Project Manager

About the role

The Project Manager (PM) is a key member of the Select Services Commercial Solutions team, responsible for leading the development and execution of strategic capital and operational initiatives for both internal and external customers. This role goes beyond traditional project management. The PM serves as a technical and execution leader across a wide range of customer-facing priorities, including plant operations, reliability, capital planning, environmental health and safety, sustainability, quality, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of key customer project initiatives, ensuring scope, timeline, and execution expectations are met.
• Manage project phases including scoping, approval, design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Lead project teams from concept through commissioning, qualification, and validation (CQV).
• Ensure cash flow and financial discipline are maintained across assigned projects and sites.
• Provide technical leadership across operational priorities including safety, reliability, food quality, and plant effectiveness.
• Support on-site troubleshooting and root cause problem solving in high-pressure environments.
• Develop and implement solutions that improve asset reliability, operational performance, and cost effectiveness.
• Manage direct, dotted-line, and contract resources as assigned.
• Build strong working relationships across customer teams including Operations, Quality, Finance, Sales, and Maintenance.
• Proactively manage key equipment supplier and partner relationships.
• Maintain awareness of current food processing technologies, engineering standards, and regulatory codes.
• Apply lean manufacturing and continuous improvement concepts to engineering design and project execution.
• Direct supervisory responsibilities: there are no current direct reports to this position.

Core Competencies

• Execution Excellence: Drives complex projects forward with urgency, structure, and accountability; consistently delivers results across scope, schedule, cost, and operational readiness; brings strong follow-through and ownership from concept through completion.
• Technical & Operational Credibility: Earns trust through practical engineering knowledge and plant-floor understanding; applies sound judgment in equipment decisions, troubleshooting, and operational tradeoffs; comfortable operating hands-on in manufacturing environments when needed.
• Structured Problem Solving: Quickly assesses ambiguous situations, identifies root causes, and develops actionable solutions; anticipates risks early and builds mitigation plans before issues escalate; uses data, field insight, and operational experience to guide decisions.
• Cross-Functional Influence & Collaboration: Builds strong partnerships across Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Finance, and Commercial teams; leads effectively through influence in a matrix organization; aligns diverse stakeholders toward shared outcomes and execution priorities.
• Customer & Partner Orientation: Represents Select Services with professionalism and credibility in customer-facing settings; manages vendor and contractor relationships with clear expectations and accountability; focuses on delivering solutions that improve customer outcomes and long-term value.
• Communication & Executive Presence: Communicates clearly and confidently with frontline teams and senior leadership; translates technical complexity into practical recommendations and decision points; provides concise, structured project updates that enable timely action.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Brings an operational excellence lens to every project; identifies opportunities to improve reliability, safety, cost, and performance beyond the immediate scope; embeds sustainability, compliance, and long-term asset discipline into execution.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives in fast-paced environments with shifting priorities and high expectations; maintains composure under pressure and drives progress through challenges; comfortable with travel, field execution, and independent responsibility.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, Industrial Engineering, Analytics, or related field required. MBA preferred (not required).
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in business analysis, operational analytics, finance analytics, strategy, consulting, or related roles. Demonstrated experience building models, interpreting data, and delivering recommendations to leadership. Experience in manufacturing, food, dairy, supply chain, or CPG environments is a plus.