Global Head of Project Operations, Systems Integration

ABB

Global Head of Project Operations overseeing project execution roles in ABB’s Global Systems Integration business, focusing on operational and strategic leadership in diverse international settings.

Posted 7/17/2026full-timeMadrid • Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong leadership in global project operations with a focus on P&L management, operational excellence, and risk management. Proven ability to drive project execution strategies, ensuring compliance with industry standards and fostering a high-performing organizational culture.

Highest-signal resume keywords

P&L ManagementProject GovernanceOperational ExcellenceRisk ManagementStakeholder Management

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Hard Skills

Project ExecutionCost ControlCapacity PlanningChange Order ManagementMargin ProtectionContinuous ImprovementFinancial AcumenContract ComplianceSupply Chain OptimizationOperational Performance

Soft Skills

LeadershipCommunicationCustomer FocusCollaborationInfluencing

Industry Keywords

Oil & GasPetrochemicalChemicalLNGEnergyWater MarketsEPCHSE ComplianceQuality StandardsABB Values

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Cyber Security

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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.

Requirements

What you’ll need

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%).

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health insurance
401(k) matching
Flexible work hours
Paid time off
Professional development opportunities