Refinery Project Manager

RigUp; Lake Charles (LA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

RigUp is seeking an accomplished Project Manager to lead Instrumentation and Electrical capital projects in oil & gas. You will assume full accountability for the project lifecycle, directing execution plans, managing contractor performance, and enforcing safety and QA/QC.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Engineering, 10+ years of project management experience in oil & gas or petrochemical sectors, and 5+ years of end-to-end accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 10 years of project management experience within oil and gas or petrochemical sectors.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience serving as a Project Manager with sole, end-to-end accountability for project outcome.

Responsibilities

• Assemble, lead, and direct full-time project teams to ensure seamless execution of project deliverables.
• Oversee development and implementation of the Project Execution Plan and FEL processes with gate reviews and approvals.
• Establish contracting strategies, evaluate bids, and manage contractor performance to minimize change orders and claims.
• Manage costs, schedules, procurement, and billing/payables; ensure accurate cost estimates and cash flow forecasts.
• Lead safety expectations and QA/QC processes to achieve zero-incident goals across all phases.
• Coordinate with Operations and Maintenance for handovers and alignment of responsibilities.
• Develop and drive project KPIs, risk management plans, and mitigation actions.
• Set up project facilities at field sites and contractor offices with vendor management programs.
• Prepare and deliver technical and executive presentations to leadership and external stakeholders.
• Lead timely and complete closeout of capital projects.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Risk management

Safety & QA/QC

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Job description

We are seeking an accomplished Project Manager to lead Instrumentation and Electrical (I&E) capital projects ranging from small to mid-size scope. The successful candidate will assume full accountability for the project life cycle, directing project execution plans, managing contractor performance, enforcing stringent safety standards, and ensuring full alignment with operational and maintenance requirements. This role demands a strategic leader who can optimize project performance, control costs, and drive key operational metrics while maintaining high technical and quality standards.

Core Responsibilities

• Team Assembly & Execution: Assemble, lead, and direct full-time project teams to ensure the seamless execution of project deliverables.
• Execution Planning & Gate Reviews: Oversee the preparation and implementation of the Project Execution Plan, lead Front End Loading (FEL) processes, complete gate reviews, and secure management approvals.
• Contracting Strategy & Management: Establish contracting strategies, oversee contractor evaluation, bidding, and award processes, and manage contractors to maximize performance while minimizing change orders and claims.
• Financial & Schedule Oversight: Manage costs, schedules, procurement, and billing/payables groups; ensure accuracy of cost estimates, monthly cash flow forecasts, and schedule utilization to drive performance.
• Safety & Quality Leadership: Establish rigorous safety expectations, lead the project team to achieve zero-incident goals, and enforce comprehensive QA/QC processes across all project phases.
• Operational Alignment: Engage plant Operations and Maintenance personnel to ensure clear communication of responsibilities and successful handover.
• Risk & Metric Management: Develop, gain approval for, and execute against project Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), metrics, and comprehensive risk management plans.
• Site & Vendor Setup: Establish project facilities at both field sites and contractor offices, implementing management programs for vendors, fabricators, and specialty contractors.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Prepare and deliver formal technical and executive presentations to company leadership and key external stakeholders.
• Project Closeout: Lead the timely, efficient, and complete closeout of capital projects.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Industry Experience: Minimum of 10 years of project management experience within the oil and gas or petrochemical sectors.
• Accountability: Minimum of 5 years of experience serving as a Project Manager with sole, end-to-end accountability for project outcome.

Preferred Qualifications

• Sector Focus: 10 or more years of project management experience specifically focused on Refining and/or Petrochemical capital projects.
• Advanced Leadership: 10 or more years of experience managing capital projects with full, sole accountability.
• Regulatory & Technical Standards: In-depth knowledge of industry-recommended practices, design methods, QA/QC requirements, DOT guidelines, and federal, state, and local regulations.
• Contractor Management: Proven expertise managing multi-disciplinary engineering and construction contractors across concurrent project efforts.
• Professional Credentials: Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.