Restaurant Project Manager Director jobs in Ontario

Department: Transformation Office
Reports to: Senior Director, Transformation
Location: Etobicoke (Hybrid)
The pay range for the role is $95,300 to $145,300 plus bonus, comprehensive benefits, retirement savings plan, paid vacation, and other perks and opportunities.
Position Summary
The Manager, Transformation Office plays a critical role in enabling Gay Lea’s enterprise strategic projects by supporting the Senior Director, Transformation in the design, stand-up, and operation of enterprise-level transformation capabilities. This role is responsible for building and maintaining the tools, processes, governance, and ways of working required to successfully deliver complex, cross-functional initiatives across the organization.
The successful candidate brings strong project management discipline, hands-on experience standing up enterprise tools and capabilities, and the ability to work effectively with senior leaders, project owners, and delivery teams to ensure clarity, alignment, and execution excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Transformation Office Enablement

• Support the Senior Director, Transformation in enabling the execution of enterprise strategic projects across Gay Lea.
• Build, implement, and continuously improve Transformation Office tools, templates, and standards (e.g., project charters, roadmaps, governance forums, reporting).
• Support the stand-up and evolution of enterprise-level project management and delivery capabilities.
• Ensure consistent application of transformation and project management practices across initiatives.

Portfolio & Governance Support

• Support portfolio-level planning, sequencing, and dependency management across enterprise initiatives.
• Prepare and maintain integrated roadmaps, status reporting, and materials for senior leadership and governance forums.
• Help identify risks, interdependencies, and capacity constraints, and support resolution through appropriate escalation.
• Enable effective decision-making through clear, concise, and fact-based reporting.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a key connector between the Transformation Office, functional teams, and project leaders.
• Support alignment between strategy, priorities, and execution.
• Build strong working relationships across the organization to enable successful delivery of change.

Capability Building & Ways of Working

• Contribute to the development of enterprise ways of working related to project delivery, change management, and governance.
• Support the adoption of tools and processes by project teams through training, coaching, and ongoing support.
• Partner with functional leaders to embed transformation discipline while respecting business realities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, clarity, and continuous improvement across enterprise initiatives.

Qualifications/ Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, operations, or a related field.
• Project management certification required (PMP or equivalent).
• 7+ years of experience in project management, transformation, or enterprise change roles.
• Demonstrated experience standing up tools, processes, and capabilities at the enterprise level.
• Experience working in complex, cross-functional environments with senior stakeholders.
• Experience supporting or operating within a PMO or Transformation Office is an asset.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities.
• Ability to work through ambiguity and bring structure to complex problems.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams); experience with project management tools is an asset.
• Ability to travel to Gay Lea sites, independently.
• Self-starter with a proactive, disciplined, and collaborative working style.
• Demonstrates accountability, integrity, and sound judgment.
• Brings a practical, execution-focused mindset.
• Comfortable operating between strategy and delivery.
• Builds trust and credibility across levels of the organization.

Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co-operative renowned for producing high-quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,200 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award-winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of its deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre-tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community-building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gayleafoods.com.
Gay Lea Foods is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in our workplace.
Reasonable accommodation is available upon request throughout our recruitment and selection process.
Gay Lea Foods may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support aspects of the recruitment process, including screening and assessment.
We are currently accepting applications for this open position.
Thank you for your interest in Gay Lea Foods.
Wishing you all the best with your career search!