Program Handover Manager

Toronto, ON | Permanent Full-Time

O'Hara Search Group (OSG) is proud to partner with Bantrel in the recruitment of a Program Handover Manager to support one of Canada's largest and most complex transit infrastructure programs.

This position will play a critical role in leading program-wide handover, turnover, operational readiness, and systems completion activities across a major subway expansion project in Toronto. The successful candidate will provide leadership and coordination between multiple contractors, project stakeholders, testing and commissioning teams, and end users to ensure the successful transition of project assets from construction through testing, commissioning, and final handover.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a transformative transit project that will shape the future of transportation across the Greater Toronto Area.

About the Project

Bantrel is supporting the delivery of a major subway expansion project in Toronto as part of an integrated project team working alongside the owner, delivery partners, technical advisors, and multiple construction contractors.

The program includes:

• More than 15 km of new subway alignment
• 15 new stations
• Multiple progressive turnover and handover milestones
• Complex interfaces across civil, systems, rail, testing, commissioning, operations, and maintenance functions

Key Responsibilities:

Program Handover & Turnover Strategy

• Develop and implement a progressive turnover and handover strategy across the program.
• Coordinate with project controls, commercial, planning, construction, testing, and commissioning teams to establish consistent handover approaches across all project segments.
• Support the development of safe, commercially compliant turnover plans that enable efficient project execution.
• Establish handover governance frameworks, processes, templates, procedures, and reporting tools.

Operational Readiness & Systems Completion

• Lead the development of Room Readiness and station readiness processes required to support systems installation and fit-out activities.
• Define minimum readiness requirements, acceptance criteria, and turnover procedures.
• Support the development of operational readiness strategies and execution plans.
• Coordinate turnover priorities with testing and commissioning teams to support dynamic testing and project readiness activities.

Contractor & Stakeholder Coordination

• Lead program-wide turnover and handover activities through oversight of contractors and project teams.
• Ensure consistency in handover deliverables, documentation, processes, and execution approaches across multiple delivery contracts.
• Establish clear divisions of responsibility between contractors, operators, maintainers, project teams, and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with senior project stakeholders.

Planning, Performance & Reporting

• Develop and implement milestone-driven handover schedules and T-minus planning methodologies.
• Monitor progress and performance through data-driven reporting and analytics.
• Develop handover dashboards, KPIs, performance metrics, and S-curve reporting.
• Support executive-level reporting related to turnover, systems completion, and operational readiness activities.
• Track and communicate performance against project requirements, milestones, quality objectives, and schedule commitments.

Asset Information & Documentation Management

• Coordinate the collection, validation, and transfer of asset data and handover documentation.
• Ensure turnover deliverables are aligned with client and end-user requirements.
• Support the development of interface management documentation and systems completion processes.
• Drive consistency in asset handover practices across multiple contractors and delivery teams.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Drive collaboration across technical, construction, commissioning, and project management teams.
• Support issue resolution and facilitate alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, accountability, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Support the development and mentoring of project team members as required.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of experience delivering major transit, rail, transportation, or complex infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Handover & Turnover Management
• Systems Completion
• Operational Readiness
• Testing & Commissioning
• Systems Integration
• Project Integration
• Program Delivery
• Experience coordinating multiple contractors, stakeholders, and interfaces within large, multidisciplinary infrastructure programs.
• Strong understanding of construction, testing, commissioning, and asset turnover processes.
• Experience developing project execution plans, governance frameworks, procedures, reporting tools, and performance metrics.
• Strong planning, scheduling, and project controls awareness.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience delivering subway, LRT, commuter rail, rail systems, or other major transit infrastructure projects.
• Experience leading progressive turnover, systems completion, operational readiness, dynamic testing, revenue service readiness, or asset handover activities.
• Strong understanding of contractor management, contract administration, and commercial project delivery.
• Experience utilizing project analytics, KPI reporting, earned value methodologies, and milestone-based planning to support program performance and decision-making.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), PMP, or equivalent professional designation is considered an asset.