requirement

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List and/or the US the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access.

Key Areas of Responsibility

The AJISS Internal PM will be required to:

• •Acts as the delegated authority of the Program Manager for day-to-day program execution and governance activities, ensuring consistent decision-making, issue resolution, and performance management across all AJISS delivery functions.
• •Maintain the schedule and cost baseline of the Project with PMO and Finance support.
• •Establish the mechanisms and governance to drive the project rhythm, schedule and cost control with PMO and Finance support.
• •Manage the project schedule using critical path analysis and clarification of dependencies.
• •Leads and influences a cross-functional matrix organization consisting of Deputy Program Managers, Service Delivery Managers, Chief Engineers, PMO resources, Finance, Legal & Contracts, Supply Chain, and Operational teams across Thales.
• •Lead the Project team to achieve the schedule, scope, quality, and cost goals. Provides direction and priorities to AJISS leadership team members.
• •Chairs supervisory reviews of all control accounts / work packages ensuring strong governance, reporting and resolution of blockers and makes arbitrations and decisions based on Program Manager, AJISS delegation.
• •Exercises delegated authority from the Program Manager to make operational, financial, resource allocation, schedule prioritization, and risk management decisions impacting program performance.
• •Provides executive-level reporting and recommendations to the Program Manager and senior leadership regarding program health, operational performance, strategic risks, contract execution, and achievement of business objectives.
• •Highlights any key issues and risks requiring management attention. Ensures that resource issues are managed at the right level and urgency. Initiates, and sometimes leads, specific issue resolution initiatives.
• •Supports the solution delivery in customer level meetings when needed by Program Manager, AJISS. Oversee achievement of project performance objectives and indicators.
• •Manage all internal stakeholder relationships to ensure all responsibilities/accountabilities are achieved. Lead and motivate a highly performing cross-disciplinary integrated team by providing the appropriate direction, coaching, support and delegation to team members.
• •Ensure a robust risk and opportunity management process is embedded in the project, supporting the work package leaders as required. Promote Execution Excellence by identifying areas of improvement and supporting PMO and IMO initiatives. Ensure a “Lessons Learned” culture is embedded within the Project.

Minimum Qualifications

• •Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Engineering, Business or Relevant proven experience.
• •Certified Practicing Project Manager or equivalent (IPMA and/or PMP certification).
• •Minimum 10 years of experience managing complex projects in a matrix organization.
• •Strong commercial / contractual acumen.
• •Soft skills: High accountability; Team builder and team leader; Problem solver; Presents with impact; Internal (Thales) networker and have a mindset of ‘Think Big, Make it Happen, Together’.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with Naval ISS.

Special Position Requirements

Type of Role: Hybrid (Home/Office) – Required to be in office for an average of 3 days a week, but requirements may be increased based on business needs and Manager discretion.

Schedule: 40 hours per week.

Physical Environment: Office environment.

Travel: As required primarily within Canada.

Pay Transparency

The anticipated Total Target Compensation (TTC), inclusive of annual salary and bonus eligibility, for this role is $180,000 to 220,000 CAD Annual . The Company reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, provincial, and federal laws.

AI

We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.

What We Offer

* Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

* Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.

* Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.

* Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.

* Volunta