Global Head of Project Operations, Systems Integration

In this role, you will lead the global operations and project execution organization for ABB’s Global Systems Integration business, a large project business serving Oil & Gas, Energy EPCs, and end customers worldwide.

You will be responsible for the engineering, project management, supply chain, production, testing, delivery, and operational performance of complex analyzer systems across all four global SI sites. While Sales will retain ownership of commercial growth and customer acquisition, you will be accountable for ensuring that projects are executed safely, predictably, profitably, and to the required quality, cost, and delivery commitments.

You will own the Project Operations P&L and drive global strategy across all operations and project execution areas. This includes target setting, performance tracking, margin delivery, cash and working capital performance, safety, quality, inventory, productivity, capacity utilization, customer delivery, and continuous improvement.

You will continuously optimize ABB’s global operations footprint, standardize processes and tools, strengthen project governance, and foster collaboration across functions and sites to improve cost competitiveness, execution consistency, scalability, and customer satisfaction. You will work closely with Sales, Bids and Proposals,  Finance, Service, and the global business leadership team to ensure profitable growth and world-class execution performance.

The work model for the role is hybrid.

This role reports to the Global Business Line Manager, Analytical, Measurement and Analytics Division, and is part of the Global Business Line Management Team.

You will be mainly accountable for:

• Owning the global Project Operations P&L, including project gross margin, cost productivity, cash flow, inventory, contract assets, provisions, warranty cost, and operational performance.

• Defining and driving the global operations and project execution strategy in alignment with the Business Line strategy and in close cooperation with Sales.

• Ensuring safe, on-time, on-cost, and high-quality execution of the complete project portfolio across all Systems Integration sites globally.

• Establishing and leading global project governance, including portfolio reviews, risk reviews, execution dashboards, escalation management, and corrective action follow-up.

• Driving strong commercial execution discipline, including contract compliance, scope control, change order management, claims avoidance/recovery, and margin protection.

• Collaborating with Sales, Bids and Proposals, and Finance to provide competitive, realistic, and risk-adjusted project costings and execution strategies during the pursuit phase.

• Ensuring robust tender-to-project handover, including review of scope, risks, assumptions, costs, schedule, resource plan, and contractual commitments.

• Planning and driving global capacity, footprint, resource allocation, and utilization across all aspects of the business.

• Championing continuous improvement and operational excellence by deploying common processes, tools, competencies, KPIs, and best practices across all sites.

• Driving productivity, cost-out, standardization, modularization, localization, and supply chain optimization to improve competitiveness and profitability.

• Leading operational risk management across the project portfolio, including technical, commercial, supply chain, contractual, HSE, quality, and delivery risks.

• Acting as senior operational escalation point for strategic customer projects and global accounts, ensuring timely and effective resolution of project execution and quality issues.

• Ensuring compliance with ABB requirements for HSE, integrity, quality, trade compliance, cyber security, and applicable customer/project standards.

• Building, developing, and leading a high-performing global operations organization with strong accountability, collaboration, capability development, and succession planning.

• Supporting Sales in strategic project pursuits, customer negotiations, executive reviews, and value proposition development, while maintaining clear accountability for execution feasibility and profitability.

• Ensures all staff (under scope) understand ABB’s core values and group safety and integrity standards and act accordingly.

• Implements and ensures compliance with the ABB code of conduct, global and local standards, tools, policies, and processes in their assigned area.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in global project operations, engineering, manufacturing, or delivery of complex industrial systems.

• Proven experience managing large project execution organizations with P&L responsibility, including margin, cash flow, working capital, productivity, cost control, and operational performance.

• Strong knowledge of Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Chemical, LNG, Energy, and/or Water markets, preferably with experience serving EPCs and major end customers.

• Demonstrated leadership of multisite, multicultural teams across engineering, project management, supply chain, production, testing, delivery, and service interfaces.

• Strong experience in project governance, risk management, contract execution, change order management, claims avoidance/recovery, and margin protection.

• Proven ability to drive operational excellence, standardization, cost-out, capacity planning, footprint optimization, and continuous improvement in lower-margin project environments.

• Strong financial acumen, commercial, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across functions and senior leadership levels.

• Customer-focused leader with executive presence and the ability to manage complex escalations with strategic customers and global accounts.

• Strong commitment to HSE, integrity, quality, compliance, and ABB values.

• Fluent English required; mandarin or Arabic knowledge would be a plus. Frequent international travel expected (25-30%).