Global Capital Project Start-Up & Commissioning Leader

8974 DuPont Specialty Products USA, LLC; Virginia; On-site; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

DuPont is seeking a Global Capital Project Start-Up & Commissioning Leader to set the global standards for commissioning and start-up. The role requires leading strategies, governance, and coaching across FEL, design, construction, and start-up to ensure safe, reliable operations.

Travel nationwide to support major capital projects with the global team. The successful candidate will drive readiness, alignment across engineering and operations, and continuous improvement in safety and performance

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or related).
• 15+ years of experience across manufacturing, operations, maintenance, engineering, commissioning, startup, or capital project execution.
• 10+ years in leadership of major capital projects.
• Proven experience leading commissioning and start-up for significant industrial capital projects.
• Global travel required 25–30%.

Responsibilities

• Set the global standard for commissioning and start-up.
• Establish global strategies and best practices for commissioning, turnover, RTO, start-up, and operational stabilization.
• Develop and maintain standards, procedures, tools, and governance processes for consistent execution across regions.
• Provide subject matter expertise and coaching throughout FEL, design, construction, commissioning, and start-up.
• Drive continuous safety, reliability, and schedule performance improvements.
• Lead readiness reviews and drive closure of critical gaps and action items.
• Align Engineering, Construction, Operations, and other stakeholders ahead of facility start-up.
• Champion safe and disciplined execution and a zero-incident culture.
• Support Start-up readiness verification and ensure critical safeguards and documentation are in place.

Skills

Leadership

Influence

Global collaboration

Risk management

Project governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

Global Capital Project Start-Up & Commissioning Leader

At DuPont, our purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. We work on things that matter. Whether it’s providing clean water to more than a billion people on the planet, producing materials that are essential in everyday technology devices from smartphones to electric vehicles, or protecting workers around the world. Discover the many reasons the world’s most talented people are choosing to work at DuPont.

Why Join Us | DuPont Careers

Location: This position may be based at major DuPont manufacturing facilities in North America and requires global travel as needed to support project planning, readiness reviews, commissioning, and start-up activities.

What You’ll Do

• Set the global standard for commissioning and start-up
• Establish global strategies and best practices for commissioning, turnover, RTO, start-up, and operational stabilization.
• Develop and maintain standards, procedures, tools, and governance processes that enable consistent execution across regions and businesses.
• Provide subject matter expertise and coaching throughout FEL, design, construction, commissioning, and start-up.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety, reliability, operational readiness, and schedule performance.
• Provide leadership across major capital projects
• Provide functional leadership for commissioning and start-up activities across the global capital portfolio.
• Participate in project gate reviews and assess readiness for major projects.
• Partner with Project Team Leaders to develop commissioning execution plans, turnover strategies, resource plans, and integrated start-up schedules.
• Identify and mitigate risks that could impact safety, quality, cost, schedule, or business outcomes.
• Provide clear recommendations on project status, risks, readiness, and critical decisions to senior project leadership.
• Drive readiness-to-operate
• Define expectations for RTO, systemization, turnover packages, acceptance criteria, and phased handover.
• Ensure readiness plans address staffing, training, procedures, maintenance systems, spare parts, technical documentation, quality, and supply readiness.
• Lead readiness reviews and drive closure of critical gaps, punch‑list priorities, and action items.
• Align Engineering, Construction, Operations, Maintenance, EHS, Quality, and business stakeholders ahead of facility start-up.
• Champion safe and disciplined execution
• Promote a zero‑incident culture throughout commissioning and start‑up.
• Ensure alignment with Process Safety Management, environmental, regulatory, quality, and company requirements.
• Strengthen commissioning and start‑up risk‑management practices.
• Support Pre‑Startup Safety Reviews and operational readiness verification for major projects.
• Ensure critical safeguards, interlocks, alarms, protective systems, and required documentation are verified before start‑up.
• Build capability across the organization
• Develop commissioning and start‑up competency programs for engineering and manufacturing organizations.
• Establish communities of practice for commissioning and operational readiness professionals.
• Coach commissioning leaders and project teams.
• Capture and deploy lessons learned from major projects.
• Build a strong global pipeline of commissioning and start‑up expertise.

What You’ll Bring

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or a related engineering discipline.
• 15+ years of experience across manufacturing, operations, maintenance, engineering, commissioning, start‑up, or capital project execution.
• 10+ years of leadership responsibility supporting major capital projects.
• Demonstrated experience successfully leading commissioning and start‑up for significant industrial capital projects.
• Strong knowledge of commissioning, turnover, readiness‑to‑operate, process safety, manufacturing operations, reliability, and risk management.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and cross‑functional teams within a global matrix organization.
• Global travel required 25‑30%

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with complex capital projects, including greenfield, brownfield, expansion, debottlenecking, and technology deployment projects.
• Experience across multiple manufacturing technologies, businesses, or geographic regions.
• Deep understanding of industry‑standard capital project work processes, Front‑End Loading (FEL), and project governance.

Why This Role Matters

Successful capital projects do not end when construction is complete. They deliver value when new assets transition safely and effectively into reliable operations. In this role, you will have the opportunity to shape how major capital projects are commissioned and started up globally, developing the standards and capabilities that help teams reduce risk, strengthen operational readiness, and successfully transition capital investments into sustainable manufacturing performance.

DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.

DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.

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For additional information on our unbridled commitment to deliver essential innovations that enrich people's lives, enable sustainable development and foster human potential for generations to come, please access the following link to better understand & appreciate.

DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.

DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.