Project Director

Location: Seraing, Belgium | Belgian employment contract

Are you ready to lead major industrial projects, strengthen project delivery and make a tangible impact on operational performance and customer satisfaction?

Driven since 1817 by the entrepreneurial spirit and thirst for innovation of its founder, the John Cockerill Group develops large-scale technological solutions to meet the needs of its time: facilitating access to low-carbon energies, enabling sustainable industrial production, preserving natural resources, contributing to greener mobility, enhancing security, and installing critical infrastructures.

Its offer to companies, States and communities consists of services and associated equipment for the sectors of energy, defense, industry, the environment, transports, and infrastructures.

With over 8,000 employees, John Cockerill achieved a turnover of €1.417 billion in 2024, operating in 28 countries across 5 continents.

Within this framework, John Cockerill Services supports customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their industrial installations, delivering maintenance, upgrades, revamping, spare parts, digital solutions and operational support to enhance performance, reliability and sustainability.

Learn more about our Services activities:

Why join John Cockerill Services?

Operational impact: contribute directly to the performance, availability and longevity of critical industrial assets. Global reach: collaborate with multicultural teams and support customers worldwide.
👉 Discover our international talent: Field & expertise driven: combine technical expertise, customer proximity and pragmatic problem-solving. Engineering & decision centers on the same site: evolve in an agile environment enabling fast and informed decisions.

Your role

As Project Director within John Cockerill Services in Belgium, you will take ownership of a portfolio of strategic industrial projects, from pre-project preparation and launch through execution, contractual close-out and financial completion. You will directly manage one major project while overseeing several others, combining hands-on delivery with portfolio governance.

A key focus of the role is the execution phase on site, where the Project Director will take ownership of the operational delivery of projects, ensuring that works are carried out safely, to the required quality standards, within budget and schedule, and in line with contractual commitments. This requires a strong understanding of site execution, proven experience managing industrial projects in the field, and a genuine appetite for being closely involved in the day-to-day challenges of project delivery, working alongside site teams, subcontractors and customers to anticipate risks, resolve issues and drive performance.

The position is newly created to strengthen and professionalise project management practices, build a more proactive approach to risk and performance, and support a substantial pipeline of upcoming projects.

Our Belgian Services activities span energy, wind, industrial maintenance, mechanical and electromechanical works, electrical and hydraulic systems, metal fabrication, the sugar industry and public-sector contracts. Project sites are primarily in Wallonia (Liège, Namur and Charleroi), with activity also in Flanders (including Ostend and Antwerp).

Your key responsibilities

Project leadership and delivery

Define project execution strategies, priorities, milestones and resource allocation across the portfolio, while retaining direct operational responsibility for major projects. · Personally lead major projects while overseeing others, chairing project reviews, monitoring KPIs, driving corrective actions and reporting to management. · Lead on-site project execution, coordinating site activities, teams and subcontractors to ensure safety, quality, cost and schedule targets are met. · Maintain a strong field presence to monitor progress, anticipate risks, resolve operational issues and ensure effective coordination between stakeholders. · Ensure compliance with contractual commitments and coordinate internal functions, project teams and external stakeholders throughout project delivery.

Financial and contractual management

Monitor site performance against budget and schedule, identify deviations and take corrective action to protect project margins. · Prepare and monitor budgets, financial forecasts and cash-flow plans, reporting risks and financial exposure to management. · Manage contractual obligations, amendments, claims and related documentation, particularly in public procurement. · Anticipate and mitigate technical, financial and contractual risks.