Position SummaryThis position serves as Ecovyst's subject-matter lead for the company's front-end loading (FEL) stage-gate process for capital projects reporting to the Director of Capital Portfolio Management. The individual will provide guidance to project engineers in developing FEL 1-3 deliverables, facilitate Value Improving Practices (VIPs), support FEL gate reviews. This role is the independent steward of project readiness: the person who confirms that each project has done the project deliverables and definition required to pass the required gate before it receives funding and moves forward.
Travel: 10% to 25% (Ecovyst U.S. and Canadian operating sites)Key ResponsibilitiesFEL Deliverable Development and Coaching- Guide project engineers in the development of FEL 1, FEL 2, and FEL 3 deliverables.
- Coach project teams in preparing bases of design, scope documents, PFDs and P&IDs, equipment lists, execution plans, schedules, and risk registers.
- Provide guidance on estimate development consistent with the appropriate AACE class at each gate, including contingency and basis-of-estimate documentation.
- Review gate packages before submission and conduct PDRI assessments, identifying gaps and defining corrective actions.
VIP Facilitation- Plan and facilitate VIP workshops at the appropriate FEL stage, including:
- Preparing pre-work materials, identify appropriate participants from operations, maintenance, EHS, engineering, procurement, and contractor organizations, and document workshop outcomes.
- Monitoring VIP action items through closure and verify that approved outcomes are incorporated into the design and estimate.
FEL Gate Reviews- Support the Director of Capital Portfolio Management in planning and conducting FEL 1, FEL 2, and FEL 3 gate reviews across the portfolio.
- Ensures the stage-gate process is applied consistently across all U.S. and Canadian sites, recognizing jurisdictional differences in regulatory requirements.
- Evaluate gate packages for completeness against FEL deliverable checklists, PDRI results, and applicable estimate-class requirements before each review.
- Identify lessons learned and ensure enterprise-wide continuous improvement.
- Monitors and reports upon the gate calendar and portfolio tracker showing where each project stands in the FEL lifecycle.
Training & Development- Deliver and maintain FEL and PDRI training for project managers, project engineers, site leaders, and sponsors, including training materials, templates, and knowledge checks.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline.
- A minimum of ten years of relevant experience, including leadership of projects from FEL through startup in chemical, refining, petrochemical, or comparable process-manufacturing facilities.
- Demonstrated experience developing FEL 1-3 deliverables within a stage-gate process.
- Experience facilitating or participating in VIPs or comparable structured workshops.
- Working knowledge of AACE estimate classes and PDRI requirements.
- Strong written communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage audiences ranging from operators to senior leaders.
Preferred Qualifications- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and/or Professional Engineer (PE) licensure.
- Experience administering an owner's stage-gate or project assurance function, or with Independent Project Analysis (IPA) methodologies and benchmarking.
- Experience in sulfuric acid or specialty-chemical operations.
- Experience training or mentoring engineers.
- Proficiency with scheduling and estimating applications, such as Microsoft Project.
