Director, Engineering - Project Control

Merck•Elkton, VA

8d•$173,200 - $272,600•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Project Control is a key position in the Global Estimating Solutions, Project Business Services (PBS) Organization. The role provides effective and innovative cost and schedule solutions to business partners and helps teams execute large strategic programs successfully. The leader ensures essential planning, scheduling, and controlling elements are in place across an assigned portfolio; promotes emerging technologies and innovations in project delivery and project controls; monitors indicators and trends to flag issues early; collaborates with teams to address problems before they cause overruns or missed deadlines; and focuses on control and continuous improvement. The role establishes and implements project control procedures and execution plans and oversees monthly project cost reporting, including budgeting, forecasting, earned-value analysis, progress measurement, scheduling, change management, and risk management. It supports Target Value Delivery, maintains project spending plans, interfaces with project control personnel and internal specialists, manages project controls staffing, and ensures timely project closure and fixed asset assignments. The position is based primarily in Wilmington, Delaware, with a hybrid work arrangement and travel across the Americas of up to 25%.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Engineering or a relevant discipline.
15+ years of applicable Project Control or Delivery-related experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Experience in capital project or program management from Front End Loading (FEL) through start-up and licensure.
Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, and willingness to accept and drive change and innovation.
Working knowledge of project cost and financial management aspects within SAP or similar software.
Working knowledge of scheduling and risk analysis software, such as Primavera P6, Primavera Risk Analysis, or MS Project.
Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary staff and interfacing with senior leaders across an organization.
Ability to travel across the Americas up to 25% of the time.
Required skills include collaboration, engineering management, engineering standards, estimation and planning, leading project teams, Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement, Microsoft Project, people leadership, process improvements, project budgeting, project controls, project delivery, project implementations, and project planning.

Nice To Haves

Experience in Lean Project Delivery methodologies, such as Target Value Delivery and Last Planner.
Lean/Six Sigma experience.
Understanding of Microsoft Power Applications and AI.

Responsibilities

Ensure minimum essential planning, scheduling, and controlling elements are in place for all programs in the assigned portfolio.
Lead change related to emerging technology and innovation in project delivery and project controls.
Monitor leading indicators and trends to provide early warning of issues to project teams, the E&C Lead, and Regional Directors.
Collaborate with teams to resolve problems before they lead to cost overruns or missed deadlines.
Focus on project control and continuous improvement.
Establish and implement project control procedures and execution plans.
Ensure delivery of overall monthly project cost reports, including cost budgeting, forecasting and reporting; earned-value analysis; progress measurement and schedule status; change management; risk management; and early warning of issues.
Support implementation of Target Value Delivery.
Ensure development and maintenance of overall project spending plans and represent submittals to Finance.
Interface with Architect Engineer (AE) and Construction Management (CM) project control personnel to ensure timely compliance with GES procedures and reporting requirements.
Work with internal subject matter experts in estimating and strategic scheduling to support transition from planning to execution.
Manage project controls staffing within the assigned program or portfolio.
Ensure implementation of change management and risk management processes.
Ensure timely project closures, including asset definition and assignments for fixed asset management.
Liaise with groups outside the Engineering organization.