Senior Director, Business Information Technology (BIT)

About McElhanney 

Based in Western Canada for over 110 years, McElhanney offers innovative and practical engineering, surveying, mapping, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services. As a 100% employee-owned and operated firm, with over 1,400 staff members in 31 locations, we are proud to offer qualified staff with shareholding options in our company. At McElhanney, we work in teams to build strong connections with our staff, clients, and local communities. Our employees enjoy working here because of our varied projects, high levels of autonomy, opportunities for career development, excellent total compensation and benefits package, and collaborating with a team of great professionals. 

The Opportunity:

At McElhanney, we’re building the future of community infrastructure powered by innovation, data, and a people-first mindset. As a 100% employee-owned company with over a century of experience, we are proudly transforming how engineering, geomatics, and environmental solutions are delivered across Western Canada. McElhanney is currently on a digital transformation journey to position us as one of Canada’s leading insights-enabled engineering consultants.

We are seeking a forward-thinking and customer service-driven individual to lead a team of ~40 IT professionals across British Columbia and Alberta. The ideal candidate brings a combination of proven skills/experience in: people leadership, technical expertise, operational excellence, strategic thinking, vendor management, and excellent communication/change management skills. 

Reporting to the Executive Vice President (EVP) & Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on an interim basis, the Senior Director will guide strategic and operational excellence across the following key IT divisions:

• Service management
• Infrastructure and operations
• Enterprise application development and maintenance
• Cybersecurity
• Project management office

You will be seen as an influential and trusted business partner that is passionate about building a strong team culture, implementing IT best practices, standardizing processes, and developing appropriate governance structures that are aligned with McElhanney’s overall business objectives. You will also be seen as a mentor and have the ability to develop trust, drive clarity, and garner momentum across the organization.

The successful candidate will ideally be based in Vancouver, BC.

Application Deadline: January 4, 2026, 8:59pm PST 

What You’ll Do:

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a strategic business partner to internal stakeholders and ensuring service alignment with business needs.
• Actively gather feedback to drive service improvements and increase user satisfaction.
• Champion a customer-focused, service-oriented mindset across all IT operations.
• Drive collaboration and role clarity with IT-adjacent functions (e.g. digital innovation team within operations)
• Oversee strategic relationships with external IT vendors and service providers, ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and successful delivery of contracted services.

Leading Operational Excellence and Service Delivery

• Develop and execute multi-year strategies and roadmaps to improve service delivery quality and efficiency.
• Ensure alignment of IT operations with broader organizational objectives and digital transformation goals.
• Drive the optimization of core IT processes such as release management, disaster recovery/incident response protocols, and business continuity planning.

Team Leadership and Development

• Develop leaders within the BIT team by providing active guidance, mentorship and coaching.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and innovation across service delivery teams.

Risk Management and Governance

• Oversee the identification and mitigation of cybersecurity and IT service delivery risks.
• Manage the relationship with cybersecurity consultants and managed security service providers.
• Ensure alignment with applicable industry frameworks and regulatory standards (e.g., ITIL, ISO, COBIT, NIST) to safeguard enterprise systems and data.

Performance Monitoring and Financial Management

• Lead annual operating and capital budget planning for IT services.
• Monitor expenditures and optimize resource allocation to ensure sustainable, high-impact service delivery.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of IT services.
• Deliver insights and reporting that supports data-informed decision-making.
   

What You’ll Bring:

• Proven senior leadership experience in managing cross-functional IT teams within complex, multi-site organizations.
• Demonstrable examples of successful IT service improvement initiatives, contributions to enterprise technology strategy, and management of large capex/opex budgets.
• Ability to articulate and summarize technical concepts across all levels (e.g. staff members, Executive Committee, Board).
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, business administration or a related field.
• Relevant certifications, including (but not limited to): IT service management frameworks such as:
  • ITIL
  • COBIT Foundation certification
  • TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)
  • CompTIA IT Fundamentals or (ISC)² CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
  • CISM (Certified Information Security Manager)
  • PMP (Project Management Professional)
  • Microsoft Azure (e.g. Developer, Administrator, Engineer, Data Scientist, Database Administrator, DevOps, etc.)

What Can We Offer You?

The salary range for this position is $170,000 to $190,000 per annum. McElhanney offers fair compensation that is commensurate with the individual’s education, experience, skills, and professional qualifications. The posted base salary/wage range is representative of the required level of qualifications and experience for the position as noted in the job posting. The salary offered will be based on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate.

In addition to a competitive salary, we also offer:

• Opportunity for the right candidate to become a shareholder in an employee-owned company
• Flexible work hours to accommodate your lifestyle
• Great benefits, including extended health and dental coverage, healthcare spending account, and RRSP matching.
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Maternity leave top-up and parental leave top-up
• Participation in our generous Performance Bonus Plan
• Employee and Family assistance program, which offers 24/7 support for all employees and their families either online or over the phone
• Continuous support for your professional development and growth 
   

Application Instructions: 

Please include the following in your application: 

1. An updated resume that is relevant to the position.
2. A cover letter that includes:
   • Your motivation for applying for this position, highlighting what specifically attracts you to the role.
   • Explain how your unique blend of skills and experiences would enable you to make a significant impact at McElhanney.

Application Deadline: January 4, 2026, 8:59pm PST 

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At McElhanney, our unwavering commitment lies in cultivating a culture that aligns with our core values and fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion. We celebrate the collective achievements of a team rich in expertise, experiences, and perspectives, and welcome applications from individuals of diverse ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, aboriginal statuses, various age groups, and those with disabilities. Requests for accommodations can be made at any stage of the selection process. If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements outlined. We’re interested in getting to know you and explore the unique contributions you can bring to McElhanney!
 
If this is the opportunity for you, apply now or visit www.mcelhanney.com/careers to learn more.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.