Director of Projects

KBR • Newark, DE

2d

About The Position

KBR is seeking a highly motivated, driven, and experienced professional to fill the role of Director of Projects, leading the KBR Wilmington Operations project portfolio as the organization positions for growth. The successful candidate will bring proven experience from the chemicals, manufacturing, refining, power, or pharmaceutical industries, with a strong background in leading multidisciplinary teams and executing capital EPC projects and portfolios.
This role is responsible for overseeing project delivery excellence, ensuring consistent quality, effectively allocating resources across the portfolio, and driving strategic performance and client satisfaction for the KBR Wilmington office. The Director of Projects will also serve as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to office strategy, long‑term growth and market diversification, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline, Construction Management, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of progressive project management experience within chemicals, manufacturing, refining, power, or pharmaceutical industries.
• Demonstrated experience leading successful large capital EPC projects and programs.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire teams to achieve project objectives.
• Proven ability to direct project portfolios, enforce project governance, and ensure consistent execution standards.
• In-depth knowledge of project management methodologies, tools, and techniques.
• Significant energy experience, ideally experienced in working with global customers; both within the Domestic US and Internationally.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
• A track record of continuous professional development and a commitment to staying updated with industry trends and advancements.

Nice To Haves

• MBA preferred.
• PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred.
• Decarbonization – Energy Transition – Sustainability

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Wilmington Operations project portfolio, ensuring high‑quality project execution, financial results, adherence to schedule, cost control, and client satisfaction.
• Provide oversight, governance, and performance management across all Project Managers to ensure consistent application of project management processes, procedures, controls, and standards.
• Ensure effective delivery of capital EPC projects and multi‑project programs, including planning, risk management, change control, forecasting, and reporting.
• Regularly interact with project delivery teams to measure performance against KPIs and proactively intervene to establish plan of action for course correction and drive improvements to completion.
• Drive continuous improvement across the project management function, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, quality, and predictability of outcomes.
• Partner with Business Development and Capture Managers to support client engagement, contract evaluation / negotiation, competitive positioning and to ensure winning strategies and execution models are developed and delivered.
• Serve as a key contributor on the Senior Leadership Team, influencing organizational strategy, operational excellence initiatives, delivering business strategies and objectives, and long‑range planning for growth.
• Position team and facilitate changes to project execution processes and procedures required to support work in new markets.
• Direct staffing and resource allocation, assigning Project Managers and Capture Managers based on project needs, competencies, and workload balance.
• Foster a culture of safety, inclusion, innovation, accountability, and collaboration throughout the project organization.
• Mentor, coach, and develop project management staff to build a strong talent pipeline and support career progression.
• Interface with clients to gather feedback, identify solutions for project challenges, and navigate contractual matters to establish and maintain a collaborative relationship.

Benefits

• KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.
• We support career advancement through professional training and development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director