Project Manager, Industrial Automation Projects

Ghobashgroup; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Ghobashgroup seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead full lifecycle automation projects from initiation to closeout in Abu Dhabi. You will ensure safe, timely, and cost-effective delivery while aligning with client and business objectives.

Responsibilities include forming project teams, coordinating with clients, managing contracts and procurement, and overseeing risk, schedule, and financial performance to drive delivery excellence.

Qualifications

• Project leadership and delivery of automation projects.
• Strong stakeholder management and client satisfaction focus.
• Experience in budget, schedule and resource management.

Responsibilities

• Formulate project team and kickoff with scope, estimates, and subcontracting strategy.
• Coordinate with client PMs and project team; set up information systems and communications.
• Review contract terms at award; coordinate with Contracts for payment terms and damages.
• Obtain quotations; negotiate with OEMs; maintain commercial register and estimations.
• Maintain relationships with OEMs; track new technologies and market know-how.

Skills

Project management

Industrial automation

Leadership

Contract management

Tools

PLC/DCS/SCADA

Job description

Job Purpose:

The Project Manager is responsible for leading the full lifecycle of internal / external industrial automation projects, from initiation and planning through execution, commissioning, and closeout-ensuring safe, timely, and cost-effective delivery in alignment with client and business objectives. This role serves as the central point of accountability for project performance, overseeing scope, schedule, cost, risk, resources, and quality while maintaining a strong focus on client satisfaction and delivery excellence.

Overall responsibilities:

• Formulate the project team and participate in project kick-off meetings, understand scope of work, estimation basis, execution and subcontracting strategy and execute the project.
• Coordinate with client Project Manager and project management team and set up project information system and communications.
• At contract award, review the contract terms, notice requirements, liquidated damages and payment conditions with the Contracts Department and brief the project team accordingly.
• Get quotations and negotiate prices with OEM's for products, equipment, solutions etc., maintain prices / commercial register and contribute to estimation efforts.
• Maintain relationships with OEM's, learn about new / upcoming technology and solutions in the market and provide technical awareness to sales team of market know-how of Industrial Automation and stay updated on new technologies and solutions relevant to Industrial Automation projects.

Day-to-day responsibilities:

• As per project scope, in collaboration with the planning team establish work procedures, sequences, and develop schedules, budgets, staffing requirements, vendor lists and progress milestones.
• Manage technical issues with team and client. Regularly reports project progress to senior management and/or the client.
• Manage a project team to ensure project safety, scope, schedule, and budgets are being tracked and implemented.
• Establishes project procedures and leads production of project execution plan including the scope of work, deliverables list, master schedule, budget, org charts, risk register.
• Facilitates the setup of information management systems / applications as applicable to suit various life phases of projects and manage information management project team.
• Reviews and analyses cost and cost-control progress, financial and other site-generated data to evaluate job status and progress.
• Act as a focal point of contact with OEM's for technical and commercial matters related to Projects, Work Orders and Solutions.
• Collaborate with Head of Projects and act as a Projects Manager Project Manager for customers and assign Lead Engineer for day-to-day coordination and execution / supervision to customers.
• Ensure the supply of required material through procurement is available for manufacturing Lead procurement planning, vendor selection, long lead item tracking, expediting and logistics coordination to ensure required material is available for manufacturing and manage and supervise manufacturing and visit client / customers sites for execution, installation, and commissioning.
• Provide technical oversight on automation projects, including review of designs, PLC / DCS / SCADA programming and test procedures, and witness FAT and SAT to ensure systems meet the project specifications.
• Manage subcontractors from pre award through to close out, including evaluation, negotiation, scope and interface control, performance monitoring and settlement of subcontract final accounts.
• P & L responsibility with associated commercial and financial accountability including revenue delivery, margin and overhead management, budget and forecast determination and attainment, risk and opportunity reviews, cost controls, accounts payable/billing and cash collection timely invoicing and certification, cash collection and reduction of aged receivables.
• Negotiates changes to project scope or specification with the client. Follows Change Management process to identify and approve modifications to scope, cost, schedule and quality.
• Responsible for delivery of agreed schedule and financial performance, proactively intervening to avoid slippage. Where a project falls behind on time or cost, develop and implement a recovery plan and report it to the Head of Projects.
• Ensures project team members are competent to carry out their assigned work and duties