Associate Director Capital Projects, Project Management

Stanford Climate Ventures; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Medical/dental/vision

Paid time off

Parental leave

Paid sick leave

Company holidays

Job summary

Alta Resource Technologies in Boulder, CO is seeking an Associate Director, Capital Projects to lead the delivery of its first commercial-scale facilities and future capital programs. You will own end-to-end execution of capital projects around $100M, spanning brownfield and greenfield sites with a focus on protein-based separation.

You will partner with R&D, engineering, and operations teams while driving schedule, cost, risk, and contractor performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Metallurgical, or Process Engineering and 7–12 years in capital projects.
• Experience leading $50–100M+ projects through full lifecycle (engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning).
• Strong attention to schedule, cost, risk and contractor oversight in heavy processing industries.

Responsibilities

• Own full lifecycle delivery of capital programs from planning through commissioning and handover.
• Develop integrated master schedules and budgets; forecast costs and drive accountability.
• Lead interface with EPCs, contractors, equipment vendors and Alta technical teams.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to schedule, cost, technical integration and permitting.
• Ensure coordination between pre-processing and core separation processes for performance and safety.
• Drive project controls, change management and documentation practices for first‑of‑a‑kind facilities.
• Provide status reporting to Executive Leadership and help mature delivery processes.

Skills

Project controls

Scheduling

Cost management

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Mechanical/Metallurgical/Process Engineering

Job description

About Alta

Alta Resource Technologies (Alta) is a next generation mining company that uses synthetic biology to separate critical minerals from conventional and unconventional resources, including e-waste. Founded in 2023, the company is expanding its team in Boulder, CO. The exponential growth of new tech industries, as well as the information technology sector, are driving historic growth in mineral demand and stressing existing supply streams. Meeting new demand, diversifying the supply chain, and producing minerals in a more sustainable manner requires the rapid development, deployment and scaling of new technologies. This mineral challenge represents a historic opportunity for technology development and value creation. Alta is proud to be at the vanguard of this mega trend.

About the Role

Alta is seeking an Associate Director, Capital Projects to lead the delivery of our first commercial-scale facilities and subsequent capital programs. This role owns end-to-end execution of capital projects that will establish Alta’s pre-processing and protein-based separation capabilities at commercial scale.

You will be responsible for projects totaling roughly $100M in capital, spanning both brownfield and greenfield sites. The work will be weighted toward the core protein-based separation process with supporting pre-processing infrastructure. You will partner closely with Alta’s R&D, engineering, and operations teams while driving schedule, cost, risk, and contractor performance. As the company scales, the role will expand to a broader portfolio of capital projects and the opportunity to build a small team.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full project lifecycle for capital programs from early planning and FEED through detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover — with clear responsibility for delivering operational readiness and a successful transition to sustained plant performance.
• Develop and maintain integrated master schedules and project budgets; track progress, forecast costs, and drive accountability across internal teams and external contractors.
• Lead day-to-day interface management with EPC firms, specialty contractors, equipment vendors, and Alta technical teams.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks related to schedule, cost, technical integration, permitting, and constructability; elevate issues with clear recommendations.
• Ensure strong coordination between pre-processing systems and the core protein-based separation process so that the overall facility meets performance, safety, and operability targets.
• Drive rigorous project controls, change management, and documentation practices appropriate for a first-of-a-kind commercial facility.
• Provide clear, structured status reporting to the Executive Leadership.
• Contribute to the maturation of Alta’s capital project delivery processes as the portfolio grows.
• Over time, help build and lead a small capital projects team as additional facilities come online.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Process, or related engineering discipline.
• 7-12 years of progressive experience delivering capital projects in industrial processing, mining/mineral processing, metals recycling, chemical manufacturing, oil & gas, or related heavy process industries.
• Demonstrated experience leading or co‑leading capital projects in the $50–100M+ range through full lifecycle (engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning).
• Experience with both brownfield and greenfield process facilities.
• Strong project controls skills: scheduling, cost management, risk management, and contractor oversight.
• Ability to partner effectively with process and discipline engineers; baseline understanding of process plant design and operations is required.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills in a fast-moving environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in industrial recycling, e-waste processing, rare earth or critical minerals processing, or hydrometallurgical facilities.
• PMP, PE, or equivalent project/construction management certification.
• Prior work in a high-growth or first‑of‑a‑kind technology environment - specifically demo plant(s) build our or first of a kind commercial plants.
• Familiarity with government or dual‑use program requirements is a plus.

What We Offer

The opportunity to lead the physical build‑out of Alta’s commercial‑scale facilities and help secure a resilient domestic supply of critical materials. A mission‑driven team operating at the intersection of advanced technology, national security, and industrial scale‑up. High impact and direct partnership with senior leadership.

Competitive compensation and benefits package. The starting salary range for this position is $170,000 to $200,000 annually, commensurate with experience and background. Benefits include 401(k), medical/dental/vision coverage, flexible time off, paid parental leave, paid sick leave, and company holidays.

EOE

Alta Resource Technologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds strengthen our team and drive better outcomes for our clients and partners.

We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and the needs of the business. Alta participates in e‑Verify for all positions.

If you require accommodations at any point in the hiring process, please let your recruiter know.

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