Director, Downstream Site Project Execution

Cenovus Energy; Superior (WI); On-site; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Cenovus Energy seeks a Director, Site Projects Execution to lead the safe, reliable, predictable execution of the Site Projects portfolio within the Downstream Technical and Projects organization.

The role covers defined stages, with a $300–$400 million annual budget and responsibilities including design engineering, contracting strategy, construction, project controls, and commissioning for multiple sites in the US and Canada.

Qualifications

• Legally authorized to work in the US.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• Minimum of 20 years of relevant refinery or oil/petro experience.

Responsibilities

• Leads and develops team members across the US and Canadian refining sites to deliver a portfolio of projects as a substantial part of the Cenovus Downstream investment program.
• Drives teams to develop, engineer, procure, construct, and commission projects in accordance with the Cenovus stage-gated project process, approved investment budgets, and business expectations for safety, quality, reliability, schedule, and cost performance.
• Oversees the project controls organization supporting all project stages in execution and front-end development.
• Owns the Capital Project Process, developing, defining, and improving work processes for detailed design, construction, equipment turnover, project close out, and all aspects of project execution.
• Drives life-cycle quality and value through efficient, competitive engineering and construction strategies and management.
• Works with Engineering resources on quality programs and turnover of engineered equipment and design documents. Sets standards for design, construction, procurement, and turnover of running assets, and develops project close out deliverables for installed assets.
• Collaborates with leadership and extended business teams across each site, corporate teams, and project team members to ensure alignment of objectives, deliverables, and performance.
• Ensures strong integration of project activities with Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE), Technical including Front-End Development, Turnaround, Supply Chain Management, Commercial, and Production-Centric organizations, while ensuring compliance with COIMS requirements.
• Ensures proper reporting of project plans and performance and is accountable for project forecasting and LRP inputs for portfolio development of inflight projects.
• Provides coaching and assurance around safety leadership with a critical focus on safety performance and culture.
• Provides guidance to the organization to support capital projects executed by outside departments in Downstream facilities. Ensures project controls and engineering support are provided for capital work executed by other organizations.

Skills

Team leadership

Project execution

Budget management

HSE integration

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

About this opportunity:

Cenovus is seeking a Director, Site Projects Execution, to join our team. This role is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, predictable, and competitive execution of the project portfolio assigned to the Site Projects Execution team within the Downstream Technical and Projects organization. The portfolio spans Downstream assets, with responsibility for Stages 3 (Define), 4 (Execute), and 5 (Operate), while supporting Front-End Development (FED) activities in Stages 1 (Identify) and 2 (Select). With an annual budget of $300-$400 million, the goal is to work closely with stakeholders, particularly Front-End Development, to optimize capital costs to a target of less than $25 USD/EDC over a five-year cycle. The role leads design engineering, contracting strategy, construction, project controls, and commissioning for assigned projects. The Director provides leadership, vision, stakeholder engagement, and assurance to drive project performance, capital efficiency, risk management, and business improvement through the Cenovus stage-gated process. Local project managers and experts in engineering, project controls, scheduling, planning, and quality control report directly to this role.

Worker Type: Employee Job Post End Date: 09/21/2026

About this opportunity:

Cenovus is seeking a Director, Site Projects Execution, to join our team. This role is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, predictable, and competitive execution of the project portfolio assigned to the Site Projects Execution team within the Downstream Technical and Projects organization. The portfolio spans Downstream assets, with responsibility for Stages 3 (Define), 4 (Execute), and 5 (Operate), while supporting Front-End Development (FED) activities in Stages 1 (Identify) and 2 (Select). With an annual budget of $300-$400 million, the goal is to work closely with stakeholders, particularly Front-End Development, to optimize capital costs to a target of less than $25 USD/EDC over a five-year cycle. The role leads design engineering, contracting strategy, construction, project controls, and commissioning for assigned projects. The Director provides leadership, vision, stakeholder engagement, and assurance to drive project performance, capital efficiency, risk management, and business improvement through the Cenovus stage-gated process. Local project managers and experts in engineering, project controls, scheduling, planning, and quality control report directly to this role.

The successful candidate must be located in, or willing to relocate to, one of our Ohio locations: Dublin, Toledo, or Lima, and be willing to travel up to 33% across our sites.

What you’ll do:

Responsibilities for this position may include but are not limited to:

• Leads and develops team members across the US and Canadian refining sites to deliver a portfolio of projects as a substantial part of the Cenovus Downstream investment program.
• Drives teams to develop, engineer, procure, construct, and commission projects in accordance with the Cenovus stage-gated project process, approved investment budgets, and business expectations for safety, quality, reliability, schedule, and cost performance.
• Oversees the project controls organization supporting all project stages in execution and front-end development.
• Owns the Capital Project Process, developing, defining, and improving work processes for detailed design, construction, equipment turnover, project close out, and all aspects of project execution.
• Drives life-cycle quality and value through efficient, competitive engineering and construction strategies and management.
• Works with Engineering resources on quality programs and turnover of engineered equipment and design documents. Sets standards for design, construction, procurement, and turnover of running assets, and develops project close out deliverables for installed assets.
• Collaborates with leadership and extended business teams across each site, corporate teams, and project team members to ensure alignment of objectives, deliverables, and performance. Actively participates with site and Technical & Projects leadership teams.
• Ensures strong integration of project activities with Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE), Technical including Front-End Development, Turnaround, Supply Chain Management, Commercial, and Production-Centric organizations, while ensuring compliance with COIMS requirements.
• Ensures proper reporting of project plans and performance and is accountable for project forecasting and LRP inputs for portfolio development of inflight projects.
• Provides coaching and assurance around safety leadership with a critical focus on safety performance and culture.
• Provides guidance to the organization to support capital projects executed by outside departments in Downstream facilities. Ensures project controls and engineering support are provided for capital work executed by other organizations.

Who you are:

• Legally authorized to work in the US.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• Minimum of 20 years of relevant experience in refinery or similar oil/petro