Senior Greenfield Food Plant Project Lead

Key People; Newnan (GA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and life insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays

5 sick days

1 paid birthday day off

Job summary

Key People is seeking a Project Director to lead a ground-up greenfield manufacturing facility in Georgia, overseeing planning through commissioning. The role requires coordinating internal teams, design-build partners, and international leadership with weekly calls from Newnan to LaGrange, and potentially the Beijing office, to meet a late-2028 opening.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years of construction leadership, PM expertise across large budgets, and a track record of delivering major

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of experience managing construction projects and budgets.
• 5+ years managing large-scale construction projects including Greenfield and budgets.
• Experience delivering at least 5 industrial projects, including 1 project valued at more than $100 million.
• Greenfield project experience in food or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience managing design-build firms, contractors, consultants, project schedules, and capital budgets.
• PMP or equivalent certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the greenfield project from development and planning through construction, completion, and operational handover.
• Develop and manage project scope, budgets, schedules, milestones, resource plans, and deliverables.
• Oversee the design-build firm, general contractor, engineers, consultants, and other project partners.
• Monitor the project’s critical path, identify risks, and implement solutions to maintain progress.
• Manage changes to scope, schedule, and costs, including change orders and related negotiations.
• Coordinate with operations, engineering, procurement, quality, finance, and other stakeholders.
• Guide project partners through permitting, local authority requirements, and regulatory approvals.
• Promote a strong safety culture and oversee compliance with applicable construction safety standards.
• Provide senior leadership with regular updates on project progress, financial performance, risks, and decisions.
• Participate in weekly calls with international leadership and coordinate across time zones.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a closely related field

PMP or equivalent certification (preferred)

Tools

Budget management

Schedule management

Design-build coordination

Job description

Key People is seeking a Project Director to lead a ground-up greenfield manufacturing facility in Georgia, overseeing planning through commissioning. The role requires coordinating internal teams, design-build partners, and international leadership with weekly calls from Newnan to LaGrange, and potentially the Beijing office, to meet a late-2028 opening.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years of construction leadership, PM expertise across large budgets, and a track record of delivering major