Project Manager
Fortera · Houston, Texas, United States
Fortera is transforming one of the world’s largest industries by reinventing how cement is made. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Fortera has developed next-generation cement technology that delivers high performance while reducing CO₂ emissions by up to ~70%. By mineralizing CO₂ and turning it into a productive feedstock, Fortera converts emissions into a valuable building material, creating a more sustainable path for modern construction.
With our commercial ReCarb® plant operating in Redding, California, and a growing global project pipeline, Fortera is moving from first-of-a-kind deployment to scaled commercialization. Our technology is already being used in real-world infrastructure applications, bringing next-generation cement into use today while expanding toward broader adoption.
At Fortera, you’ll work alongside scientists, engineers, operators, and industry experts who are turning cutting-edge materials science into real-world impact. We’re looking for curious thinkers, builders, and problem-solvers who want to help tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our planet.
This is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to help shape the future of sustainable construction.
Build What’s Next.
Visit www.forteraglobal.com to learn more.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Capital Projects Team develops, coordinates, and directs the design and construction of processing plants utilizing Fortera's proprietary technologies, typically located at existing cement or lime facilities. We internally drive projects to successful completion while engaging engineering, purchasing and sourcing equipment, and construction partners to execute large-scale industrial facilities.
We are currently looking for a Project Manager to join our team. Reporting to the Director, Project Delivery, this role leads the day-to-day delivery of an assigned capital project from definition and authorization through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup support, and operational handover.
The Project Manager owns execution of the approved project plan, aligning scope, budget, schedule, safety, quality, risk, and performance across internal functions and external delivery partners. The role sets project priorities, drives decisions, resolves cross-functional issues, and ensures accountable actions are closed before they affect delivery.
Working across Engineering, Procurement, Project Services, Construction, Completions, Commissioning, Operations, Finance, Legal, vendors, contractors, and site stakeholders, the successful candidate will combine decisive leadership with disciplined execution and strong commercial judgment.
The role is expected to use digital tools, automation, and AI-enabled analysis to improve project visibility, forecasting, risk identification, issue resolution, and decision support.
IS THIS HOW YOU LIKE TO WORK?
Do you want to turn ambitious ideas into reality as part of a team that designs, buys, builds, tests, and runs its own facilities?
Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities evolve, challenges change, and you are willing to adapt, step into gaps, solve problems, and do what is needed to help the team deliver?
Do you take ownership, contribute to decisions, act with urgency, and stay accountable through to the outcome?
Do you believe in building collective strength through collaboration, sharing knowledge, supporting others, and putting the success of the team ahead of individual boundaries?
Are you motivated to work at the forefront of innovation, push what is possible, bring ideas to life, and use technology, AI, and continuous improvement to deliver better performance and results?
If this sounds like you, we’d like to hear from you.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead day-to-day delivery of the assigned project against approved scope, budget, schedule, safety, quality, risk, and performance objectives.
- Develop the project charter, Project Execution Plan, RACI, and phase-authorization packages for required review and approval.
- Lead the project team; set priorities, secure functional commitments, assign actions, and escalate unresolved resource or cross-project conflicts.
- Integrate Engineering, Package Engineering, Procurement, Project Services, Construction, Completions, Commissioning, Operations, and delivery partners around interfaces, required-by dates, and execution priorities.
- Direct Project Services support to maintain a credible integrated view of scope, schedule, cost, cash, progress, risk, change, and forecast performance.
- Align procurement priorities and delivery dates with the project plan while preserving functional commercial and technical authority.
- Lead project performance reviews, challenge unsupported progress or forecasts, and drive recovery actions before impacts become embedded.
- Maintain clear ownership of project interfaces, assumptions, dependencies, risks, decisions, actions, and acceptance criteria.
- Govern project risk and change within delegated authority; ensure technical, commercial, cost, schedule, safety, and operating impacts are assessed before approval.
- Support Development-led site, utility, permitting, and external stakeholder interfaces; integrate resulting requirements, commitments, and dependencies into project execution.
- Maintain integrated readiness across engineering, procurement, construction, Mechanical Completion, commissioning, startup, and handover; align dependencies and escalate gaps to accountable functional leaders.
- Lead readiness reviews and prepare gate recommendations for required approval; Operations retains startup authorization and operating acceptance.
- Engage Operations throughout execution and coordinate progressive handover of tested systems, records, training, spares, warranties, and residual work.
- Use digital tools, automation, and AI-enabled analysis to improve visibility, forecasting, risk identification, issue resolution, and project decisions.
- Provide concise reporting to the Project Delivery Manager on status, forecast outcomes, major risks, decisions required, and recovery actions.
- Lead project closeout and lessons learned, confirming final obligations, cost outlook, records, and residual-action ownership.
- Other tasks as assigned.
- Travel as needed.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience
- 8+ years of relevant experience supporting or leading large-scale capital projects.
- Proven experience managing industrial capital projects through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup support, and handover.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, engineering firms, vendors, contractors, and internal functions within owner-led or multi-contract delivery models.
- Strong command of project execution, schedule, cost, cash, risk, change, procurement, commercial interfaces, and phase readiness.
- Proven ability to interpret project performance, identify emerging delivery risk, and drive practical recovery actions.
- Strong judgment within delegated authority, with clear escalation of decisions requiring higher approval.
- Experience using digital tools, automation, and AI-enabled analysis to improve visibility, forecasting, risk identification, issue resolution, and project decisions.
- Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder-management, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Flexible and adaptive; able to shift priorities, maintain accountability, and lead through changing project conditions.
- Experience with process plants, cement, lime, minerals, chemicals, energy, or comparable industrial facilities preferred.
SUCCESS IN THE ROLE:
Success means the project delivers safely, predictably, and within authorized scope, cost, and schedule, with quality built into execution to ensure the facility performs as intended. AI and automation are em