Senior Project Engineer - CAPEX

About the role

James Hardie is the industry leader in exterior home and outdoor living solutions, with a portfolio that includes fiber cement, fiber gypsum, composite and PVC decking and railing products. Our family of trusted brands includes Hardie®, TimberTech®, AZEK® Exteriors, Versatex®, fermacell®, and StruXure®. With over 8,000 employees and our U.S. operating entities headquartered in Chicago, we boast 31 operating sites, 6 recycling facilities, and 6 research and development centers globally. Powered by a dynamic workforce, we’re united by our purpose of Building a Better Future for All™ through sustainable innovation, a Zero Harm culture, and a commitment to empowering our people and communities. The Senior Project Engineer leads capital, infrastructure, and process improvement projects that support James Hardie’s composite decking operations. This role is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering projects that improve safety, increase production capacity, enhance reliability, and support long‑term site growth. The Senior Project Engineer works cross‑functionally with engineering, operations, maintenance, EHS, and corporate teams to ensure projects meet scope, schedule, and budget expectations in a fast‑paced, data‑driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end capital and operational improvement projects across the Wilmington manufacturing site, from concept development through execution, commissioning, and startup.
• Develop project scopes, feasibility assessments, cost estimates, schedules, and risk mitigation plans aligned with operational priorities and financial objectives.
• Build capital project business cases and manage financial performance throughout the project lifecycle, including ROI analysis, spend forecasting, accrual reporting, and variance management.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams including engineering, operations, maintenance, EHS, supply chain, and external contractors to ensure successful project delivery.
• Manage contractor and project safety, regulatory compliance, and adherence to engineering standards and company best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, reliability, safety, cost reduction, and overall manufacturing performance.
• Support long‑term site planning through layout optimization, capacity expansion, infrastructure upgrades, and identification of operational constraints.
• Lead vendor selection, contract negotiations, and supplier performance management.
• Prepare project updates, financial summaries, and executive‑level reporting to communicate progress, risks, and key decisions.