Director, Life Sciences Project Delivery (CAPEX Lead)

What the Tech, Bend; Bend (OR); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Lonza is seeking an elite engineering leader to head Project Delivery for a multi-hundred-million CAD/USD capital portfolio in Bend, OR, with potential travel up to 50% across the Americas. This role drives full lifecycle execution from design to commissioning and qualification, partnering with global clients and internal units to deliver compliant manufacturing facilities.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in advanced project engineering within chemical/life sciences, strong CQV expertise, and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of advanced project engineering and project management experience in chemical, biochemical, or life sciences industries.
• Experience delivering large-scale CAPEX projects in Small Molecules or Advanced Synthetics environments preferred.
• Strong CQV strategies experience to minimize time from construction to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead full lifecycle CAPEX projects from basic design through CQV and startup.
• Direct multi-disciplinary teams and manage multi-million dollar budgets and CAR approvals.
• Coordinate Qualification, QA, Automation, Facilities, and utilities teams.
• Identify risks, develop mitigation plans, and resolve roadblocks with executive visibility.
• Communicate project status, milestones, risks, and resource needs to leadership and clients.
• Ensure facility design meets cGMP, EHS, and regulatory standards.

Skills

CAPEX Leadership

Cross-functional Leadership

CQV/Startup

Budget Management

Regulatory Compliance

Vendor Management

Communication

English Fluency

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Director, Project Delivery (CAPEX Project Lead)

Location: Bend, OR, USA. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates and their families, if needed.

Note on Travel/Location: This role will be based full-time at our Bend, OR facility. Post-project, this role may transition to supporting other sites across the Americas region, with potential travel requirements scaling up to 50%.

We are seeking an elite, highly experienced engineering leader to join our Strategic Growth Investment Engineering (SGIE) team as the Director, Project Delivery (Project Lead). Reporting directly to the Senior Director, you will step into a high-visibility leadership role overseeing a $250MM + capital project portfolio. Operating under general direction, you will own the full project lifecycle from basic design through construction, commissioning, qualification, and startup (end of OQ). This role acts as a primary engineering anchor—leading multidisciplinary project teams, managing massive capital expense (CAPEX) allocations, and partnering with internal business units and global clients to deliver top-tier, compliant manufacturing facilities.

What will you get?

• An agile career and dynamic working culture
• An inclusive and ethical workplace
• Compensation programs that recognize high performance
• Medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as PTO and more
• Full-Lifecycle CAPEX Execution: Create, implement, and drive comprehensive project plans meeting explicit technical objectives across the Design, Construction, Commissioning, and Qualification (CQV) phases (through the end of OQ).
• Multi-Million Dollar Budget Accountability: Directly manage complex capital asset budgets (CAR), ensure total adherence to financial forecasting, and ruthlessly oversee scope changes in partnership with GE Project Control.
• Multidisciplinary Coordination: Lead, align, and coordinate the work of large, cross-functional project teams comprising Qualification Engineers, Facility Management, QA, Automation, and Black/Clean Utilities specialists.
• Strategic Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify engineering and operational project risks, design robust mitigation strategies, and resolve complex roadblocks while balancing detail with the overall strategic picture.
• Vendor & Procurement Management: Build and optimize long-term relationships with global contractors, equipment vendors, and architectural engineering firms to secure high-quality deliverables and strict timeline adherence.
• Executive & Client Communication: Regularly communicate project status, milestone achievements, risks, and resource allocations to executive site leadership, global steering committees, and external commercial clients.
• Safety, Quality, & Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all engineering aspects of the facility design build a highly compliant, cost-effective plant that strictly meets internal specifications, cGMP standards, and EHS regulations.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience: 10+ years of advanced project engineering and project management experience within the chemical, biochemical, or life sciences industries. Extensive experience executing large-scale capital projects within a Small Molecules or Advanced Synthetics environment is highly preferred.
• Technical Mastery: Deep technical knowledge across diverse engineering disciplines—including process systems, automation architectures, instrumentation, and CSA (civil, structural, architectural) frameworks.
• CQV & Startup Expertise: Proven track record utilizing modern Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) strategies to minimize the time from construction completion to routine commercial production.
• Leadership & Matrix Influence: Exceptional people management skills with a demonstrated ability to motivate, lead, and coach direct reports and multi-million dollar contingent workforces without relying on direct line authority.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree is required. Skills and experience will be considered in additional to degree.
• Soft Skills: Superior verbal and written communication skills (English fluency required, German capability is a plus) with the commercial acumen required to negotiate statement of work alterations and manage competing points of view.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of.

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.