Project Manager - Liquid Execution

The Project Manager is responsible for leading the successful execution and delivery of projects within the Liquid Technologies business. This role owns the overall project lifecycle, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with customer requirements and GEA standards.
As the primary point of accountability, the Project Manager coordinates multidisciplinary teams across engineering, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, installation, commissioning, and customer stakeholders to achieve project objectives while maximizing customer satisfaction and project profitability.
Projects may comprise various process technologies across the dairy, beverage, food, and liquid processing industries.

Responsibilities / Tasks

Project Leadership & Execution

• Lead assigned projects from contract award through engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning, startup, and project close-out.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project execution plans, schedules, resource plans, risk registers, and project budgets.
• Ensure project milestones, deliverables, and contractual obligations are achieved within agreed timelines.
• Monitor project performance, identify risks and mitigation actions, and proactively manage project deviations.
• Drive project profitability through effective cost control, change management, and resource optimization.
• Manage project forecasting, financial reporting, and progress tracking throughout the project lifecycle.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary interface between customers and GEA throughout the project execution phase.
• Lead project kick-off meetings, progress reviews, technical discussions, and customer status updates.
• Build strong relationships with customers, contractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure customer expectations are clearly understood, managed, and fulfilled.
• Address commercial, technical, and execution-related issues in a timely and professional manner.

Project Coordination

• Coordinate cross-functional teams including Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Automation Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Site Services.
• Ensure engineering activities are completed according to specifications, project schedules, and quality standards.
• Review and approve technical deliverables, project documentation, and design changes.
• Manage procurement and equipment delivery schedules to support project timelines.
• Coordinate installation, commissioning, and startup activities with internal and external stakeholders.

Risk, Quality & Compliance

• Identify project risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with GEA standards, customer specifications, safety requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Monitor scope changes and manage variations through established change management processes.
• Ensure proper project documentation, version control, and document management throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead project lessons learned reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.

Site Execution & Commissioning

• Support site installation and commissioning activities as required.
• Coordinate resolution of technical and commercial issues during project execution.
• Ensure punch-list items, testing, commissioning, and customer acceptance activities are completed successfully.
• Support customer operator training and handover activities.
• Lead project close-out, final documentation submission, and warranty handover processes.

Your Profile / Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in:
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Food Engineering
  • Dairy Engineering
  • Process Engineering or related discipline

Experience

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in project execution, engineering, commissioning, or project management within the Dairy, Food, Beverage, or Process Industry.
• Proven experience managing capital equipment, process systems, or turnkey process plant projects.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and managing customer-facing projects.
• Demonstrated project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management experience.

Technical Competencies

• Strong understanding of dairy, beverage, and liquid food processing technologies.
• Knowledge of process engineering principles, including mass and energy balances.
• Good understanding of pumps, valves, instrumentation, automation, utilities, and process equipment.
• Familiarity with installation, commissioning, startup, and validation processes.
• Understanding of contractual, commercial, and project financial management principles.

Personal Competencies

• Strong leadership and decision-making skills.
• Excellent stakeholder and customer management capabilities.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic project environment.
• Results-oriented with strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Success Measures

The Project Manager will be measured on:

• On-time project delivery.
• Project profitability and margin achievement.
• Customer satisfaction and repeat business.
• Effective management of project risks and changes.
• Safety and compliance performance.
• Successful commissioning and project handover.
• Cross-functional team collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

This position is ideal for an experienced Project Engineer ready to take ownership of complete project execution and deliver complex liquid processing projects from award through successful customer acceptance.
At GEA, we design work to promote sustainable performance, balancing business outcomes with employee wellbeing through clear expectations, collaboration, development opportunities and healthy ways of working.

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