Director, Transport Modelling Lead

At Alto, we are actively contributing to the transformation of Canada's future with our high-speed train project connecting Quebec City and Toronto. With the support of the Government of Canada, this innovative project aims to improve the quality of life of our citizens, strengthen ties between communities and stimulate economic growth.

Would you like to take on a stimulating, high-impact challenge?  We are looking for a Director, Transport Modelling Lead. Please note that the candidate may be based in one of our 4 offices: Montréal, Quebec City, Toronto or Ottawa, with a preference for the Toronto and Montréal Office.

The role

Reporting to the Senior Director, Commercial and Business Planning, the Director, Transport Modelling Lead is responsible for leading all ridership, revenue, and transport modelling activities for the Alto High-Speed Rail Project. Through co-development with the Private Development Partner (PDP), Cadence, this individual will be responsible for providing technical leadership and oversight of modelling activities undertaken by Cadence, ensuring robustness, transparency, and investment-grade quality of forecasts that underpin the Business Plan and key Project decisions. The individual will also lead the development of Alto’s internal modelling capabilities, ensuring independence in analysis, strong due diligence, and long-term analytical maturity. This position is central to the Project’s success, requiring close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Financial, Strategic and Technical teams, as well as external advisors. The role ensures that modelling outputs are credible, defensible, and aligned with Project objectives, while supporting strategic decision-making, commercial deal structuring and negotiation activities.

The responsibilities

• Lead technical oversight and challenge of Cadence’s modelling activities, including independent due diligence and critical review of methodologies, assumptions, and outputs across ridership, revenue, and demand forecasting models to ensure robustness and credibility.
• Define and enforce modelling requirements, including quality assurance/quality control frameworks, validation processes, and documentation standards, ensuring transparency, auditability, and consistency of modelling outputs.
• Develop and maintain Alto’s internal modelling and analytical frameworks, and deliver modelling analyses to support independent scenario testing, sensitivities, and strategic assessments.
• Validate market research inputs and ensure appropriate integration into modelling methodologies and demand forecasts.
• Provide analytical inputs to cross-functional teams, including financial modelling, technical planning, operations, and commercial strategy.
• Collaborate with external advisors and Cadence to build, refine, and optimize ridership and revenue forecasts during the co-development phase and support the development of investment-grade Business Plan inputs.
• Develop and manage data strategy and systems for ridership and revenue activities, including governance, integration of third-party data, coordination of modelling inputs, and ensuring automated, reproducible outputs.
• Lead the preparation of technical briefings and reports for senior leadership.
• Manage, mentor, and coach junior team members and team capabilities, supporting their technical development and ensuring high-quality delivery.

The requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in transport engineering, economics, data science, mathematics, or related field.
• Minimum 10 to 12 years experience in transport modelling and demand forecasting for major infrastructure projects, with a proven track record of delivering investment-grade demand and revenue forecasts (ideally in rail/transit).
• Deep expertise in modelling methodologies, including mode choice, network modelling, and elasticity/econometric approaches.
• Strong technical capabilities in modelling tools (e.g. Emme), scripting (Python required), and data platforms (e.g. GIS).
• Ability to translate complex analysis into clear, decision-ready insights for executive and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to operate in complex, fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Bilingualism (English and French), both spoken and written, is considered an asset.
• Flexibility is required, as the role involves some travel between Toronto and Montréal.

Why join our innovative team?

• Basic paid group insurance for you and your family: medical, dental, life, disability, etc.
• Access to wellness and health accounts to support your lifestyle.
• Flex-Alto account of $500 to encourage a healthier approach and a more sustainable mode of transportation.
• A retirement plan and savings options (RRSP and TFSA).
• Vacations based on experience, available upon hiring.
• An incentive compensation program.
• Flexible hybrid work mode.
• A work environment that encourages initiative, innovation, and forward-thinking solutions.
• A unique opportunity to shape the future of transportation in Canada.

We work to create high-performance, diversified teams

At Alto, we believe in the power of diverse teams. We aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone can develop and flourish. Alto offers equal employment opportunities to all and invites qualified individuals, regardless of their identity, origin or situation, to apply.

Please let us know if you need any adjustments during the recruitment process. We will do our utmost to provide you with a fair and pleasant experience, while keeping any adjustments confidential.

Please note that we will communicate only with those candidates whose applications are selected for further consideration. To find out more about the entire project, visit Alto - Home.