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CEL Critical Power

VP Projects

CEL Critical Power, Williamsburg, Virginia, us, 23187

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CEL Critical Power - Powering the AI Revolution CEL has an opportunity for you to join our rapidly growing US business, where you will have an opportunity to make a significant impact on our immediate and long-term success of our supply chain function.

CEL is an Irish based 40-year manufacturer, distributor and exporter of electrical switchgear and controls, and related products and services, now focused on the supplying the global data centre industry.

Operating from our newly acquired 400,000ft2 facility in Williamsburg, Virginia, we aim to double in size each year for the next three years.

CEL is led by a hard-working team who follow traditional working practices, value collaboration, continuous improvement, excellence in quality and commercial curiosity; this is your chance to develop your career as part of a dynamic US SMT who will shape the future of our business.

We strongly believe that seeking out and hiring the most diverse talent and creating an inclusive workplace is the way to create an exceptional and innovative workplace for our employees which will deliver excellence in service to our customers.

We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experience to join this multicultural, hard-working team.

Position Overview The position is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) responsible for leading a team of Program and Project Managers ensuring the professional delivery of complex electrical switchgear projects to our global data centre clients. This strategic leadership role ensures that all projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest QA and H&S standards.

Maintaining excellent client relationships and acting as a point of escalation is a critical aspect of the role. This role requires a strong technical understanding of Project Management Systems and Techniques, exceptional relationship development skills and a very high degree of financial and commercial acumen.

What You’ll Be Doing Leadership & Strategy

Develop and implement a Project Management Process, ensuring alignment between US and IRL systems

Balance strategic goals with immediate business needs, ensuring projects align with company objectives

Provide strategic direction and strong leadership, ensuring your team deliver professionally / consistently

Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration and excellence.

Collaborate with HR to ensure workforce planning, training and succession development

Align your resource / capacity planning with our SIOPS process

Promote professional development and knowledge sharing across the team

Financial & Project Governance

Ensure rigorous financial and commercial management through all phases of the project lifecycle

Implement and maintain department-level governance, reporting and documentation standards

Regularly review project performance, verify financial targets and contractual obligations are achieved with rational to explain as required

Implement early warning KPIs to identify a project which is not achieving its performance goals

Developing mitigation strategies to correct non-performing projects with peer teams as required Monitor general Project Management KPI's, ensuring trends are monitored / corrected as required

Provide accurate reports which provide clarity of alignment of performance to the business strategy

Project Delivery

Oversee the end-to-end delivery of multiple concurrent electrical switchgear / internal CEL projects

Implement and utilise Master Scheduling / SIOPS processes to ensure alignment across all functions.

Ensure adherence to project scope, timelines, budgets and quality standards

Implement robust project governance, risk management and reporting structures

Provide clear, accurate and regular reports on all active projects

Risk Management

Proactively identify, monitor and mitigate project risks and issues (internal or external)

Develop mitigation strategies and elevate to ensure project momentum and successful outcomes

Utilise regular Lessons Learned activities to ensure identified risks are not repeated

Client Engagement

Act as a senior point of contact and escalation for key clients

Maintain strong client relationships, manage expectations, ensure satisfaction and repeat business

Ensure all commercial and contract management negotiations are carried out in line with CEL policies

Ability to travel in the region of 30% - 40% of standard hours

Continuous Improvement

Identify opportunities to improve project delivery processes, project tools and team performance

Drive standardization and best practices across the Project Management function

Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Key Competencies

Strategic and analytical thinker with a hands‑on, results‑driven mindset

Strong leadership presence and ability to inspire cross‑functional teams

Financially and commercially astute with sound business judgment

Excellent problem‑solving and decision‑making capabilities

Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management abilities

High level of integrity, professionalism and resilience

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, Project Management or related field with a PMP, PRINCE2 or similar project management certification being essential

5+ years in a senior leadership role (VP or similar) managing technical / engineering teams

10+ years of senior level PM experience, including leadership of complex, engineered‑to‑order projects

Strong background in low‑voltage switchgear, power distribution, or electrical infrastructure sectors

Proven ability to manage highly complex, large project portfolios with full financial accountability

Expert in project planning tools (MS Project, Primavera, or equivalent) and project financial analysis

Demonstrated success in stakeholder management, risk mitigation and performance improvement

Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal and change‑management skills

Demonstrated commitment to ensure our business goals and your functional goals are met / exceeded

Strategic thinker with a hands‑on approach, with strong analytical skills which drive decision making.

Ability to travel are required - approx. 30% - 40%.

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