Site Technical Project Manager

Avantor; Harvard (MA); On-site; USD 78,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Avantor is seeking a Site Technical Project Manager to lead planning, coordination, and execution of technical, operational, and capital projects at the Devens, MA site. You will partner with Engineering, Operations, Facilities, Supply Chain, and contractors to ensure successful outcomes and alignment with the PMO COE standards.

You will drive project execution at the site level, manage charters, schedules, budgets, risks, and deliverables, and promote a culture of safety and compliance across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Construction Management, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline.
• 2+ years preferred of experience in project management, project engineering, operations, manufacturing, industrial services, maintenance, or a related technical field.
• PMP certification preferred or progress toward certification; Lean Six Sigma Green Belt preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from initiation through completion, commissioning, and closeout.
• Develop charters, schedules, budgets, resource plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage multiple projects with competing priorities while monitoring scope, schedule, cost, and quality.
• Identify risks and issues and facilitate reviews and stakeholder communications.
• Ensure projects are safe, on time, within budget, and compliant with standards.
• Coordinate engineering activities among internal teams, contractors, and vendors.
• Support equipment selection, process improvements, and system upgrades.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Risk management

Budget management

Customer/stakeholder communication

Leadership

MS Excel

MS Project

Engineering drawings interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related

Tools

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Opportunity:

Avantor is looking for a Site Technical Project Manager to be responsible for leading the planning, coordination, and execution of technical, operational, and capital projects in Devens, MA. The Site Technical Project Manager serves as the primary point of contact for project execution at the facility and works closely with Engineering, Operations, Facilities, Supply Chain, contractors, and external stakeholders to ensure successful project outcomes. Additionally, this role will partner closely with the PMO Center of Excellence (COE) to ensure consistent application of project management standards, governance processes, reporting requirements, and best practices across the organization. The successful candidate will drive project execution at the site level while ensuring alignment with the organization's project management framework.

How you will thrive and create an impact:

Project Management & Execution:

• Lead projects from initiation through completion, commissioning, and closeout.
• Develop project charters, schedules, budgets, resource plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while balancing competing priorities.
• Monitor project scope, schedule, cost, and quality performance.
• Identify and proactively mitigate project risks and issues.
• Facilitate project reviews, status meetings, and stakeholder communications.
• Ensure projects are completed safely, on time, within budget, and in compliance with established standards.

Technical Leadership:

• Review project scopes, technical specifications, engineering drawings, and design packages.
• Coordinate engineering activities among internal teams, contractors, and vendors.
• Support equipment selection, process improvements, system upgrades, and operational initiatives.
• Resolve technical issues that may impact project delivery.
• Participate in installation, startup, commissioning, and system acceptance activities.
• Ensure all technical deliverables meet quality, reliability, and operational requirements.

Site Coordination & Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as the primary liaison between Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and project stakeholders.
• Coordinate project activities to minimize operational disruptions.
• Lead cross-functional project teams and drive accountability for project deliverables.
• Manage contractor activities and ensure alignment with site objectives.
• Maintain strong working relationships with internal and external customers.

PMO Center of Excellence Partnership:

• Partner with the PMO Center of Excellence to implement and maintain standardized project management methodologies, tools, and best practices.
• Ensure site projects comply with established project governance, stage-gate, reporting, and documentation requirements.
• Utilize PMO-approved templates, processes, and project controls.
• Participate in portfolio reviews, governance meetings, and project audits.
• Provide project status updates, performance metrics, and forecasts to site leadership and the PMO.
• Capture and communicate lessons learned to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the development and adoption of project management capabilities across the site.
• Act as the primary site representative for project management process improvement initiatives.

Safety & Compliance:

• Promote a culture of safety and accountability.
• Ensure all project activities comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Participate in project risk assessments, management of change (MOC) activities, and safety reviews.
• Ensure contractor compliance with site safety and environmental requirements.

Continuous Improvement:

• Identify opportunities to improve project execution, efficiency, reliability, and operational performance.
• Support site capital planning and long-range improvement initiatives.
• Drive standardization and continuous improvement in project delivery processes.
• Assist with the implementation of project management best practices across the organization.

What we're looking for:

Education:

Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Construction Management, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline.

Experience:

2+ years preferred of experience in project management, project engineering, operations, manufacturing, industrial services, maintenance, or a related technical field. Demonstrated experience leading projects and coordinating cross-functional teams. Experience managing project schedules, budgets, risks, and deliverables.

Certification/s:

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or progress toward certification preferred. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification or equivalent preferred.

Additional Skills and Qualifications:

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management software.
• Experience working within a PMO or Project Management Center of Excellence environment preferred.
• Experience supporting capital projects, equipment installations, or facility improvement initiatives desired.
• Experience in fluid handling systems, rotating equipment, pumps, manufacturing, or industrial operations a plus.
• Knowledge of project governance, stage-gate processes, and portfolio management.
• Experience managing contractors, suppliers, and third-party service providers desired.
• Experience supporting equipment commissioning and startup activities desired.
• Familiarity with ERP systems and project portfolio management tools.
• Project planning, execution, and coordination skills.
• Budget management and cost control skills.
• Schedule development and project tracking experience.
• Leadership and cross-functional team coordination skills.
• Technical problem-solving and troubleshooting experience.
• Stakeholder management and relationship building skills.
• Risk identification, mitigation, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Data analysis and performance reporting experience.
• Contractor and vendor management experience.
• Meeting facilitation and decision-making.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Project (or equivalent project software).

Must be Knowledgeable of:

• Project management principles, methodologies, and project lifecycle management.
• Engineering and technical project execution in manufacturing, industrial, operations, or fluid handling environments.
• Project planning, scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, and resource management.
• Project governance, stage-gate processes, and PMO best practices.
• Capital project management and facility improvement initiatives.
• Engineering drawings, technical specifications, and technical documentation.
• Risk management, change management, and project controls.
• Contractor management, procurement processes, and vendor coordination.
• Operational processes, maintenance practices, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Applicable safety, environmental, and quality standards.

Must have Ability to:

• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborate effectively with Operations, Engineering, Facilities, Supply Chain, and external partners.
• Interpret technical information and communicate it to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Identify project risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Drive accountability and project execution across cross-functional teams.
• Analyze project performance and implement continuous improvement actions.
• Make sound decisions and exercise independent judgment.
• Effectively partner with the PMO Center of Excellence in driving governance and project management excellence.
• Communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Occasionally travel to support business and project requirements.

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Why Avantor?

Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science. The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor. We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world.

Pay Transparency:

The expected pre-tax pay for this position is $78,000.00 - $125,350.00. Actual pay may differ depending on relevant factors such as prior experience and geographic location.

EEO Statement:

We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the Know Your Rights poster.

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3rd Party Non‑Solicitation Policy:

By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.

Avantor a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education & government, and advanced technologies & applied materials industries. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities in the industries we serve. One of our greatest strengths comes from having a global infrastructure that is strategically located to support the needs of our customers. Our global footprint enables us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations and gives us extensive access to research laboratories and scientists in more than 180 countries. We set science in motion to create a better world.