Great North Airlines is a growing Canadian operator delivering critical air services across northern and remote regions. As we expand our work with government and defence partners, we are seeking a strategic and commercially driven Government Program Commercial Director to lead federal and provincial contract development.
Scope of the Position
The Government Program Commercial Director is responsible for leading Great North's federal and provincial contract development strategy, with a primary focus on the Department of National Defence (DND) and other federal departments. This role establishes and manages a disciplined government opportunity pipeline, ensures early positioning prior to solicitation, leads compliant RFP responses, and expands multi-year programs across public safety, emergency operations, and other government sectors.
The position is accountable for developing capture strategies, strengthening relationships with contracting authorities, structuring partnerships to enhance competitive positioning, and securing awarded contracts. The Government Program Commercial Director reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Job Description
- Ensure safety, security, quality, and risk-management compliance by promoting safety and quality across the organization, encouraging employee participation in the Safety Management System (SMS), ensuring effective communication with stakeholders, and complying with all SMS and safety policies, processes, and standards.
- Lead government opportunity development by identifying upcoming federal and provincial procurement opportunities, monitoring RFPs, RFQs, standing offers, and supply arrangements, maintaining a disciplined 12–24-month pipeline, and engaging procurement officers early to shape requirements before solicitation.
- Drive federal growth with DND and other federal agencies by working directly with DND contracting authorities, the Defence Investment Agency, and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC); maintaining active relationships across federal departments; and ensuring alignment with federal procurement standards, capability requirements, and evaluation criteria.
- Expand provincial government programs by identifying recurring opportunities across public safety, emergency response, remote access, northern operations, health, natural resources, and transportation; developing multi-year program structures and standing offers; and building sustained relationships with provincial ministries, program leads, and procurement teams.
- Lead end-to-end RFP and proposal development by managing compliance reviews, developing scoring strategies, establishing commercial positioning, coordinating inputs from technical operations, safety, flight operations, and finance, ensuring submission quality and compliance, and interpreting evaluation criteria to demonstrate capability alignment.
- Structure and manage partnerships and alliances by developing teaming arrangements that address technical or regional requirements, collaborating with Air Charter Service and other brokers to support multimodal or expanded bid responses, and strengthening alliances that improve scoring potential, local relevance, and competitive differentiation.
- Maintain internal commercial and proposal discipline by establishing a repeatable internal RFP process, maintaining accurate opportunity tracking and bid/no-bid documentation, ensuring timely internal reviews, and supporting executive decision-making with clear commercial and competitive insights.
- Represent Great North within government and industry forums by participating in defence, procurement, aviation, and public-sector engagements to strengthen visibility, credibility, and access to stakeholders involved in procurement planning or evaluation.
- Support executive leadership by providing strategic insights into emerging government opportunities, advising on market trends across federal and provincial sectors, and performing additional duties as assigned by the CEO.
Job Requirements
- Demonstrated experience working within the Department of National Defence (DND) in procurement and/or logistics is strongly preferred. Candidates who have directly supported or led the development, negotiation, or execution of DND-related contracts, particularly those valued in excess of $10 million, will be considered highly desirable.
- Government of Canada security clearance at the Secret level is required for this role. Candidates who currently hold an active Secret clearance (or higher) are preferred; candidates eligible to obtain Secret — Canadian citizens with a verifiable 10-year background suitable for PSPC Contract Security Program screening — will also be considered.
- Degree in Business, Public Administration, Political Science, Aviation, or a related discipline preferred
- Formal training in federal procurement, public-sector contracting, or capture management considered an asset
- Minimum 7–10 years in government procurement, federal capture management, or public-sector business development
- Direct experience preparing and submitting federal RFP responses
- Experience engaging with PSPC and/or provincial procurement agencies
- Proven track record of winning government contracts in structured, compliance-driven environments
- Strong knowledge of federal procurement frameworks, including requirements, evaluation criteria, and mandatory compliance obligations
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to structure competitive pricing strategies
- Advanced written and verbal communication skills, including proposal writing
- Highly organized and disciplined with documentation and process management
- Strong relationship-building skills with government stakeholders
- Strategic thinking and long-range planning capability
- Persistence and resilience in high-structure procurement environments
- Effective negotiation and conflict-resolution skills
- High professionalism and credibility when engaging with senior officials
- Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a cross-functional team
- High degree of diplomacy and discretion, especially in sensitive or high-stakes government situations
- Ability to travel domestically to meet government stakeholders and attend procurement meetings
- Flexible availability, including occasional evenings and weekends based on procurement timelines
- Valid travel documents, including passport and driver's license
- Ability to perform prolonged computer and desk work, including frequent sitting and sustained screen use
What We Offer
- Compensation: CA$115,000 – CA$150,000 per year, commensurate with experience
- Benefits: Dental care, disability insurance, employee assistance program, extended health care, life insurance, on-site parking, paid time off, vision care
- Work Location: Hybrid remote in Mississauga, ON (L4V 1E8)
- Mission: Be part of a fast-growing Canadian aviation company expanding its federal and provincial government footprint
About Great North Airlines
Great North Airlines is a Canadian aviation company based in southern Ontario, operating CRJ jets and DASH 8 turboprops in support of government, defence, and commercial programs across Canada and internationally.
We are proud members of CADSI and CCIB, actively growing our federal and provincial government capabilities.
How to Apply
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