Chief of Staff

Our client is proud to design and build projects and careers. They are committed to fostering a welcoming and collaborative work environment that encourages big-picture thinking, brings out the best in their personnel, and helps them develop innovative solutions that contribute to building a better world together. If this sounds like a culture you would like to work in, you are invited to apply for this role.


My Client is seeking an experienced Chief of Staff to provide strategic, operational, and administrative leadership for a large-scale industrial construction project. This role serves as a key advisor and partner to the Project Director and senior site leadership team, ensuring alignment of project priorities, execution strategies, stakeholder communications, and organizational effectiveness across the project lifecycle.


The Chief of Staff acts as the central coordination point between project management, construction, engineering, HSE, quality, procurement, contracts, and client representatives. The successful candidate will drive execution of critical initiatives, facilitate decision-making, manage project governance processes, and ensure leadership focus remains aligned with project objectives related to safety, quality, schedule, cost, and stakeholder satisfaction.


Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Project Governance

• Support the Project Director and executive leadership team in achieving overall project goals and objectives.
• Coordinate strategic initiatives and ensure alignment across all functional departments.
• Develop and maintain governance processes, meeting structures, action item tracking, and executive reporting.
• Monitor key project performance indicators and provide leadership with actionable insights.
• Assist in developing project execution strategies and implementing organizational improvements.

Executive Support & Decision Management

• Serve as a trusted advisor to site leadership on operational and organizational matters.
• Prepare briefing materials, executive presentations, and decision-support analyses.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, steering committees, and management review sessions.
• Track strategic decisions and ensure timely implementation of action plans.
• Facilitate communication between project leadership and functional teams.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Foster collaboration among engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, quality, HSE, contracts, and project controls teams.
• Identify and resolve organizational barriers affecting project execution.
• Coordinate resources and priorities among multiple departments.
• Support integration of project objectives across all phases of construction and startup activities.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Assist senior leadership with client engagement and relationship management.
• Coordinate preparation for client reviews, executive meetings, and project status updates.
• Support communications with joint venture partners, subcontractors, regulators, and key stakeholders.
• Ensure consistent messaging regarding project goals, performance, and critical milestones.

Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance project efficiency and effectiveness.
• Monitor leadership action items, project risks, and organizational priorities.
• Support resolution of complex operational challenges impacting project delivery.
• Facilitate lessons learned reviews and implementation of best practices.
• Promote a culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and execution excellence.

Risk & Opportunity Management

• Assist leadership in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating project risks.
• Coordinate risk review meetings and maintain visibility of critical risk items.
• Monitor emerging issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Support development and execution of contingency and recovery plans when required.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in large industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, mining, chemical, life sciences, or EPC construction projects.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience supporting executive-level project teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-functional project environments.
• Strong understanding of project management principles, construction operations, and EPC project execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving as Chief of Staff, Project Manager, Deputy Project Director, Operations Manager, or similar leadership role on large capital projects.
• Knowledge of project controls, contracts management, procurement, construction management, and commissioning.
• Experience supporting projects exceeding $500M in total installed cost.
• International project experience preferred.
• PMP, MBA, or advanced degree is a plus.

Required Skills

• Exceptional leadership and organizational abilities.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence across multiple levels of an organization without direct authority.
• Strategic thinking combined with strong execution capabilities.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-support skills.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced construction environment.
• Advanced proficiency with project reporting and business analytics tools.

Key Success Factors

• Ability to build strong relationships with project leadership, clients, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong sense of urgency, accountability, and attention to detail.
• Commitment to safety, quality, ethics, and operational excellence.
• Ability to anticipate needs, proactively solve problems, and drive organizational alignment.

Working Conditions

• Primarily site-based position supporting major industrial construction activities.
• May require extended work schedules during critical project phases.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• Must be capable of working effectively in a large-scale construction environment with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.