Industrial Project Manager - Petrochemical

CDM Smith•Wadsworth, OH

About The Position

CDM Smith is seeking a Project Manager to lead and deliver Petrochemical Manufacturing facility projects for major clients in the domestic United States. This role will manage projects ranging from small, fast-track facility modifications to large, complex engineering and design-build programs, including work executed in operating facilities with safety, permitting, and environmental compliance considerations. This position is part of our Industrial Division, which serves Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Food & Beverage, Metals & Mining, Utilities, Manufacturing, and other industrial clients. As a member of this team, you will serve as Project Manager, where you would contribute to CDM Smith’s mission by: • Managing multiple petrochemical/chemical manufacturing and downstream oil & gas facility projects concurrently, from early concept and front-end planning through detailed design, procurement support, and possibly construction, and start-up/commissioning support. • Serve as the primary point of contact for client delivery—establishing clear scope, execution strategy, roles/responsibilities, communications cadence, and decision-making pathways. • Lead multi-discipline teams (process, mechanical, piping, civil/structural, electrical, I&C, architecture, environmental) and coordinate closely with construction management, subcontractors, and vendors. • Drive safety-first execution in operating facilities, including alignment with client site safety requirements, work planning, and constructability reviews. • Maintain control of scope, schedule, budget, and risk; develop and monitor project plans, forecasts, and performance metrics; and implement corrective actions as needed. • Lead change management with support from the engineering disciplines, including evaluation of impacts, client communication, and negotiation of contract amendments/change orders. • Provide project-level guidance and oversight to ensure discipline quality standards and project deliverables meet CDM Smith and client requirements. • Support and/or lead proposal efforts along with sales, marketing and engineering, to include scope, schedule, and budget that position the team for success. • Mentor and develop project team members; foster collaboration, accountability, and timely issue resolution. • Identify opportunities with existing clients by expanding service offerings and bringing forward value-added solutions. For more information about our Project Management roles, tools and culture, please visit: bit.ly/2UC8V16.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree.
7 years of related experience.
PMP (PMI), CCM or DBIA certification is required (within 12 months of hire or promotion onto the Approved Project Manager list).
Domestic and/or international travel may be required. The frequency of travel is contingent on specific duties, responsibilities, and the essential functions of the position, which may vary depending on workload and project demands.
Equivalent additional directly related experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (chemical, mechanical, civil/structural, or electrical) or a related technical discipline.
Registered Professional Engineer (PE).
Experience delivering facility upgrades/expansions in operating plants (e.g., brownfield work, tie-ins, outage/turnaround coordination, constructability planning).
Proven experience managing preparation of engineering design packages for construction (IFR/IFC), including coordinating multidisciplinary reviews and deliverable quality.
Familiarity with industrial safety and risk practices (e.g., PHA/HAZOP participation, MOC interfaces, hazard awareness) and environmental compliance/permitting considerations.
Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical content for non-technical stakeholders and lead effective client and team meetings.

Responsibilities

Managing multiple petrochemical/chemical manufacturing and downstream oil & gas facility projects concurrently, from early concept and front-end planning through detailed design, procurement support, and possibly construction, and start-up/commissioning support.
Serve as the primary point of contact for client delivery—establishing clear scope, execution strategy, roles/responsibilities, communications cadence, and decision-making pathways.
Lead multi-discipline teams (process, mechanical, piping, civil/structural, electrical, I&C, architecture, environmental) and coordinate closely with construction management, subcontractors, and vendors.
Drive safety-first execution in operating facilities, including alignment with client site safety requirements, work planning, and constructability reviews.
Maintain control of scope, schedule, budget, and risk; develop and monitor project plans, forecasts, and performance metrics; and implement corrective actions as needed.
Lead change management with support from the engineering disciplines, including evaluation of impacts, client communication, and negotiation of contract amendments/change orders.
Provide project-level guidance and oversight to ensure discipline quality standards and project deliverables meet CDM Smith and client requirements.
Support and/or lead proposal efforts along with sales, marketing and engineering, to include scope, schedule, and budget that position the team for success.
Mentor and develop project team members; foster collaboration, accountability, and timely issue resolution.
Identify opportunities with existing clients by expanding service offerings and bringing forward value-added solutions.