ABOUT 49NORTH 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, building on 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 programs.

Visit 49North | An MDA Space Company.

49North is rooted in the execution of large, complex, and mission‑critical programs developed within 49NORTH. This legacy reflects a record of delivery where engineering rigour, operational reliability, and national trust are non‑negotiable.

49North Defence strengthens Canada’s sovereign defence capability by delivering integrated mission systems and multi‑domain C4ISR integration, enabling trusted Canadian and coalition operations, assured interoperability, and sustained readiness.

Program/Project Description The Aviation Program is comprised of two main projects Global Procedure Designed (GPD) and Automated Charting and Encoding (ACE).

GPD was originally developed in the early 2000’s for the USAF. GPD is an easy‑to‑use Windows based decision support application that enables procedure design specialists to rapidly create an instrument procedure anywhere in the world. The application integrates a GIS module for procedure design visualization and drag‑and‑drop operations fine‑tuning to avoid terrain and obstacles. GPD supports many standard input and output data formats (e.g., AIXM, ARINC, DAFIF and DVOF).

In 2022 GPD was enhanced for NAV CANADA with many features including TP308 criteria and support standard terminal arrival route and enroute procedures.

GPD is currently in use by more than 350 design specialists, building and evaluating procedures for locations all over the world.

ACE is a next generation aeronautical chart management solution that provides fully automated chart production directly from aeronautical data sources. Automatically transforming digital flight procedures into interactive, publication‑quality aeronautical charts. Transforming operations through a dramatic reduction in the time and cost required to generate aeronautical charts and ARINC encodings.

The speed, simplicity and power of ACE were drivers in the National Geospatial Agency’s decision to implement ACE as the standard for automated aeronautical chart generation.

Strategic Impact

Overall authority and responsibility for the Program

Strategic alignment of projects to business objectives and customer contracts

Stakeholder alignment & satisfaction across internal and external partners





Delivery excellence: on‑time, on‑budget, in‑scope

Team performance & accountability: clear priorities, realistic plans, predictable outcomes, empowerment

Risk & opportunity management: identify early, mitigate, and leverage

Responsibilities

Execution : Accountable for integrated cross‑functional project execution, remove barriers, enforce baselines, drive issue resolution

Cross‑functional orchestration with Planning, Finance, Supply Chain/Subcontracts

Establish a continuous improvement culture to improve tools, systems and business processes

Schedule & cost : Own IMS, monitor and control, act early on variances, implement recovery actions with Finance alignment

Own overall delivery within cost, schedule, scope envelope

Maintain quality, on‑time deliveries and within budget

Stakeholders & communications : Own customer interface and internal stakeholders, provide transparent status, maintain shared situational awareness and support

Customer/commercial interface, stakeholder alignment and communications

Collaboration and communication with internal stakeholders; Engineering, Contracts, Quality and Finance departments, in support of portfolio execution

Effective Team Leadership : Guides Project Leads or Team Leads within their scope, fostering accountability and efficient execution through effective leadership skills

Manage Program‑resourcing levels, in collaboration with Engineering and Talent Acquisition.

Grow the technical team, onboard new hires, provide growth opportunities for the existing team, set clear goals

Planning (baseline WBS & IMS) : define milestones/critical path, integrate risks, resources, and assumptions validated with functions

Forecasting : surface early indicators, address root causes, drive corrective actions and options

Scope & requirements : Formal change control with Contracts/Engineering, ensure traceability and acceptance evidence, protect baselines and prevent scope creep

Risk & opportunity management : escalate beyond authority with options & recommendations

Support BD to grow business : develop existing and new customers

Job Complexity

Operates independently for significant periods

~50 direct staff

~$15m per annum revenue

Supervision of Project Leads and Team Leads

Complex customer interfaces,



with multiple key accounts: USAF, NGA and NAV CANADA

Significant interaction with New Business on multiple strategic pursuits

Qualifications / Requirements

BSc, BEng, or equivalent in an engineering or applied science discipline

Minimum 15 years of experience in program/project management, preferably in a safety‑critical/mission‑critical regulated software or systems engineering environment

Proven past performance leading multi‑disciplinary software engineering teams

Strong understanding of financial tracking and reporting

Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills

Result orientated and exhibits excellent critical thinking

Works well in a dynamic environment where some of the parameters are unknown and some change regularly

Robust knowledge of system and/or software engineering standards, methodologies, and lifecycle practices

Flexibility: does what needs to be done, makes sure nothing slips through the cracks

Strong understanding of Aviation domain, workflows and data requirements

Experience in product‑based, design‑to‑cost environments considered an asset

Security Clearance Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the secret level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.

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 dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare 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 and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the 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/cover letter and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

Compensation range The compensation range for this position is $122,400.00 - $168,300.00 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

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📌 Senior Program Manager - Aviation programs (Richmond)
🏢 MDA
📍 Richmond