Project Manager

NRG Energy; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NRG Energy in Houston seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead capital and O&M projects across its fleet of power plants. You will plan, budget, and coordinate engineering and construction resources, ensuring safety, reliability, and environmental compliance from concept to startup.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in power generation or industrial facilities, strong communication skills, and a BS Engineering or technical degree.

Qualifications

• 7 years of experience in power generation, chemical, or industrial facilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and execution of projects from concept through startup and closeout.
• Develop and maintain relationships with site personnel, operations, and contractors to support project delivery.
• Oversee feasibility reviews, scope definition, and execution strategies for projects.
• Develop budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, and variance reporting.
• Support contract strategy, bid evaluations, and management of external resources.
• Coordinate activities during design, construction, outage execution, commissioning, and startup to ensure safe, compliant delivery.
• Ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards and provide clear status updates.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Budgeting

Risk management

Scheduling

Contract administration

Data reporting

Education

BS Engineering or Technical Degree

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Summary

Core function of this position is to lead and manage capital and O&M projects across NRG's fleet of power plants. This position is responsible for planning and executing projects with varying levels of complexity, while ensuring alignment with safety, environmental, regulatory, schedule, budget, and technical requirements. The role requires demonstrated leadership skills and project management experience, including development of project scope, coordination of engineering and construction resources, management of project risks, and support of commissioning and startup activities to ensure safe, reliable, efficient, and environmentally compliant plant operation.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Project Leadership and Execution: Lead the planning and execution of projects with varying levels of complexity. Responsible for project scope development, schedule management, cost control, risk management, and overall project execution from concept through startup and closeout.
• Develop, build, and maintain effective working relationships with site personnel, corporate engineering, operations, maintenance, supply chain, contractors, and external engineering firms to support successful project execution and open communication.
• Project Development and Planning: Oversee feasibility reviews of proposed projects, support scope definition, evaluate alternatives, develop execution strategies, and coordinate engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning plans.
• Budgeting and Financial Management: Develop project budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, and variance reporting; support business case development, budget authorization requests, and financial analysis.
• Contract and Resource Management: Support contract strategy development, contractor selection, bid evaluations, and management of external engineering and construction resources to improve project execution and deliver project objectives.
• Construction, Commissioning, and Startup Support: Coordinate project activities during design, construction, outage execution, commissioning, and startup to ensure projects are safely implemented and transitioned to site operations.
• Compliance and Safety: Ensure projects are executed in compliance with company standards, industry requirements, safety regulations, and applicable laws and rules.
• Data and Reporting: Utilize project controls and data systems for cost tracking, schedule management, reporting, and executive presentations, providing clear status updates on scope, budget, schedule, risks, and key decisions.
• Team Leadership: Work effectively in a team environment as a leader, member, and/or facilitator while helping align cross‑functional stakeholders around project objectives, milestones, and deliverables.
• Assist in the development, review, and revision of project execution plans, technical instructions, turnover documentation, and related procedures as required.
• Perform other duties and assignments as required.

Working Conditions

• This position is a combination of work in office and industrial settings.
• This position can require up to 75% domestic travel, primarily within a 2-3 state region.

Minimum Requirements

• 7 years of experience in power generation, chemical, or industrial facilities, including responsibility for managing or supporting engineering, capital, maintenance, or construction projects involving boilers, turbines, heat exchangers, condensers, material handling equipment, compressors, fans, pumps, generators, transformers, motors, power distribution equipment, control systems, and electrical protection systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• BS Engineering or Technical Degree.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.
• 15 years of experience in power generation, chemical, or industrial facilities, including leadership of engineering, capital, outage, or construction projects involving boilers, turbines, heat exchangers, condensers, material handling equipment, compressors, fans, pumps, generators, transformers, motors, power distribution equipment, control systems, and electrical protection systems.
• Successful candidates typically possess strong project management, problem‑solving, and analytical skills; excellent written and verbal communication abilities; and a commitment to safety and continuous improvement. The role requires the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, lead cross‑functional teams, administer large capital budgets, and deliver complex projects across a geographically diverse fleet.

Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and project scheduling and reporting tools.
• Working knowledge of project controls, contract administration, construction coordination.

Physical Requirements (Demand and Frequency)

• Must be able to wear required personal protection equipment (PPE) such as hard hats, safety glasses, goggles, face shields, hearing protection, respirators, fall protection harnesses, and other PPE as required.
• Duties require extensive manual dexterity in usage of computer terminal and keyboard, while sitting for extended periods of time preparing budgets, work scopes, outage schedules, and other reports as needed.
• May be required to perform equipment inspections by climbing vertical ladders and accessing scaffolding, kneeling, bending, walking over uneven surfaces such as loose rock, open grating, up and down staircases.

We support the use of AI tools to help you prepare for your interview (e.g., practicing responses, researching the role, or refining your resume). However, during interviews and assessments, we expect responses to reflect your own thinking, experience, and communication. Use of AI to generate or read answers in real time, complete assessments, or misrepresent your qualifications is not permitted and may impact your candidacy.

NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol‑free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post‑accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Protected Veteran Status/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.

EEO is the Law Poster (The poster can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf)