Project Engineering Lead

KBR, Inc; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K plan with company match

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Life insurance & AD&D

Paid time off

Job summary

KBR, Inc is seeking an experienced Project Engineering Lead for the Sustainable Technology Solutions group in the Philadelphia area. You will provide technical leadership to a 20+ person multidisciplinary PMC team, oversee design integration, and act as the primary technical authority to ensure safe, compliant and on‑time project delivery through all phases from FEED to startup.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and at least 15 years of experience on large capital projects in

Qualifications

• 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 $500,000 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.

Responsibilities

• Support the PMC Project Manager, providing leadership to a multidisciplinary engineering PMC team of 20+ personnel.
• Lead integration and coordination of all engineering disciplines to align with objectives.
• Serve as primary technical authority, providing governance and timely decisions.
• Oversee engineering activities across all project phases (FEED through startup).
• Ensure facility designs meet GMP, regulatory, and project standards.
• Coordinate interfaces among EPC contractors, suppliers, and client teams.
• Manage scope, schedule, deliverables, and performance against milestones.
• Lead design reviews, risk assessments, and MOC processes for safe outcomes.
• Drive value engineering and design optimization throughout project development.
• Develop and approve key deliverables (PFDs, P&IDs, specs, layouts, automation).
• Drive quality assurance and design consistency across disciplines.

Skills

Leadership

Engineering governance

Stakeholder management

Multidisciplinary coordination

GMP experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

PE license (preferred)

Job description

Title: Project Engineering Lead KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) 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. KBR 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:

• Support the PMC Project Manager, while providing leadership, direction, and oversight to a multidisciplinary engineering PMC team (approximately 20+ personnel) responsible for the planning, design, 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 and maintain client satisfaction.
• 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 $500,000 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.

Decarbonization – Energy Transition – Sustainability

KBR Benefits

• KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.
• We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR - Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values:

Values

• We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential.
• We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology‑led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders.
• We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business.
• We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision‑makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed.
• We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company.

We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals.

Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.