Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide leadership and direction to staff involved in the administration of contracts to build and maintain transportation infrastructure, ensuring effective utilization of staff and financial resources. To provide expertise on contract matters and ensure the consistent management of contracts. To assist the Manager, Contracts, the Area Contracts Engineers and Operational Services office staff by providing advice and support on a range of managerial, technical, and contractual matters related to construction and maintenance contracts. To handle complex issues related to contract administration, interpretation, performance and disputes and to undertake special assignments or studies involving such issues as services delivery methods and related staffing/organization, review of contract standards, specifications, and implementation of new technologies related to construction and maintenance.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Reporting to the Manager, Contracts, the position: - Directs and co-ordinates the delivery of the regional capital construction program, and area maintenance and managed outsource contracts including the development and execution of area maintenance contracts and managed outsourcing contracts. - Provides leadership and direction, and engineering and managerial guidance to geographically dispersed staff including: - Recruitment and selection of staff, managing performance issues, allocating work and projects, setting and reviewing performance standards and objectives, providing for staff training, development and learning opportunities, administering discipline, recommending merits, managing the illness and injury program and employee relations issues, including strike contingency planning and grievance response, up to and including Stage 2 designee. - Provides leadership, motivation, support to develop and sustain effective relationships with contractors and consultants required to meet regional construction and maintenance objectives. - Manages financial and material resources including development and control of a large multi-million dollar, multi-cost centre budget and ensures that financial and staff resources are used effectively. - Ensures that construction and contract expertise is provided by the Contracts Office to the Engineering Office during the development and design of capital construction contracts and provides input into the development of Ministry policies, procedures, and programs regarding construction and maintenance, and new technologies. - Advises and supports the Manager, Contracts Office, Operational Services staff and the Area Contracts Engineers, and others on a wide range of contract matters including preparation, proposal evaluation, execution, ensures consistency in all aspects of contract administration and interpretation, and assessment of contractor and consultant performance. - Ensures consistency in all aspects of contract administration and interpretation, and in the development of maintenance contracts by developing regional operational policies, ensuring the sharing of information and experiences among appropriate staff, and by monitoring agreements/contracts and contract administration practices in the region. -Directs very complex or unusual technical or contract issues, i.e. complex claims involving litigation, major contract changes, serious contractor or consultant performance deficiencies or sensitive issues involving the public, that require considerable research, assessment and negotiations. - On behalf of the Manager, undertakes special assignments or studies to analyze and recommend action on matters ranging from integration/outsourcing of existing programs, organizational reviews, proposed changes to service delivery methods and efficiency reviews. - On behalf of the Manager, and head office functional offices and working with head office, provides the field/operational perspective to corporate operational policy development. Undertakes assignments that may involve reviewing contract standards and specifications and implementing new technologies related to construction and maintenance. - Assists the Manager with the preparation and allocation of budgets, staffing and training and development plans for all staff, co-ordinates the preparation of performance contracts, succession plans and the office human resources plan.

Staffing and Licensing :

Position requires a degree in Civil Engineering from a university of recognized standing and current membership with the Professional Engineers of Ontario. Work requires an extensive knowledge of the theory, principles and practices of civil engineering and advanced knowledge in the construction, maintenance and operations of highways, freeways and structures, and a good knowledge of highway design practices to provide engineering expertise in the provision of technical and contractual advice, in analyzing and developing solutions to complex technical and contract issues, to undertake special assignments regarding work methods, standards and specifications and the implementation of new construction and maintenance technologies, and when acting for the Manager, Contracts, directing and co-ordinating all aspects of the delivery of construction and maintenance contracts, providing engineering expertise and making engineering decisions. An advanced knowledge of Ministry organization, legislation, policies, directives, standards and administrative procedures is required to manage and co-ordinate large programs, staff and budget and to act for the Manager Contracts Office, and to carry out special projects involving sensitive, confidential material and issues by assessing adequacy and consistency of proposals against ministry standards, determining feasibility of recommendations and contract/policy amendments, and providing input into revisions of or interpretation of policy. A thorough knowledge of financing including forecasting and budgeting is required to manage a large budget and to assist the Manager in the preparation of financial, staffing and business plans by reviewing the allocation of required financial and human resources in relation to maintenance and construction projects and contracts and revising/amending them as required to ensure schedules and costs are maintained. A superior knowledge of contract management practices is required to effectively advise the Manager and Area Contract Engineers on contract management issues, and to ensure consistency in the management of contracts across the region by developing regional operational policies, monitoring contract management practices, and ensuring effective communication and sharing of information, experiences and practices between appropriate staff, and to handle complex or unusual technical or contract issues. Analytical and diagnostic skills are required in assessing situations, identifying problems, developing and evaluating solutions and making recommendations that are technically and contractually sound and consistent with Ministry policy. Well developed organizational and management skills are required to provide leadership to a geographically-dispersed staff on contract management matters, and to act for the Manager, Contracts. Work requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills and proven ability to initiate and establish effective relationships with senior officials within and outside the Ministry, colleagues and staff, and private sector service providers to provide effective advice in a credible manner, to effectively present solutions to complex problems, to negotiate with services providers, to deal with the public on sensitive matters. Work requires the ability to effectively impact and influence the development of construction and maintenance operational policy and the introduction of new technologies, and to carry out corporate assignments as required. Work requires a knowledge of the principles and practices of alternate services delivery methods, and client/consultant/contractor relationships to undertake, or contribute to, special projects involving sensitive, confidential information, by developing, and analyzing new business and services delivery strategies for construction and maintenance. Valid Class G license.

Knowledge :

Under the direction of the Manager, Contracts Office, a high degree of judgment is required when assessing, analyzing and resolving complex contractual, and engineering problems, and ensuring effective management of a large staff and effective relations with private sector partners, to ensure fairness and equity in dealing with services providers to avoid setting costly precedents either in the industry or the ministry, and to ensure sound engineering decisions and safe infrastructure and driving conditions, and to complete all work expeditiously. Judgment is also required when interpreting engineering and administrative policies and techniques and providing expert advice to ensure advice, solutions and recommendations are based on appropriate information and analysis and are sound from an engineering, economic, and contractual viewpoint. A high degree of judgment is required when developing budgets, determining resource requirements, allocating funds and effectively utilizing material and human resources to ensure maximum and efficient use of available resources in the delivery of safe and economical contracts and operations. Judgment is required when working with head office functional staff on corporate projects and providing input to the development of operational policy to effectively present the field operation perspective and to balance regional and corporate requirements Judgment is required when developing regional policy with or for, the Manager of Contracts, and in reviewing/discussing with Area Contract Engineers a wide range of contract matters to impart information and ensure regional/corporate consistency in all aspects of contract development and implementation. A high degree of judgment is required when undertaking special projects involving sensitive, confidential information, such as further outsourcing reviews with staff impacts. Judgment is required when negotiating and arbitrating on behalf of the manager, issues regarding contract management with private sector consultants and contractors to meet program objectives A high degree of tact and diplomacy is required when resolving problems and disputes when elected officials and the public are involved. Decisions are made with a high degree of independence, within overall ministry policy, administrative and budgetary guidelines. The Manager, Contracts Office accepts decisions and recommendations as authoritative; they are occasionally reviewed for compliance with Ministry policies and regulations.

Judgement :

The position is accountable for providing an expert engineering and managerial resource capable of managing the delivery of construction and maintenance programs in the region, including the co-ordination of programs, and resources, and to provide support and expertise on contract matters to the Manager, and others in the Contracts office. The position is accountable to provide a leadership role, on behalf of the Manager, in guiding the development and implementation of a range of maintenance, construction and supervision contracts, and in monitoring and ensuring consistency in all aspects of contract administration and implementation. As the expert on contracts, the position is accountable to analyze and resolve very complex contract issues as required for the manager, and also to assess, analyze and complete special projects for the Manager, involving recommendations The position is accountable to develop strong working relationships with the Area Contract Engineers and other Contracts Office staff to effectively provide advice and support and to train and impart information. Position is accountable to carry out reviews and studies to assess over-all performance of the Contracts Office and the contracting methods and service delivery approaches, and to carry out corporate projects either alone or with head office functional staff.

Accountability - Programs :

The position is accountable for providing an expert engineering and managerial resource capable of managing the delivery of construction and maintenance programs in the region, including the co-ordination of programs, and resources, and to provide support and expertise on contract matters to the Manager, and others in the Contracts office. The position is accountable to provide a leadership role, on behalf of the Manager, in guiding the development and implementation of a range of maintenance, construction and supervision contracts, and in monitoring and ensuring consistency in all aspects of contract administration and implementation. As the expert on contracts, the position is accountable to analyze and resolve very complex contract issues as required for the manager, and also to assess, analyze and complete special projects for the Manager, involving recommendations The position is accountable to develop strong working relationships with the Area Contract Engineers and other Contracts Office staff to effectively provide advice and support and to train and impart information. Position is accountable to carry out reviews and studies to assess over-all performance of the Contracts Office and the contracting methods and service delivery approaches, and to carry out corporate projects either alone or with head office functional staff.

Accountability – Personnel :

The position is responsible for the administrative direction and technical supervision of classified and unclassified professional, technical and administrative support staff of approximately 60 - 120 through 4 - 8 subordinates and for the effective utilization, including the monitoring of work and project progress, and the evaluation of performance of consulting firms and construction and maintenance contractors.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

The position is responsible for the efficient management and delivery of the construction and maintenance program within the region including financial and material resources, and contracts valued at $200 - 350 million including the economical disbursement of funds and the quality of the construction and maintenance products and services received.

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

This position is responsible for the management of all the construction and maintenance work carried out within the region. Ineffective program delivery, planning and decision – making, contract interpretation, application of policies, standards and procedures could lead to substandard infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, danger to the traveling public, economic loss, legal liability, loss of public confidence and embarrassment to the Ministry. Errors in judgment, or ineffective support, could dramatically increase the workload of the manager leading to ineffective management of the office, lack of consistency in contract administration, ineffective or inappropriate solutions to contract issues, poor relationships with services providers, and decisions that set undesirable precedents with the consulting or contracting industries.

Contact - Internal :

Work requires constant contact with the Manager, Contracts, and subordinates, colleagues, associates, senior officials in the regions and head office to exchange information and obtain or provide advice and interpretation on contracts, regulations, policies and procedures and to discuss engineering and administrative matters.

Contact - External :

Position has frequent external contact with senior representatives of consulting engineering firms and construction and maintenance contractors to discuss/resolve major issues and occasional contact to represent the Ministry in negotiations and disputes. Contact with appointed and elected officials at the federal, provincial and municipal levels and the public to provide information and to help resolve major contract issues and disputes and contentions issues, and periodic contact with the media also occurs.