Project Engineering Lead

NES Fircroft; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Visa support

Housing assistance

Benefits package

Job summary

NES Fircroft is seeking an experienced Project Engineering Lead for the Philadelphia market to oversee a multi-disciplinary PMC team on a major pharmaceutical facility project. You will provide technical leadership, governance, and interface with client and EPC contractors to ensure safe, compliant, and on-schedule delivery.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering, 15+ years of engineering leadership on large capital projects (>$500M TIC) in GMP environments, and a proven track record in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of engineering leadership on large capital projects.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary interfaces in GMP environments.
• Strong governance, design management, and project delivery knowledge.
• Experience supporting commissioning, startup, and operations readiness.
• Proven ability to lead technical decisions and align stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary PMC team (20+ engineers) on a major pharma facility project.
• Oversee engineering governance, design integration, and decision making.
• Coordinate interfaces among EPCs, equipment suppliers, and client teams.
• Ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and readiness for operations.
• Drive value engineering, constructability, and timely design package delivery.
• Champion safety culture and alignment with project milestones.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Project Delivery

Engineering Governance

Commissioning

Startup Experience

Technical Decision Making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Project Engineering Lead – Philadelphia Market

NES Fircroft is actively seeking an Senior-Level Engineering Project Manager in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing space to be based in the Philadelphia region on a Long‑Term Contract Opportunity with one of our clients in the Engineering Space.

This position will be a significant leadership opportunity, our client is seeking Engineers with a background managing TIC Scope Values in excess of $500MM - $1B, this will be a multi‑year contract opportunity for the duration of this major project.

Our Client provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

Has responsibility for day‑to‑day contact and communication with engineering disciplines, procurement, construction/commissioning, and the client and focuses on providing client satisfaction.

Our client is seeking an experienced Project Engineering Lead to provide technical leadership and oversight of the PMC engineering organization while serving as the client's primary engineering interface within the PMC team. This role is accountable for engineering governance, technical decision‑making, design integration, engineering performance management, and ensuring alignment among engineering contractors, project teams, and key stakeholders. The Project Engineering Lead ensures all engineering disciplines function as a cohesive, integrated team and that project designs support safe and effective execution, regulatory compliance, operational readiness, and long‑term asset performance.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Be accountable to the PMC Project Manager, while providing leadership, direction, and oversight to a multidisciplinary engineering PMC team (approximately 20+ personnel) responsible for the planning, design, and procurement, construction, commissioning, and startup support of a major pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
• Lead the integration and coordination of all engineering disciplines, including process, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation & controls, automation, civil/structural, architecture, utilities, and validation, ensuring alignment with project objectives and execution strategies.
• Serve as the primary technical authority within the PMC organization, providing engineering governance, resolving complex technical issues, and driving timely decision‑making to support project delivery.
• Oversee engineering activities throughout all project phases, including FEED, detailed design, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, and operational readiness.
• Ensure facility and utility designs comply with applicable pharmaceutical industry standards, GMP requirements, regulatory expectations, corporate engineering standards, and project specifications.
• Coordinate engineering interfaces among EPC contractors, equipment suppliers, client stakeholders, operations, quality, validation, and regulatory teams to ensure seamless project execution.
• Manage engineering scope, schedule, deliverables, and performance, ensuring timely completion of design packages while maintaining alignment with overall project milestones and objectives.
• Lead design reviews, technical risk assessments, constructability evaluations, and management of change (MOC) processes to ensure safe, compliant, and cost‑effective project outcomes.
• Lead value engineering, design optimization, lifecycle cost improvement, and constructability enhancement initiatives throughout project development, driving Target Value Design concepts.
• Oversee the development, review, and approval of key engineering deliverables, including process flow diagrams (PFDs), P&IDs, equipment specifications, facility layouts, utility system designs, automation strategies, and commissioning and qualification documentation.
• Drive engineering quality assurance and design consistency across all disciplines, ensuring technical integrity, completeness, and adherence to project requirements.
• Collaborate closely with project controls, procurement, construction, and commissioning teams to optimize execution strategies, mitigate risks, and support achievement of cost and schedule targets.
• Promote and champion a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with HSE requirements and the integration of safety, quality, and operational excellence principles throughout the project lifecycle.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of engineering experience, including leadership of large capital projects in excess of $500M TIC.
• Experience successfully managing large multidisciplinary engineering interfaces across EPC organizations within regulated GMP environments.
• Strong knowledge of engineering governance, design management, and project delivery processes.
• Experience supporting commissioning, startup, and operational readiness activities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical decision‑making and stakeholder alignment.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Experience supporting pharmaceutical or biotechnology facilities.
• Prior experience in an Owner’s Representative or PMC role for major capital projects in excess of $1B TIC.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license and/or PMP certification.

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed.

We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market‑leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.