Project Engineering Expert

Umicore Group; Acigné; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Umicore is seeking a Program Leader for IR growth at its Electro Optic Materials division in Acigné, France. You will shape, lead and steer a multi-workstream program to expand infrared capabilities across Europe and North America, coordinating with Operations, Engineering, Commercial, and global teams.

The role requires 8–10 years in engineering and disciplined program management, strong stakeholder skills, and readiness to travel internationally.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of experience in engineering, complex program management.
• Experience in international manufacturing environment, ideally footprint expansion.
• Experience in product & process industrialization.
• Focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Strong analytical mindset and proactive approach.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Knowledge of thermal optics or precision manufacturing is an advantage.
• Fluent English and willingness to travel internationally.
• Ideally located in Acigné, France, alternatively open to travel one week per month to the UIRG plant in France

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead the Infra-red business growth program to support key European customer accelerated ramp-up (aim to double capacity production in France by end 2027).
• Steer and monitor program’s 10 workstreams across IR functions to ensure project milestone achievements
• Build and challenge IR growth financial business plan, focusing on a stepped CAPEX deployment approach
• Design mid to long term cost down roadmap for the overall IR operations
• Steer automation roadmap & support operational excellence deployment in the business line
• Ensure timely building capacity expansion (greenfield or brownfield)
• Manage the program costs
• Shape and develop industrialization capabilities with IR organization (focusing on product & process)
• Ensure coordination and partner with Operations, Engineering, Commercial, site managers, R&D, Global Supply, Finance and Procurement teams to deliver business objectives.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Operational excellence

Analytical mindset

English fluency

Travel readiness

Job description

Powering the cars of today and tomorrow. Reducing harmful emissions. Giving unique properties to high-end applications. Giving new life to used metals. As a global advanced materials and recycling group, we develop, produce, and recycle materials for a better life.

About Electro Optic Materials

Power in space. Vision at night. Coatings thinner than human hair. Umicore is a world leader in material solutions for the space, optics and electronics sectors – enabling every day cutting-edge technologies. We guarantee our customers secure access to supply, plus recycling technologies that give materials a new lease of life. To produce materials with even higher performance, and provide recycling to new markets, we cannot stand still. We need to find new ways to do things, discover new solutions and develop new processes. Which is where you come in.

Your Key Accountabilities

As our Program Leader for IR growth, you will shape, lead and steer its IR ambitious growth plans, to support the hyper growth of European and North America UAV markets in a timely manner. You will

shape the development of embedded industrialization capabilities within the BL and the BU, and deploy these capabilities in the BL in a structural way.

• Shape and lead the Infra-red business growth program to support key European customer accelerated ramp-up (aim to double capacity production in France by end 2027).
• Steer and monitor program’s 10 workstreams across IR functions to ensure project milestone achievements
• Build and challenge IR growth financial business plan, focusing on a stepped CAPEX deployment approach
• Design mid to long term cost down roadmap for the overall IR operations
• Steer automation roadmap & support operational excellence deployment in the business line
• Ensure timely building capacity expansion (greenfield or brownfield)
• Manage the program costs
• Shape and develop industrialization capabilities with IR organization (focusing on product & process)
• Ensure coordination and partner with Operations, Engineering, Commercial, site managers, R&D, Global Supply, Finance and Procurement teams to deliver business objectives.

Who we are looking for

• 8-10 years of experience in engineering, complex & rigorous / disciplined program management.
• Experience in an international manufacturing environment, ideally footprint expansion.
• Experience in product & process industrialization.
• Focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Strong analytical mindset and proactive approach
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Knowledge of thermal optics or precision manufacturing is an advantage.
• Fluent English and willingness to travel internationally (Europe, North America).
• Ideally located in Acigné, France, alternatively open to travel one week per month to the UIRG plant in France

Reporting Line

Reports directly to the Business Line Manager.

What we offer

We aim to lead the way. Not just for our customers, but for our employees too. That is why we strive to create a collaborative environment in which we can all succeed, and a culture through which we can all share ideas, develop our expertise and advance our careers. We engage in building an inclusive work culture that offers equal opportunities for all employees irrespective of their diverse backgrounds. As you would expect from a world-leading organisation, we will also reward your contribution with a competitive salary and benefits. With all this and more, imagine what you could do?