Project Director PMC (Project Management Consultant) - RKEF Nickel Smelter Project

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Role Purpose:

The Project Director is the PMC's senior representative responsible for leading and delivering all project management, engineering management, construction management, commissioning oversight, and stakeholder coordination services for a greenfield or brownfield nickel smelting project utilizing Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technology.

The Project Director acts as the Owner's trusted advisor while remaining independent from both the Owner's organization and the EPC Contractor(s). The role focuses on protecting the Owner's interests through effective governance, risk management, schedule assurance, cost control, quality oversight, HSE leadership, and performance management of EPC contractors and suppliers.

The Project Director is accountable for the successful delivery of the PMC scope and for ensuring the project achieves its objectives in safety, quality, cost, schedule, operability, and environmental compliance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project Leadership and Governance

• Lead the PMC organization through all project phases, including:
  • Feasibility support
  • FEED validation
  • EPC execution
  • Construction
  • Pre-commissioning
  • Commissioning
  • Performance testing and handover
• Serve as the primary interface between the Owner and EPC Contractor(s).
• Establish project governance frameworks and reporting structures.
• Chair project review meetings, steering committee meetings, and contractor performance reviews.
• Ensure project decisions are made in accordance with approved authority matrices.
• Promote a culture of safety, integrity, transparency, and accountability.

2. Owner Representation and Stakeholder Management

• Act as the PMC's senior representative in interactions with:
  • Project Owner
  • EPC Contractor(s)
  • Technology licensors
  • Major equipment vendors
  • Government agencies
  • Local communities
  • Lenders and insurers (where applicable)
• Facilitate alignment among owner, lenders, technology providers, and contractors.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and maintain effective communication channels.
• Support government relations and permitting activities as required.

3. Delivery Oversight of EPC Contractor(s)

• Monitor EPC Contractor performance against contractual obligations.
• Ensure EPC execution complies with:
  • Approved schedule
  • Budget targets
  • Technical requirements
  • Quality standards
  • HSE requirements
• Review and challenge contractor recovery plans when performance deviates from targets.
• Lead project assurance reviews and readiness assessments.
• Monitor progress on engineering, procurement, fabrication, logistics, construction, and commissioning.

4. Cost and Commercial Management

• Oversee project controls activities including:
  • Cost monitoring
  • Forecasting
  • Progress measurement
  • Trend analysis
  • Change management
• Review contractor claims and variation requests.
• Ensure robust commercial administration processes are in place.
• Provide recommendations to the Owner regarding commercial settlements and contract disputes.
• Monitor contingency utilization and forecast final project cost.

5. Schedule Management

• Establish integrated project schedule governance.
• Review and validate:
  • Baseline schedules
  • Recovery schedules
  • Look-ahead schedules
• Ensure critical path risks are identified and mitigated.
• Monitor engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning milestones.
• Drive schedule recovery actions where required.

6. Engineering Management

• Ensure engineering activities support efficient construction and commissioning.
• Review design maturity and engineering deliverables.
• Manage design changes through formal management of change processes.
• Ensure technical risks are identified and mitigated.
• Coordinate technical interfaces among:
  • RKEF process systems
  • Power plant
  • Utility systems
  • Ore handling facilities
  • Raw material storage
  • Product handling and logistics systems

7. Construction Management

• Lead PMC construction management teams.
• Ensure construction activities are executed safely and efficiently.
• Monitor contractor productivity and resource deployment.
• Ensure construction quality control programs are implemented.
• Coordinate resolution of field issues and interface challenges.
• Drive construction readiness and workface planning initiatives.

8. Commissioning and Operational Readiness

• Oversee commissioning strategy and execution planning.
• Ensure commissioning plans align with operational requirements.
• Coordinate system turnover and handover processes.
• Validate readiness of:
  • RKEF production lines
  • Rotary kilns
  • Electric furnaces
  • Power systems
  • Utilities
  • Environmental systems
• Support achievement of performance guarantees and production ramp-up targets.

9. HSE Leadership

• Demonstrate visible and active HSE leadership.
• Ensure compliance with:
  • Indonesian regulations
  • International standards
  • Owner HSE requirements
• Lead incident reviews and corrective action implementation.
• Promote a zero-harm culture across all project participants.
• Monitor leading and lagging safety indicators.

10. Risk Management

• Establish and maintain project risk management processes.
• Lead regular project risk reviews.
• Identify and mitigate:
  • Technical risks
  • Construction risks
  • Schedule risks
  • Commercial risks
  • Environmental risks
  • Market-related risks
• Ensure risk mitigation actions are properly implemented.

Specific RKEF Nickel Smelter Responsibilities

The Project Director should possess a good understanding of:

• Laterite nickel ore processing
• Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technology
• Dryers, rotary kilns, and electric furnaces
• Ferronickel and NPI production processes
• Coal handling systems
• Limestone handling systems
• Slag granulation and handling
• High-voltage power distribution systems
• Captive power plants
• Industrial water systems
• Port and logistics infrastructure
• Indonesian mining and downstream processing regulations

Key focus areas include:

• Furnace commissioning readiness
• Refractory management strategy
• Power supply reliability
• Process integration risks
• Contractor interface management
• Environmental compliance and emissions control
• Production ramp-up achievement

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary PMC team including:
  • Project Managers
  • Engineering Managers
  • Construction Managers
  • Commissioning Managers
  • Project Controls Managers
  • HSE Managers
  • Commercial Managers
• Build and maintain a high-performance project culture.
• Mentor senior project personnel.
• Resolve cross-functional conflicts and remove execution barriers.

Education

• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or equivalent.
• Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 20 years of major project experience.
• Minimum 10 years in senior project leadership roles.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale metallurgical or mining processing facilities.
• Demonstrated experience in Asia-Pacific industrial projects.
• Previous involvement in nickel smelters utilizing RKEF technology strongly preferred.
• Experience working within PMC, Owner's Engineer, or Program Management environments.

Technical Competencies

• EPC contract management
• Project governance
• Major capital project delivery
• Construction management
• Commissioning management
• Cost and schedule management
• Risk management
• HSE leadership
• Metallurgical processing facilities
• Power generation and utilities integration
• Indonesian regulatory framework

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Safety

• Zero fatalities
• TRIFR targets achieved
• Critical risk controls implemented

Schedule

• Mechanical completion achieved within approved timeline
• Commissioning milestones achieved
• Performance test completion achieved

Cost

• Project delivered within approved budget
• Cost forecast accuracy maintained

Quality

• Minimal rework
• Successful performance guarantee achievement
• Effective punch list closure

Stakeholder Management

• Positive Owner satisfaction
• Effective contractor relationship management
• Regulatory compliance maintained

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance. 

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Please find out more about us at www.turnerandtownsend.com/

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