Systems Engineering Manager

About

Are you a technically grounded Systems Engineering and people leader who thrives on building high-performing teams and driving organizational excellence? This is a rare opportunity to step into a pivotal leadership role at a fast-growing Canadian defense and technology firm. It is a change-making role for someone who wants to leave a real mark while contributing to Canadas sovereignty:

• Lead a team of talented, highly technical systems engineers whose work carries real-world significance in today's rapidly evolving defense landscape.
• This organization is growing fast, operates across multiple time zones, and needs a leader who can unite a high-caliber team, break down silos, and cultivate a culture of pride and continuous improvement.
• Competitive compensation, flex-week scheduling options, 4 weeks vacation plus 5 personal days, RRSP matching, performance bonuses, and relocation support for the right candidate.

What & Why:

Our client is seeking a Systems Engineering Manager to lead and enable a team of driven engineering professionals delivering complex, high-stakes projects across the defense sector. This is fundamentally a people leadership role — your job is to equip, develop, and advocate for your team so they can execute at the highest level.

The role is open because the organization is scaling rapidly and needs a dedicated, energetic leader to bring cohesion, structure, and a culture of excellence to a team that is hungry for exactly that kind of leadership.

Please note this is not a software engineering role. Candidates must have true Systems Engineering experience.

Who:

Our client is a well-established, proudly Canadian technology company operating in the defense industry, delivering mission-critical systems with global reach. The company has experienced exceptional growth over the past several years. This is a dynamic, intellectually stimulating environment where the work is complex, the team is sharp, and the organizational impact is real.

You:

You will bring the following education, skills and experience to the role:

• Must be a Canadian Citizen or Canadian Permanent Resident.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain NATO security clearance.
• Minimum 10 years of hands-on systems engineering experience in a relevant technical domain (defense, maritime, aviation, automotive, or space sectors are nice-to-have).
• 5+ years in a people management or team leadership role, with demonstrated success leading technical professionals.
• Proven ability to manage, mentor, and develop diverse teams of engineers.
• Experience with resource planning, workforce forecasting.
• Strong working knowledge of quality management systems, particularly ISO 9001 or similar quality frameworks.
• Familiarity with product lifecycle management tools and project scheduling software.
• Clear, confident communicator — direct, honest, and able to articulate vision and decisions with precision.

Location:

• Vancouver area, fully-on site with flex-week scheduling options.

Compensation:

• $150,000 to $200,000 base salary.
• RRSP matching.
• Annual performance bonus.
• Relocation reimbursement.
• 4 weeks of vacation.
• Extended benefits.

Next Steps:

If the sound of this opportunity excites you, and you’re confident that it’s a good fit for your experience and career goals, then we’d love to hear from you! Please send your updated resume to us by applying to this posting and one of our awesome team of recruiters will be in touch.