Project Director

About AGI - Danmare

AGI is a global food-based infrastructure company publicly traded in Canada. With over 4,000 employees and over 30 global manufacturing brands, AGI is a leading provider of equipment and technology solutions for agricultural commodities including seed, fertilizer, grain and feed systems and an expanding platform for food processing facilities.

Danmare provides end-to-end engineering and project management services to the food and pet nutrition industries.

The Opportunity

Bringing a minimum of 10 years of relevant Project Management and Project Engineering experience in to oversee and drive multiple projects in a food manufacturing setting. The Director Project must be familiar with and follow Engineering best practices, Project Management methodologies and exhibit professionalism and expertise in client presentation, negotiation and interaction on project progress. Effectively organizes and leads meetings with senior level client representation (plan, facilitate, document, follow up) and with PM teams to accomplish objectives. Oversees the Project Team to ensure project specification and timelines are met, escalated issues receive timely and due attention.

Travel component may be 20% of total time, but this percentage is project dependent. While Danmare tries to minimize travel, the percentage is project dependent and Danmare has implemented programs to compensate for time away.

The Team

The Danmare Group is comprised by a team of over fifty-five Professional Engineers, Designers, and Technologists whose credentials span the electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical, and construction disciplines required to service the specialized needs of the food and beverage industry. The full team comprises a diverse range of talent that allows us to offer the full spectrum of big picture process design to niche level materials handling. The Project Director reports to the Senior Project Director.

Responsibilities

Business Development:

• Strengthens relations with existing clients particularly with the client’s senior management team
• Builds strategic relationships and partnerships with external engineering firms for synergistic and complimentary services such as sub-contracting, design, etc.
• Contributes to the growth of Danmare across Canada and the United States
• Develops various sources of revenue streams, such as turn-key projects or other value-added services.
• Fully understand and identify opportunities to develop the Danmare team capabilities to meet current and future project needs and requirements
• Provide regular updates to the principals of clients regarding successes or challenges to be addressed on a priority basis, and as requested
• Develop and deliver presentations to potential clients, and to clients regarding project status, next steps, and potential future projects

Project Leadership:

• A history of effectively managing managers, junior engineers across multiple teams and functions
• Demonstrated success in executing and leading strategic initiatives
• Directed large and/or complex projects with a high business impact from inception to closure
• Accountable for the operational and engineering excellence of project
• A strategic partner, able to push and pull through relational influence to help our clients achieve their project and strategic goals
• Execute against medium- and long-term strategic plans to help Danmare gain market share in the sectors we serve
• Lead major projects, over-seeing project teams, identify all equipment capabilities, utility & infrastructure requirements, and develop Process Flow Diagrams and layout concepts.
• Coach and mentor team members, providing regular performance reviews, and feedback to ensure alignment of goals, deliverables exceptional performance
• Regularly inspect installation activities at client sites to ensure proper installation of all intended project designs. Regularly inspect that contractor’s appropriate management is in place, including adherence to client safety measures.
• Standardize project execution process
• Support site start-up team and troubleshoot issues when they arise. If required, work with vender technicians to remediate issues.
• Develop and maintain project plans and coordinate project activities; track critical path milestones, accomplishments, and results
• Ensure that end-to-end project planning, risk identification, dependency tricking, issues identification / escalation, and change management are being managed appropriately through team resources, utilizing best practice project management standards
• Working knowledge of CFIA, FDA and USDA food equipment and design standards.
• Understanding food plant Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs), area designations, clean design requirements and the impact to process and equipment layout designs
• Liaise with regulatory bodies, municipal and local authorities regarding codes, regulations, etc. to ensure minimal disruption to project milestones and plan
• Build relationships with senior leaders and other program/project owners; interact with, prepare materials for, and present to principals as required
• Provide guidance to, and mentor other team members
• Results orientated; ability to commit to and follow initiatives through to completion
• Collaborate with members of the Senior Leadership Team, building strong partnerships with leaders across the organization
• Enhance our reputation with our client base, by delivering project deliverables, maintain positive relationships, leading to additional business opportunities
• Provide technical leadership for the design and execution of projects
• Contribute to the development of budgets related to engineering team resourcing and projects
• Able to work flexible hours and multi-task in a fast paced, dynamic, high-pressured environment - managing changing priorities and tight deadlines.

Other Essential Responsibilities:

• Proven leader of multiple, concurrent projects
• Results orientated; ability to commit to and follow initiatives through to completion
• Able to work flexible hours and multi-task in a fast paced, dynamic, high-pressured environment - managing changing priorities and tight deadlines
• Able to be detailed focused, able to succinctly summarize status / issues / recommendations - producing quality deliverables
• Demonstrates highest level of personal and professional integrity
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative, and team building skills; Able to partner with and lead people with different personalities and responsibilities, demonstrating conflict management, influencing, and negotiation skills to drive the decision-making process; adaptive; confident; persuasive; proactive; accountable, and enthusiastic
• Maintain and continually improve technical and professional abilities described above and required to perform assigned tasks. This may be done through reading and continuing education.
• Advanced capabilities in quantitative and data analysis; Proven ability to conduct research/analysis, organize and interpret findings, and build presentations that facilitate Senior Management decision making
  • Treat all Danmare information and customer information in a confidential manner.
  • Inform Principal of problems or issues which affect the companies’ ability to meet customer requirements.
  • Manage to budget and schedule constraints on all work executed for Danmare.
  • Recommend, manage, and implement efforts to streamline the organization’s processes and establish best practices through regular inspection and feedback mechanisms from PM team
  • Travel component may be 20% of total time, but this percentage is Project dependent. While Danmare tries to minimize travel, the percentage is project dependent and Danmare has implemented programs to compensate for time away.

Qualifications

Education:

• University Degree in Engineering, supplemented with Project Management and/or Business Management education is an asset

Experience:

• The ideal candidate will have 10 years previous project engineering, project management and/or manufacturing experience inclusive of responsibilities included in the Job Summary, in the food manufacturing and pet food/nutrition sectors
• 5 years of cross-functional team leadership

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Member of, and in good standing with the PEO and/or other related professional organizations.
• Experience in a consulting environment
• Ability to converse and collaborate with multiple departments spanning multiple disciplines, and at senior levels
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write effective, high-quality communications, reports, and proposals
• Effective time management and organizational skills
• Interpersonal, collaborative, and team building skills; Able to partner with and lead people with different personalities and responsibilities, demonstrating conflict management, influencing, and negotiation skills to drive the decision-making process; Adaptive; confident; persuasive; proactive; accountable; and enthusiastic

Software Application and Technical Knowledge:

• Advanced skills using Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Project, and AutoCAD