Job Specification

Job Summary :

To provide engineering, technical and contract management expertise to lead and coordinate the ministry's delivery of highway operations related to corridor management, maintenance, municipal/unincorporated roads, and minor capital construction programs and projects.

To provide engineering and technical expertise to resolve complex and contentious technical and contractual issues related to highway operations, corridor management minor capital construction and maintenance contracts, and municipal/unincorporated roads programs and projects.

To represent the ministry in dealings and contacts with stakeholders i.e., the public, contractors, consultants, municipalities, developers, public utilities, First Nations, etc., with respect to highway operations matters

Responsibilities :

1. Leads and directs technical staff in the provision and coordination of engineering, technical, and contract management expertise to ensure that proper engineering and contract management practices are employed in the areas of maintenance, operational services, corridor management, construction, and municipal/unincorporated roads programs.
2. Provides expert technical expertise to resolve complex and contentious issues, engineering problems, and contract disputes related to corridor management
applications and administration of minor capital construction and maintenance contracts. 3. Leads and coordinates the review and development of recommendations for proposed change orders and claim settlements to ensure ministry requirements are met, schedule impacts are addressed, value for money is obtained, and resolves disputes with consultants and contractors related to standard performance, interpretation of and changes to contract terms, and in controlling and maintaining expenditures within budgets.
4. Leads, coordinates, and participates in negotiations with consultants, contractors, developers, local roads boards and municipalities related to technical and contractual matters including amending contract terms and work practices, resolving contract claims and negotiating agreements for the design, construction and maintenance of highway improvements and other works undertaken by third parties on or adjacent to provincial highways.
5. Leads and coordinates the acquisition, management, and performance monitoring/ evaluation of multiple consultant teams performing highway design and contract administration services for construction and maintenance contracts. Develops and recommends procurement approaches to deliver ministry programs in conformance with ministry policies and directives and assesses and evaluates procurement bids and proposals against ministry requirements and specifications.
6. Leads, plans, provides guidance, and administers the detail design of small to medium size, low to moderately complex transportation projects, including the preparation of contract drawings, procurement documents and technical proposals.
7. Leads, coordinates, and conducts engineering/technical review, assessment, and preparation of recommendations, including coordination of specialized engineering and technical input, related to corridor land development/planning, encroachment, building and land use, utility coordination and sign applications to ensure that proposed work adheres to engineering quality standards and completeness and meet ministry policies and engineering/technical requirements.
8. Leads, coordinates, and conducts liaison with municipalities, developers, first nations, politicians, local roads boards and other stakeholders to: explain ministry policies, standards, and requirements; explain project(s) impacts and effects; respond to queries; resolve issues; and present options/solutions on moderate to high complexity issues.
9. Leads and participates on ministry technical committees and project teams at both the local/regional/branch and provincial level, related to new policies, standards, and specifications. Develops, analyzes, and provides input to ministry engineering and technical policies, guidelines, and standards related to minor capital construction, maintenance, corridor management, and the municipal/unincorporated roads program.
10. Represents the ministry as required at legal proceedings including Ontario Land Tribunal and Discovery Hearings, as well as public meetings to provide support to project staff or to give evidence as an expert technical witness.

Qualifications/Licenses :

Licensed Professional Engineer by the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO)

Valid Ontario Class G driver's license

Knowledge :

In-depth professional knowledge of theories, principles, and practices of civil engineering applicable to design, construction and maintenance of transportation corridors and structures, and knowledge of transportation planning and land use planning, to provide highly technical expertise, develop recommendations and assess development applications and highway design, construction, and maintenance proposals.
Provincial acts and regulations (i.e., Occupational Health and Safety Act, Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, Drainage Act, Planning Act, Environmental Assessment Act, etc.) to ensure work under corridor management permits (e.g., highway improvements), and work for the ministry by contractors, consultants and staff is completed in accordance with relevant legislation/policies.
Ministry organization, policies, directives, standards, specifications and administrative procedures to ensure conformance with ministry requirements when assessing development applications and associated highway improvements; assessing proposed works within highway rights-of-way; and developing, procuring and administering highway construction and maintenance contracts and consultant design and contract administration assignments.
Project management, organizational, and consultant management methodologies to plan, organize, and oversee activities of staff, contractors, and consultants, including coordination of technical expertise from other offices in the ministry, in the management and administration of numerous concurrent projects/contracts including development applications, construction and maintenance contracts, and consultant assignments.
Financial and administrative procedures and processes related to managing program, project, contract budgets and expenditures including oversight of spending and invoicing mechanisms.
Procurement policies, procedures, and practices to lead or provide input into the development of construction and maintenance contracts and consultant design and contract administration assignments, the preparation and evaluation of tender documents (e.g., RFBs, EOIs, RFQs, RFPs) and the award of contracts and assignments.
Contract management policies, procedures, and practices to administer construction and maintenance contracts and consultant assignments including proactively and reactively resolving disputes with consultants and contractors related to standard performance and interpretation of, and changes to, contract terms and, completing performance appraisals.
Contract law/principles and terminology to provide and/or make technical recommendations to resolve contractor disputes/claims and performance issues, and where possible, to develop and implement plans avoid their recurrence in the future.
Computer applications/software applications/databases, ministry-specific engineering, construction, maintenance, corridor management and municipal/unincorporated roads program applications and MS Office suite of programs, project development life cycle, and related computer applications to prepare correspondence, briefing notes, reports, project schedules, calculations, and plans.

Communication/Interpersonal Skills :

Prepares, and/or presents complex technical and highly sensitive materials such as engineering evaluations and recommendation reports to senior staff and other involved stakeholders for information sharing purposes. Researches and prepares draft responses to Minister's letters, briefing notes, and general enquiries.
Communicates with engineers and technicians in the branch and other branches and divisions, ministry senior managers and executives, using strong interpersonal and collaborative approaches to obtain input, make recommendations, develop solutions to highly complex and contentious technical problems/issues, and obtain endorsements for recommended proposals in forums where differing and/or competing viewpoints have been expressed and/or expected.
Communicates persuasively and tactfully with stakeholders from other ministries, federal, provincial, and municipal governments, government agencies, developers, public utility companies, contractors, consultants, local roads boards, the public, and other stakeholders to share information and deliver presentations.
Develops and maintains effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., other ministries/agencies, federal, provincial, and municipal governments, developers, public utility companies, contractors, consultants, local roads boards, the public, colleagues) to discuss proposals and status of projects, recommends and identifies and/or presents arguments on issues and strategies, solicits support, and resolve problems of a highly controversial and/or sensitive nature.
Leads and participates on ministry and/or working committees in industry related forums to resolve issues and implement best practices for corridor management, municipal/unincorporated roads program, maintenance, and construction issues.
Represents the ministry at hearings to provide engineering and technical information, and in court cases as a ministry technical expert and/or witness to provide engineering and technical information and/or advice.
Utilizes a high degree of political acumen when discussing controversial or sensitive issues with the public, municipalities, developers, public utility companies, government agencies, First Nations, and other indigenous groups etc.

Problem Resolution and Analysis :

Assesses and resolves highly complex and/or multi-faceted contentious engineering and contractual issues related to the construction, maintenance and corridor management of highway corridors, structures, and related services (e.g., municipal/unincorporated roads program).
Researches, interprets, and synthesizes information (e.g., historical precedence/similar previous claims, jurisdictional scans), and program area data to prepare reports and develops recommendations on engineering and contract management/claims matters.
Reviews complex and/or contentious developer/municipal proposals, technical reports, and contract documentation using highly developed analytical abilities to identify and mitigate impacts to provincial highway system, including concerns related to highway safety, capacity, expansion, maintenance, and construction, to ensure compatibility with existing and future rights-of-way.
Professionally evaluates and assesses design submissions and makes recommendations for engineering and technical adequacy, and compliance to ministry policies, standards, and sound engineering principles.
Analyzes, negotiates and/or influences recommendations with internal and external stakeholders with respect to proposed change orders, contract claim settlements, and legal agreements.
Evaluates and ensures the overall viability of project work and deliverables and that terms of contracts and consultant agreements have been met. Ensures performance evaluation of contractor and consultant services is completed and issues are resolved according to procedures, policies, regulations, and work plans. Work requires use of abstract reasoning to adapt or modify existing methods and/or procedures in the development of alternate solutions.

Leadership/Guidance :

Responsible for participating in recruitment initiatives; providing orientation and training, developing performance/service delivery standards, assigning responsibilities, coordinating and/or directing project team(s), and providing performance input.
Responsible for leading, coordinating, and supervising technical staff and consultants, including planning, and organizing work and managing competing and conflicting priorities on projects and assignments of variable size and scope to related to highway design, construction maintenance, municipal/unincorporated roads program and corridor management.
Responsible for providing in-depth and highly technical guidance and/or mentorship to colleagues and leading technical teams, including consultants, representing various areas of ministry expertise (e.g., design, construction, maintenance, municipal/unincorporated roads program and corridor management issues).
Responsible for coordinating specialized engineering and technical requirements from other ministry technical offices, conducting engineering reviews and assessments, developing solutions to complex and contentious engineering and contract management issues, and reviewing proposals submitted by concerned stakeholders in terms of their engineering and technical validity.
Responsible for leading and coordinating end-to-end aspects of the delivery of complex medium to large scale multi-disciplinary and multi-year projects and activities including developing project scope, determining priorities and plans, independently assigning work to project and technical staff, reviewing work to ensuring adherence to ministry policies and project timelines and negotiating with municipalities and other stakeholders to reach agreement on matters of mutual interest.
Responsible for the provision of expert technical advice to ministry contractors, staff, managers and executives on issues management, development and land use planning proposals, contract preparation, amendment/altering work practices, management and claims resolution, ministry policies and standards.

Independence of Action :

Under the supervision of the Manager, Highway Operations, position has considerable latitude to make decisions independently, referring only contentious problems to the senior manager. Initiative and judgment are exercised in assessing and solving highly complex engineering problems related to construction, maintenance, unincorporated roads program and corridor management. Work is reviewed for compliance to applicable ministry policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards and the accomplishment of program objectives.
Judgement is used in resolving contentious disputes with consultants and contractors related to resources, standard performance, work objectives and interpretation of, and changes to, contract terms and in controlling and maintaining expenditures within budgets. Situations subject to varying interpretations, departures from program objectives or requiring significant resources are referred to the applicable manager.
Judgement is exercised in the selection of economical engineering alternatives, in the allocation of and use of material and staff resources, in recommending changes to work being performance under contract, and in recommending acceptance, revision and/or rejection of development applications.
Judgement is exercised in managing highway operations issues, in coordinating expertise requirements from other ministry technical offices and in conducting engineering reviews and assessments of development applications and proposed changes to contracts.
Judgement is exercised in recommending acceptance, revision and/or rejection of corridor management permits, or development applications based on detailed and complex technical assessments, including identifying, developing, and recommending design amendments to applications to meet ministry standards and requirements.
Judgement is exercised in recommending changes/amendments to branch and ministry policy and procedures, advice, and direction relative to defensible evidence for use at hearings/inquests.

Physical Effort :

Work duties in the office generally involve walking, sitting, standing with opportunity for movement (e.g., stretch, leave the workstation, etc.) for the greater part of the workday.
Field work occasionally requires moderate physical exertion up to two hours, usually characterized by activities such as climbing embankments, reaching and/or twisting or maintaining awkward body positions, lifting/maneuvering field equipment, during field reviews and inspections on provincial highways.

Mental and Sensory Effort :

Work requires concentrated mental/sensory effort to develop or review technical materials, proposals, develop recommendations and review designs, carry out field inspections, collect data and analyze information for the greater part of the day.

Working Conditions :

Work is typically carried out in an office environment with limited exposure to disagreeable working conditions. Requires infrequent independent travel to attend meetings and conduct site visits, occasionally in remote or isolated areas.
Exposure to disagreeable or hazardous conditions may include working in isolation, high-speed traffic, noise, adverse weather conditions during field work and working on ministry sites in remote areas or on provincial highways.