Program Manager

Neste; Espoo; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personnel fund

Good occupational health care

Sickness/health insurance fund

Leisure time accident insurance

Sports & culture benefits (ePassi)

Free bus transportation to Kilpilahti

Job summary

Neste, a world-leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, seeks a Program Manager to lead the lignocellulose-to-fuels technology program in the Lignocellulose team within Technology & Innovation. You will drive R&D development through piloting to commercialization, coordinating multiple workstreams and external partners.

The role requires a proven leader with extensive R&D/engineering experience in process industries and strong stakeholder management, based in Espoo,

Qualifications

• M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Extensive R&D and engineering experience in process industries.
• Proven track record leading large tech development programs.
• Ability to coordinate with external partners and vendors.
• Fluency in English, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall program execution, including schedule, budget, and resource management across R&D and engineering workstreams.
• Drive technology development roadmap and stage-gate progression with cross-functional alignment.
• Build and maintain detailed project plans and oversee stage-gate reviews.
• Oversee procurement and collaboration with external vendors and partners.
• Monitor budget and schedule, report progress, and escalate key decisions to the steering committee.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Stakeholder alignment

Strategic planning

English fluency

Education

MSc in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Vendor management

Project planning

Job description

Are you looking for a career in an inspiring, global environment where your expertise makes a difference? At Neste, you will be working for the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

We are looking for you,

Program Manager

to join Technology & Innovation, in the Lignocellulose team. In this role, you will lead Neste’s strategic lignocellulose-to-fuels technology and R&D development program, advancing it through continued piloting to commercialization. You will be a member of the Lignocellulose Leadership Team and work closely with the Head of Technology of the Lignocellulose Team. This high-visibility role requires an experienced and structured leader, to drive the breakthrough technology forward. The development program is a major initiative within Neste, consisting of several workstreams in R&D and engineering, including collaboration with external partners.

You will be part of a cross-functional team fully dedicated to the development and commercialization of the new technology. Your contribution will play a significant role in unlocking access to previously untapped waste & residue raw materials, supporting Neste’s ambition to grow as the leader in renewable products across aviation, marine, road transport and chemicals sectors.

At Neste, you’ll find a culture that values curiosity, collaboration, and purpose. Together, we can create innovative solutions that help us deliver on our promises for tomorrow.

Reasons to join

We operate in an inspiring and evolving business environment as a global leader in renewable fuels. We contribute to Neste’s success by living our values every day: we care, we have courage, we cooperate.

We prioritize safety at all times and in every location. We strive to create a positive and impactful work environment.

Transformation brings new possibilities and fosters our courage and curiosity. As a global company, we support personal development with versatile learning and career opportunities. Collaboration is key, and we believe in flexible, smart ways of working. We work at the office at least three days a week to ensure seamless teamwork and a sense of belonging.

In addition, our benefits for employees in Finland include, for example, a personnel fund as part of the overall remuneration, good occupational health care, a membership in a sickness or health insurance fund and leisure time accident insurance. We also support leisure time activities, e.g. by offering benefits for sports and culture (ePassi).

The job is located in Keilaniemi, Espoo. Occasional visits to the Kilpilahti, Porvoo Technology Center are a prerequisite. We organize free bus transportation to Kilpilahti for our employees from the capital region, Porvoo and the nearby areas.

If you have any questions regarding the process or the position, please get in touch with Juha-Erkki Nieminen, Head of Lignocellulose, [phone], on October 19 at 15:00-16:00 (EEST) or on October 21 at 13:00-13:30 (EEST).

The recruitment process will include interviews and a possible aptitude assessment. Depending on the requirements of the position, the process may include a security clearance (with a drug test) and a potential statutory health examination based on work-related exposures.

More about the job

Your role in our team

• Program Execution & Leadership: Lead overall program execution, incl. schedule, budget and resource management, and ensuring seamless coordination across various R&D and engineering workstreams.
• Technology development roadmap: Together with the Head of Technology, drive and coordinate the planning of the overall technology development roadmap, and stage-gate progression, aligning activities across workstreams to meet strategic objectives. Define, monitor and manage the critical path dependencies.
• Project planning: Build and maintain detailed project plans across development phases. Lead the stage-gate review process, ensuring gate progression.
• Partner and vendor management: Oversee procurement and manage external vendors. Maintain effective collaboration with strategic development partners.
• Project control and reporting: Track budget and schedule performance against targets. Provide regular updates on progress and elevate key decisions to the steering committee, proactively proposing solutions to mitigate risks and overcome roadblocks.

Keys to success in this role

• M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, other process engineering or equivalent field.
• Extensive experience in R&D and engineering within process industries.
• A proven track record of successfully leading projects or large workstreams in complex technology development programs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage external development partners, technology licensors, research institutes, and key vendors.
• Ability to understand the strategic big picture and interdependencies across workstreams and activities, paired with a highly structured day-to-day execution style.
• A constructive, solution-oriented approach when navigating uncertainty, scope changes, and tight timelines.
• Strong interpersonal skills to partner effectively with technical leaders and align cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken); strong communication skills for presenting complex topics to cross-functional teams and management.

Neste in brief

Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) is the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with production on three continents. Neste’s strategy focuses on growth in renewable fuels. The company’s renewables production capacity is expected to reach 6.8 million tons annually in 2027. Neste also produces high-quality oil products at its Porvoo refinery in Finland. The company has a network of nearly 1,000 fuel stations with expanding service offering, such as EV charging, in Finland and in the Baltics. Neste is included in many international indices for its sustainability performance. In 2025, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 19.0 billion. Read more: neste.com