Associate Director/Director, Capital Projects

Role Summary

The Associate Director / Director of Capital Projects is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing a portfolio of large and small-scale capital projects from inception to completion. Key responsibilities include strategic planning, budget management, contract oversight, team leadership, and ensuring projects align with organizational goals and are completed on time and within budget. This role requires strong project management, leadership, financial acumen, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning: Leads the development of a long-term capital investment plan, aligning all projects with the company's strategic growth, research, and manufacturing goals.
• Project Leadership: Oversees the entire project lifecycle, from initial concept and design through construction, commissioning, validation, and final handover to operations. This includes projects for process equipment, facilities, utilities, and automation.
• Budget and Financial Management: Controls the fiscal aspects of the capital portfolio, including developing project budgets and funding strategies, tracking costs, and managing variance reports for senior leadership.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Acts as a central liaison between various departments, including R&D, manufacturing, quality assurance, finance, and regulatory affairs, to ensure project requirements are clearly defined and met.
• Compliance and Safety: Ensures all projects comply with stringent industry regulations, including FDA and EMA guidelines, as well as company policies and safety protocols.
• Team Leadership: Builds, mentors, and manages a team of project managers, engineers, contractors and support staff. Sets clear expectations and maintains high standards for team performance and project delivery.
• Risk Management: Identifies and proactively addresses project risks and potential delays, developing mitigation strategies to minimize impact on timelines and budgets.
• Vendor and Contractor Management: Defines procurement strategy and manages relationships with external architects, engineers, construction firms, and equipment suppliers.
• Executive Communication: Provides regular, transparent updates and presentations on project status to executive management and key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of regulatory requirements, including cGMP, and experience with facility design for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical processes.
• Technical Skills: Expertise in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Primavera), as well as a solid understanding of construction and engineering principles.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate large, cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, regulated environment.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong business and financial acumen to inform strategic prioritization and decision-making.
• Communication: Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and presentation skills to effectively influence and manage stakeholders at all levels.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to navigate complex issues and project challenges.
• Adaptability: Ability to foster an agile mindset in a complex and frequently changing environment.

Education

• A bachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical), construction management, or a related scientific field is required. A master's degree or MBA is preferred.

Additional Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in capital project management within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry, with a proven track record of managing small, large and complex projects in operational facilities is preferred.