Project Engineer

James Hardie•Pulaski, VA

12d•$92,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Project Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing is a hands-on technical project leader responsible for commissioning and executing projects across the manufacturing network. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, Advanced Manufacturing, this role owns assigned projects from opportunity evaluation and front-end development through design, procurement, construction, startup, handoff, and benefits realization. This role is the key integrator of technical projects into the plant and sustainment through end-to-end HMOS integration and standardization. The role partners with SMEs, plant teams, and functional teams to improve existing systems and operations through technical process control advancements, with measurable impact on Rate, Net Hours, and RTY. This individual works independently, maintains disciplined project controls, and escalates promptly when safety, quality, cost, schedule, scope, technical performance, or business value is at risk. This role requires regular travel to sites across the network, vendors for FATs, including multiple weeks on site in a row during commissioning.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a closely related technical discipline is strongly preferred; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
Five or more years of relevant industrial manufacturing, plant engineering, project engineering, maintenance engineering, or process engineering experience is preferred.
Demonstrated project management experience executing technical projects through design, specification, procurement, installation, commissioning, startup, and handoff.
Experience working with plant operations and maintenance teams and improving throughput, equipment performance, reliability, process capability, and quality.
Experience with industrial machinery, material handling, process equipment, piping, pumps, valves, hydraulics, pneumatics, compressed air, dust collection, storage, or utilities is preferred.
Experience with controls, PLCs, automation, data or information systems, MES, or formal user acceptance testing is preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Front-End Loading, stage-gate capital processes, Agile methods, or formal project governance is beneficial; PMP or similar certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

Own pilot, rollout, improvement, and capital projects from conceptual development through stable operation and formal handoff to support the broader Break Through Objectives (BTOs) for the company.
Evaluate opportunities using plant observations, data, stakeholder input, risk, constructability, maintainability, and expected impact to Rate, Net Hours, and RTY.
Develop and manage scope, requirements, design criteria, commissioning schedule, risks, deliverables including Front End Loading (FEL), commissioning approach, acceptance criteria, and hypercare.
Lead or coordinate process, mechanical, structural, electrical, controls, automation, utilities, safety, and construction design as required by the project.
Coordinate technology and equipment selection with subject matter experts, plants, vendors, and engineering partners, emphasizing operability, reliability, maintainability, and integration.
Create, review, and control specifications, scopes of work, drawings, P&IDs, equipment lists, test plans, punch lists, and handover documents.
Ensure construction and installation conform to approved documents, codes, contracts, and safety requirements; manage field questions and changes through controlled processes.
Drive the management-of-change (MOC) process ensuring accuracy and commitment to the process.
Develop and execute commissioning, testing, startup, and acceptance plans; verify technical and business requirements before handoff.
Coordinate SOPs, standard work, training, maintenance strategies, spare parts, lockout procedures, drawings, and other sustainment documentation.
Collaborate with the key stakeholders within the site and project team to coach and develop understanding of troubleshooting, both physically and via data (trends), to a high level on handover.
Monitor scope, budget, schedule, quality, safety, and KPI performance; communicate status, decisions, risks, and recovery plans.
Resolve issues within delegated authority and escalate promptly when risks or changes exceed authority or threaten project outcomes.
Validate benefits, capture lessons learned, and complete formal handoff and closeout.
Contribute to the Advanced Manufacturing technology roadmap by identifying, screening, and sequencing projects with measurable operational value.
Use gembas, benchmarking, technical research, and stakeholder input to define gaps, future-state requirements, and scalable solutions.
Develop the front-end project basis, including alternatives, process scale-up, utilities, preliminary layouts, equipment requirements, implementation strategy, and business requirements.
Coordinate budgetary quotations and estimates with Procurement, vendors, consultants, construction, IT/controls, and plant stakeholders.
Prepare estimates, schedules, risk and resource plans, and Capital Expenditure Requests or other approval materials.
Present recommendations, tradeoffs, expected KPI impact, risks, and required decisions to plant and senior leadership.
Develop rollout plans based on business priorities, operational readiness, technical dependencies, resources, and demonstrated pilot performance.