Lead Director, Project Engineering

Cyclic Materials Inc.•Toronto, ON

About The Position

The Lead Director, Project Engineering is responsible for leading Cyclic’s owner’s engineering team in the development and delivery of major capital projects. This role provides strategic and technical leadership across front-end loading, engineering development, project execution planning, and readiness for construction, commissioning, and handover. The successful candidate will lead internal project engineering resources and manage external engineering, EP, EPC, EPCM, and similar build specialist design partners to ensure project solutions are safe, technically robust, commercially sound, and aligned with Cyclic’s business objectives and fit for purpose. The role is accountable for engineering governance, technical quality, design maturity, and integration across process, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, civil/structural, utilities, and plant infrastructure. The successful candidate will mentor and coach existing project engineering team members.

Requirements

Professional Engineer designation required.
Minimum 18 years of progressive experience in project engineering, capital project development, and engineering management within industrial, mining, metallurgical, chemical process, clean technology, or renewable energy environments
Demonstrated experience leading owner’s engineering teams and managing external engineering or EPCM partners on medium- to large-scale capital projects.
Strong experience in front-end loading, feasibility studies, FEED / preliminary engineering, project definition, and design development for complex industrial facilities
Strong commercial acumen, including experience with capital cost estimates, engineering budgets, project schedules, contract scope development, and consultant / contractor management.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary technical teams and influence across internal and external stakeholders.
Deep knowledge of engineering principles, project development processes, and industrial capital project delivery.
Strong understanding of owner’s team responsibilities, engineering assurance, stage-gate governance, and risk-based decision-making on capital projects.
Demonstrated leadership capability, including team building, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and organizational development.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with executives, project teams, engineering partners, contractors, and operations personnel.
Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and concurrent projects in a fast-paced growth environment.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
High attention to detail, balanced with the ability to maintain focus on strategic project outcomes.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with project delivery, document control, and engineering management systems.
Ability to be flexible, agile, and able to pivot quickly in work execution approaches and delivery.
Demonstrating innovative, out of the box solutioning

Nice To Haves

PMP or equivalent project management certification considered an asset.
Experience supporting projects through detailed engineering, construction, commissioning, and operational handover is strongly preferred
Expertise in at least one of the following disciplines: hydrometallurgical, chemical processing, electrical, civil/structural, mechanical engineering, and/or recycling, critical minerals, metals refining, or similarly complex process-plant environments.
Experience in brownfield and greenfield industrial project development.
Experience working in start up organizations that focus on design optimization and refinement.
Experience conducting targeted trade-off studies for the purpose of establishing critical engineering design criteria to retrofit existing plants and design new plants.
Familiarity with North American codes, standards, and industrial permitting environments.

Responsibilities

Lead the owner’s project engineering function across multiple capital projects and studies, with primary responsibility for FEL-2, FEL-3, and preparation for subsequent project phases.
Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing internal team of project engineers and technical specialists to support study execution and project development.
Direct and manage external engineering, EP, EPC, EPCM, similar build and specialist consultants to ensure deliverables meet Cyclic’s technical standards, project objectives, and stage-gate requirements.
Establish engineering scope, design basis, deliverables lists, and technical review processes to ensure external partner output is fit for purpose and suitable for advancement into execution.
Provide leadership in engineering governance, including management of scope, design change, technical risk, value improvement, constructability, operability, maintainability, and HAZOP / design review readiness.
Oversee the development and review of engineering execution plans, project plans, capital cost estimates, project schedules, and engineering resource plans.
Partner with Project Controls, Procurement, Construction, Operations, Commercial, and Executive Leadership to align engineering activities with overall project objectives, funding milestones, and business priorities.
Participate in leading the project engineering team through project budget development, scope of work, WBS, schedule, commissioning plan, and estimating activities.
Support project decisions by ensuring engineering maturity, cost and schedule confidence, risk identification, and technical documentation are appropriate for investment decisions.
Drive consistency in engineering standards, specifications, procedures, and management systems across the project portfolio.
Identify opportunities to improve project outcomes through technology selection, standardization, modularization, digital tools, and execution strategy improvements.
Support contractor and consultant selection, scope definition, commercial evaluations, and contract negotiations in partnership with Supply Chain and Project Leadership.
Provide senior leadership during project execution as required, including resolution of technical issues, coordination across disciplines, and support for commissioning, start-up, and handover to operations.
Ensure all engineering activities are carried out in accordance with applicable health, safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements.
Contribute as a senior leader to organizational planning, capability building, and continuous improvement across the capital projects function.
Perform other related duties as required.