Corteva Agriscience is seeking a Project Manager to lead the development and execution of capital projects supporting a strategic Research & Development (R&D) site in Brazil.
The Project Manager is responsible for delivering projects from Front-End Loading (FEL) through engineering, construction, commissioning, startup, and project closeout, ensuring alignment with business objectives, site priorities, and capital governance requirements.
This role partners with site, regional, and global stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and develop capital investment opportunities that support long-term strategic objectives. The position requires strong leadership of multidisciplinary project teams and third-party contractors, with accountability for project execution, safety, cost, schedule, quality, and communication.
The position is based in Mogi Mirim, Brazil, and reports to Capital Leadership in USA.
What You'll Do
Capital Planning and Front-End Loading (FEL)
- Lead Front-End Loading (FEL) activities for future capital investments, including scope development, option analysis, risk identification, preliminary engineering, cost estimating, and schedule development.
- Partner with site, regional, and global leadership to develop and maintain multi-year capital investment plans aligned with strategic business objectives.
- Facilitate project prioritization discussions to ensure capital resources are allocated effectively across competing opportunities.
- Develop conceptual estimates and business case documentation to support capital planning and authorization decisions.
- Ensure project scope, business objectives, assumptions, risks, cost estimates, and execution strategies are clearly defined prior to project authorization.
- Identify risks and opportunities early in the project lifecycle and implement mitigation strategies to improve project outcomes.
Contractor and Project Execution Leadership
- Lead project teams through the application of the Core Project Delivery Process .
- Monitor and analyze project performance through key performance indicators (KPIs), including:
- Project spending and commitment schedules
- Project costs versus estimates
- Engineering and procurement milestones
- Construction schedules
- Commissioning and startup plans
- Oversee third-party engineering, procurement, construction management, and construction contractors.
- Establish clear contractor roles, responsibilities, expectations, and performance measures.
- Hold contractors accountable for safety, quality, schedule, cost, and communication performance.
- Coordinate project resources to support successful project delivery.
- Resolve issues, barriers, and conflicts that may impact execution.
- Foster collaboration among contractors, project team members, site personnel, and leadership stakeholders.
Leadership and Stakeholder Management
- Build and lead high-performing project teams composed of internal stakeholders, engineering partners, construction management resources, and contractors.
- Promote accountability, teamwork, transparency, and mutual respect.
- Influence cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.
- Coach and support project team members and contractors throughout project execution.
- Manage stakeholder expectations and align diverse interests toward common project objectives.
- Drive a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and proactive problem solving.
Communication and Governance
- Maintain effective communication with site, regional, and global stakeholders throughout project development and execution.
- Establish communication and review processes to ensure alignment on project scope, budget, schedule, risks, and business outcomes.
- Ensure scope changes, budget impacts, and schedule deviations are properly communicated and reviewed through governance processes.
- Provide timely project updates to site leadership, regional leadership, global stakeholders, and Capital Leadership.
- Promote transparency and informed decision-making through accurate reporting of project status, risks, opportunities, and action plans.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
- 5 to 10 years of experience in project execution, depending on project type, scope, and complexity.
- Experience developing and executing capital projects within industrial, research, development, pilot plant, laboratory, or technical facility environments.
- Strong experience with Front-End Loading (FEL), scope development, cost estimating, capital planning, and project execution processes.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and contractors through influence rather than direct authority.
Knowledge of Spanish is a plus.
- Fluency in English and Portuguese.
- Demonstrated commitment to safety leadership and contractor safety management.
Preferred Competencies
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Proven track record of delivering successful capital projects.
- Strong project management, engineering, procurement, construction, and project controls knowledge.
- Excellent organization, planning, and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to drive change and make sound decisions in complex environments.
- Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.
- High standards of professionalism, integrity, accountability, and business judgment.
