Project Manager

Akzonobel; Waukegan (IL); On-site; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K retirement savings with 6% match

Medical insurance with HSA

Generous vacation, sick and holiday

Annual bonus 10% Short Term Incentive

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid Parental leave after 1 year

Active Diversity & Inclusion Networks

Employee referral bonus

Job summary

AkzoNobel is seeking a Project Manager to lead and deliver capital projects from concept through commissioning at our Illinois site. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, engineering resources, contractors, and stakeholders to improve site performance, reliability, and sustainability while minimizing operational risks.

Required are a Bachelor’s in a related engineering field and 5–7 years in manufacturing project engineering, with a proven ability to manage budgets, schedules, and safety

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 5–7 years of relevant project or process engineering experience in manufacturing; chemical, coatings, or paint industry experience preferred.
• Strong planning, problem-solving, risk management, and prioritization skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across all organizational levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage capital engineering projects from concept development and business case through design, execution, commissioning, and handover, ensuring delivery in line with approved scope, schedule, budget, quality standards, and stakeholder expectations.
• Deliver assigned projects within the site’s capital investment plan, ensuring alignment with business priorities, effective resource allocation, and timely escalation of deviations and risks.
• Support the development of business cases and evaluate process modifications, equipment upgrades, and operational improvements to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective solutions.
• Manage the site Management of Change (MOC) process and facilitate Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs), ensuring identified risks and actions are appropriately assessed, documented, and addressed.
• Ensure projects comply with AkzoNobel HSE requirements, applicable engineering standards, and relevant local, state, and federal regulations, including OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM), NFPA standards, and other applicable requirements.
• Apply best practices in project management, engineering, construction, and contractor management to ensure safe execution, effective risk control, and delivery to the required technical and quality standards.
• Engage and collaborate with site management, operations, maintenance, engineering, HSE, and other stakeholders throughout project development and execution to align requirements, manage expectations, and facilitate effective decision-making.
• Involve operators and end users in project design and implementation to ensure operational buy-in, effective training, appropriate documentation, and a safe, smooth transition into routine operations.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate project risks, resolve execution issues, and elevate significant deviations or risks to site management in a timely manner.
• Apply and comply with applicable AkzoNobel policies, procedures, guidelines, methodologies, and systems, while driving continuous improvement in project delivery and engineering practices.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline

Job description

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

The Project Manager is responsible for leading and delivering capital projects from concept development through commissioning and handover, ensuring projects are executed safely, on time, within budget, and in compliance with applicable engineering standards, regulatory requirements, and business objectives. The role coordinates cross-functional teams, engineering resources, contractors, and stakeholders to deliver reliable, cost-effective solutions that improve site performance, capacity, efficiency, and sustainability while minimizing operational risks and disruption to production.

Key Responsibilities

• Capital Project Delivery: Lead and manage capital engineering projects from concept development and business case through design, execution, commissioning, and handover, ensuring delivery in line with approved scope, schedule, budget, quality standards, and stakeholder expectations.
• Capital Portfolio Execution: Deliver assigned projects within the site’s capital investment plan, ensuring alignment with business priorities, effective resource allocation, and timely escalation of deviations and risks.
• Business Case Development and Engineering Solutions: Support the development of business cases and evaluate process modifications, equipment upgrades, and operational improvements to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective solutions.
• Management of Change and Process Safety: Manage the site Management of Change (MOC) process and facilitate Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs), ensuring identified risks and actions are appropriately assessed, documented, and addressed.
• HSE and Regulatory Compliance: Ensure projects comply with AkzoNobel HSE requirements, applicable engineering standards, and relevant local, state, and federal regulations, including OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM), NFPA standards, and other applicable requirements.
• Project, Construction, and Contractor Management: Apply best practices in project management, engineering, construction, and contractor management to ensure safe execution, effective risk control, and delivery to the required technical and quality standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: Engage and collaborate with site management, operations, maintenance, engineering, HSE, and other stakeholders throughout project development and execution to align requirements, manage expectations, and facilitate effective decision-making.
• Operational Readiness and Handover: Involve operators and end users in project design and implementation to ensure operational buy-in, effective training, appropriate documentation, and a safe, smooth transition into routine operations.
• Risk and Issue Management: Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate project risks, resolve execution issues, and elevate significant deviations or risks to site management in a timely manner.
• AkzoNobel Standards and Continuous Improvement: Apply and comply with applicable AkzoNobel policies, procedures, guidelines, methodologies, and systems, while driving continuous improvement in project delivery and engineering practices.

Job Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5–7 years of relevant project or process engineering experience in manufacturing; chemical, coatings, or paint industry experience preferred.

Project Management & Leadership

• Proven ability to manage multiple capital projects from definition and business case through execution, commissioning, and handover.
• Experience managing contractors, suppliers, budgets, schedules, scope, and quality.
• Strong planning, problem-solving, risk management, and prioritization skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across all organizational levels.

Technical Knowledge & Regulatory Compliance

• Experience specifying and selecting equipment for hazardous classified areas, particularly Class I, Division 1.
• Working knowledge of MOC, PTW, PSM, applicable HSE requirements, engineering standards, and regulatory codes.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Ability to navigate industrial facilities and climb stairs while wearing required PPE, including steel-toed footwear.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying temperatures and weather conditions.
• Ability to work safely in a heavy manufacturing environment with potential incidental chemical exposure, following established safety procedures and PPE requirements.

Base salary range for this role is: $105,000 to $115,000. This is the range that we in good faith anticipate relying on when setting wages for this position. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.

• 401K retirement savings with 6% company match
• Medical insurance with HSA
• Generous vacation, sick and holiday pay
• Annual bonus 10% Short Term Incentive
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental leave after 1 year
• Active Diversity & Inclusion Networks
• Employee referral bonus

Acquiring Information

Accepting Responsibility

Accepting Direction

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.