Major Projects Leader - USA

About the role

We are seeking a United States Major Projects Leader to join our team. This role is pivotal in establishing, evolving, and advancing our major project delivery capability across the Eco Region.

Responsibilities

• Define and assure the application of leading practices, tools, methodologies, and processes to ensure sustained delivery success for major projects.
• Lead the application of commercial and contractual principles, manage project delivery risks, and ensure legal and contractual protections for GHD interests.
• Provide leadership and support to our Project Management teams through all project phases, from initiation to closeout.
• Define and lead the successful application of relevant commercial and contractual principles on major projects.
• Define the types and scale of project delivery risks that are prevalent across the region and provide processes, systems, and competency that enable project teams to effectively address risks.
• Ensure the approach to legal and contractual risks on major projects effectively protects GHD interests.
• Maintain and implement a Major Project Leaders roster for the region.
• Sustain the application of the processes, systems, and people that make up the capability and competency needed for GHD to respond to client, market, and industry needs, while delivering operational and strategic success for the Enterprise.
• Provide leadership, input, and support to our Project Management teams through all phases of our larger, more complex projects.
• Work effectively with the Americas PMO to meet the requirements of the Enterprise’s major project delivery needs.
• Establish, embed, and sustain the people, systems, and process elements that represent an effective and efficient major project delivery capability for Canada.
• Ensure there is alignment and clarity with the following supporting groups and initiatives: Americas PMO team, Engineering Design Organization (EDO), Project and Construction Management Service Line, Technical Delivery, Global Delivery, and any other corporate initiatives impacting project delivery.
• Develop, rollout, and implement any activity/changes to the major project delivery framework within Americas/Canada.
• Ensure effective knowledge management for critical major project delivery artifacts, lessons, etc. that supports the Americas EcoRegion Major Project delivery.
• Integrate and embed all major project processes into the enterprise-wide Project Delivery System to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the GHD project delivery activities.
• Work with the Project Delivery Governance Support to integrate and embed all major project processes into the enterprise-wide Project Delivery System to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the GHD project delivery activities.
• Within the EcoRegion, establish a sustainable roster for Major Project Leaders (PM, PD, DM/TL) that provides visibility and insights for regional leaders to make effective decisions on the right Project Directors and Project Managers for specific roles.
• Understand the types and scale of project delivery risks that are prevalent across the region and provide processes, systems, and competency that enables local regional leadership and specific project teams to address these risks effectively.
• Establish and sustain the processes and artifacts that support project mobilization, project controls, and commercial management and project execution for major projects of all types undertaken by GHD.
• Provide leadership by defining and socializing project management resources and oversight to our project management teams through all phases of the project lifecycle (including positioning, set-up, delivery, and project closeout).
• Establish, implement, and monitor the required major project assurance process on all designated projects, including leading the coordination and implementation of periodic reviews for major projects.
• Provide input into the recruitment of key major projects staff.
• Work with the Americas PMO team, United States Major Projects Leader, regional leadership teams to socialize, promote, instruct, and advance the understanding of project delivery and the necessary skills, behavior, and expectations on Major Projects delivery teams.
• Serve as a Project Director on select Major Projects.
• Provide Major Project Leadership and/or insights to the following regional processes: PD and PM roster management, PD and PM performance assessments by the Business Group Leaders (BGLs), PD and PM community engagement, Tender Review Group (TRG), Independent Project Reviews for major or complex projects, Induct, train, and guide major project leaders within local regions to support the successful set up and delivery of major projects.
• Lead and coordinate the development of project delivery resources, artifacts, and tools that support best in class major project delivery; and make available to project management teams for easy use and incorporation.
• Take a leadership and coaching role to ensure the application of major project’s delivery tools across the region on all designated projects.
• Ensure the GHD best practices for Major Project delivery are available and accessible to project teams when needed to meet the project context.
• Support project leadership teams through all stages of the delivery lifecycle to set up and enable project delivery success, including: Assurance through the winning work stages, Mobilization and setting up for success, Performance monitoring and monitoring, Review, guidance, and assurance during execution, Capturing lessons and closing projects effectively, Ongoing ad hoc support, oversight, and guidance for teams delivering major projects.

Qualifications

• A Degree in Engineering
• A recognized project management professional, carrying suitable authority and reputation to influence and guide leaders across the region
• Minimum of 15 years of project management experience, leading multi-discipline teams in the delivery of complex and large-scale projects across multiple countries/Regions
• At least 10 years of experience in projects for public, private, and/or industrial clients with consulting engineering/design experience dealing with contracting partners or clients
• Experience in leading infrastructure and engineering projects including planning, tender phase through design, execution, and construction on large scale complex projects with professional fees greater than $10M and total capex of in excess of $100M
• Proven experience in developing and implementing project management practices and tools/systems within an infrastructure consulting firm
• Success in developing and initiating major project opportunities within a consulting firm and negotiating commercial terms with successful outcomes
• Demonstrated leadership and staff management skills to manage and mediate conflicts between team members and with clients
• Strong experience and knowledge of project delivery contracts and commercial frameworks
• Proven ability to make and communicate tough decisions in a timely manner
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrates self-awareness about how their decisions and attitude can impact team members and the success of a project
• Proven ability to develop, mentor, and lead project management professionals and technical staff