Director of Project Management

Job Description

Job DescriptionVia Separations is a Boston-area startup dedicated to enabling process efficiency and intensification for the industrial sector. In 2024, Via delivered its first commercial facility and changed the narrative around market-driven energy technologies that drive value for industrial customers. At the intersection of engineering, society, and impact, our team is passionate about making a difference and building the technology and organization to do it. We are a fast-paced, interdisciplinary team backed by leading venture capital firms, and we are looking to add talented, mission-driven people to our cohort.
We are passionate about transformative impact, optimistic about scientific progress, and unafraid of hard problems. We believe that our people are our unfair advantage, and drive our mission forward. We embrace the diversity of our team for creative solutions and believe the best ideas come from the intersection of disciplines and perspectives. We want you to join us!
Role Summary The Director of Project Management leads the planning, execution, and delivery of engineering and pilot deployment projects across the organization. This role owns project scope, schedule, and budget from kickoff through commissioning, and serves as the technical and operational partner to the Vice President of Engineering. This is a leadership facing role, responsible for regularly presenting project status, financial performance, and risk to the Leadership Team. As Via moves from pilot deployments to commercial systems of $40M and greater, this role will lead delivery of the company’s first commercial-scale projects in new sectors.
This role operates with minimal oversight and is accountable for the delivery of all active engineering programs. It combines engineering depth with disciplined cost control, documentation, and vendor management, and works closely with the Finance and Purchasing teams on budgets, procurement, and spend control. Missed schedules, budget overruns, or incomplete engineering at this level directly affect customer commitments and company priorities. Key Responsibilities & Outputs

Project Planning & Execution

• Builds and owns project plans, schedules, budgets, and work breakdown structures for all active engineering programs

• Tracks progress using scheduling tools scaled to each project’s complexity and keeps work aligned with project goals

• Confirms engineering deliverables are complete before procurement or fabrication begins

• Identifies technical and schedule risks early and drives mitigation plans to closure

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Keeps customers, partners, and internal teams informed through regular status reporting, meeting minutes, and action logs

• Maintains Confluence project pages as the single source of truth for each project

• Addresses stakeholder concerns promptly and escalates issues to leadership when needed

• Analyzes project financial and schedule data and presents findings and recommendations to the Leadership Team

Budget, Cost & Vendor Management

• Works closely with the Finance and Purchasing teams to align project budgets, procurement activities, purchase orders, and payment approvals

• Sets up project accounting codes and budgets in coordination with FP&A

• Approves and controls committed spend through purchase orders in Quickbase, with invoice matching and payment approval in Bill.com

• Performs monthly reconciliation of Engineering and Internal Systems project spend using QuickBooks and Expensify data, including review of department credit card spend

• Tracks spending against budget and reports variances to leadership

• Reviews scopes of work for vendor RFPs, sets vendor selection criteria, and evaluates technology alternatives and value engineering opportunities

Engineering Documentation & Quality

• Manages project documentation, document transmittals, and design reviews using Google Workspace and Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)

• Reviews P&IDs, mechanical and fabrication drawings, and electrical documentation for internal and external deliverables

• Ensures deliverables meet quality standards and are completed on time

• Upholds a professional standard for all project documentation and communications

Technical Leadership & People Development

• Serves as technical partner to the Vice President of Engineering, providing independent evaluation of engineering decisions across suppliers, manufacturing, and project execution

• Supports strategic engineering initiatives and translates business priorities into clear, practical engineering direction

• Leads problem-solving across multidisciplinary teams, including process, mechanical, electrical, and controls

• Mentors engineering staff and promotes consistent project and engineering practices across the team

• Drives process improvements that make project delivery faster and more predictable

Qualifications & Characteristics

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical, mechanical, or another engineering discipline

• Minimum of 15 years of applicable professional experience, including 8+ years in project management, with at least 3 years managing multiple projects or programs concurrently

• Experience managing custom-engineered process equipment projects, such as skid-mounted systems or pilot plants, from design through fabrication, installation, and commissioning

• Demonstrated delivery of at least one capital project of $25M or greater, including EPC and contractor management, project controls, and commercial contract obligations

• Ability to read and review P&IDs, mechanical drawings, and electrical documentation

• Track record of managing project budgets, purchase orders, and vendor relationships

Preferred

• PMP or equivalent project management certification

• Experience in a startup or early commercialization environment

• Familiarity with Quickbase, Bill.com, QuickBooks, Expensify, Confluence, AutoCAD, and ACC

• Experience with vendor fabrication oversight and site commissioning

We Offer

• Competitive compensation package, including equity options

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Disability & Life Insurance

• 401(k)

• 12 weeks paid Family Leave

• Flexible PTO

• Paid time off for Company holidays

• Onsite gym

In addition to the base salary listed above, Via also offers an annual performance-based bonus and equity options as part of its compensation package. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. Via may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role!
At Via, we value and prioritize diversity of thought, access, and experiences, and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.