Director – Project Excellence

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

Location: Westchester, IL

Workplace Type: Hybrid
 

The Director, Project Excellence is a key position within Corporate Transformation Office, responsible for driving change and deliver value for realizing Ingredion’s strategic goals. This role will be primarily responsible to ensure appropriate planning, management, and delivery of multiple Large Global Cross-Functional; Cross-Regional and Highly Complex Transformation projects is accomplished. Other responsibilities include establishing and driving Governance over large programs, establishing structure and framework over large programs, ensuring projects adhere to framework and methodologies.  This role will report to the Vice President, Head of Corporate Transformation Office.

What you will do:

• To support performance management activities, development and engagement efforts to enhance the capability and provide ongoing personal development for staff.
• To operate as an effective change manager by ensuring ongoing engagement with stakeholders and impacted staff in a supportive and tactful manner.
• To act as a champion of the initiative, utilizing skills such as persuasion and negotiation to engage others and helping to change perspectives/ views.
• To lead the development of robust implementation plans and oversee their delivery.
• To drive the PMO processes to intake new demand, prioritize and trade-off, and get the ideas or initiatives through concept to approval and hand-off to project execution.
• To provide input and challenge during the development of detailed solutions, to help ensure that implementation will go smoothly.
• To provide advice on current and anticipated project issues and risks and to provide mitigations and solutions to resolve these.
• To lead the PMO through the provision of timely project reports, the raising of risks and issues and assistance with the investigation of potential solutions/ models of working.
• To be a self-starter, acting on and own your initiative to drive forward the delivery of the shared services but balancing this against the need to take people with you on a journey.
• To identify additional income generating or cost saving opportunities during transition or delivery, ensuring that they are documented, monitored, and realized.
• To have a lead role in the transition of activities within the agreed program framework and governance, ensuring delivery on time, within budget and realizing the identified benefits
• Partner with Ingredion’s 3rd Party Consultants on the development of our Target Operating Models, Knowledge Transfer, Tollgates and Project Management and Change Management.
• To lead the implementation of project solutions and help realize business cases, which will include complicated and sensitive information and may involve difficult recommendations or decisions.

What you will bring:

• Certified in PMP or other similar standard practices preferred.
• Proven experience with different project management methodologies and frameworks, including Waterfall, Agile, Lean, Design-Thinking, etc.
• Minimum 8-12 years of proven project management experience with large global projects with varying degrees of complexities
• Significant relevant experience working with virtual and/or matrix teams and ability to effectively communicate/collaborate in this environment.
• Experience in overseeing large direct and indirect teams in multiple locations.
• Experience working in a cross-cultural team and significant experience working with senior leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills required.
• Computer and Project Skills with proficiency level (i.e Microsoft Office, Project Management applications, Lean Six Sigma concepts)
• Hands-on skills to develop elaborate and creative project plans using tools such as MS Project or similar.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively select, develop, engage, and coach employees, with strong leadership and people‑management skills that promote a professional, high‑performance culture.
• Proven PMO experience of developing and managing project management frameworks, methodologies, and standards such as templates, and documents.
• A ‘completer-finisher’ taking accountability for ideas from inception to delivery, in an environment that requires robust metrics to confirm success.
• Experience of designing remediation plans to address productivity and efficiency issues, and track record of following through to ensure closure.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of Partners, senior managers, and subject matter experts.
• Strong analytical, project and product management skills, including a thorough understanding of how to interpret business needs and translate them into operational requirements.
• Experience of the whole project life cycle, able to operate in the initial conceptual design stage, in the depths of system testing, and at each stage in between.
• Experience planning, coordinating multiple projects simultaneously.
• Understand internal controls and business risk management.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or similar fields required; MBA preferred.

Who you are:

• Strong analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills are required.
• Strong written, verbal communication and presentation skills. Must be able to convey information to all levels of the organization in a clear, focused, and concise manner.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Dedicated team player with innovative mind-set to develop and implement internal process improvements.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines.
• Embraces change and is open to new ideas and approaches.
• Ability to travel 25-30% domestic and international.
• Ability to think strategically and translate strategy into tangible business plans and actions.
• Proactively build a good understanding of the customer to ensure own work is responsive to customer needs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage network/matrix organizations to achieve business objectives.
• Ability to lead, inspire and communicate with confidence to senior levels of management.

Why Join Ingredion? 

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Flexible Work Arrangements– We value flexibility to support you both professionally and personally
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement
• Employee Recognition Program – A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

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We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Ingredion uses AI-enabled tools to support parts of the recruitment process, including resume screening and interview scheduling. These tools help match candidate skills to job requirements and streamline communication. All AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable laws. By applying, you acknowledge that AI may be used to support your application journey.

Relocation Available:

Pay Range:

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation:

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with an competitive company match.