Program Manager

CEL Critical Power – Powering the AI Revolution:

CEL has an opportunity for you to join our rapidly growing US business, where you will have an opportunity to make a significant impact on our immediate and long-term success of our Supply Chain function. 

CEL is an Irish based 40-year manufacturer, distributor and exporter of electrical switchgear and controls, and related products and services, now focused on the supplying the global Data Centre industry.

Operating from our newly acquired 400,000ft2 facility in Williamsburg, Virginia, we aim to double in size each year for the next three years.

CEL is led by a hard-working team who follow traditional working practices, value collaboration, continuous improvement, excellence in quality and commercial curiosity; this is your chance to develop your career as part of a dynamic US SMT who will shape the future of our business.

We strongly believe that seeking out and hiring the most diverse talent and creating an inclusive workplace is the way to create an exceptional and innovative workplace for our employees which will deliver excellence in service to our customers.

We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experience to join this multicultural, hard-working team.

Position Overview:

Reporting to the VP Projects, we are seeking a highly organized Program Manager to lead a portfolio of customer-facing projects focused on the professional delivery of electrical switchgear projects for our data-centre clients. You will manage a team of Project Managers, ensuring that each project stream is executed efficiently, aligned with client expectations and delivered to the highest standards of quality, safety and financial performance. Developing and maintaining excellent client relationships and acting as a point of escalation is a critical aspect of the role.  You will require a strong technical understanding of Project Management Systems and a very high degree of financial and commercial acumen.

What You'll Be Doing:

Leadership & Performance:

• Lead, mentor and support a team of Project Managers, providing tactical direction and strong daily leadership to ensure they can execute in a professional and consistent manner.
• Ensure projects are being implemented in line with our Project Management Process.
• Balance your customers program goals with company objectives to ensure common project alignment.

• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration and excellence.

• Conduct regular performance reviews and support professional development.
• Facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and professional development across the team.

Financial & Project Performance:

• Ensure rigorous financial and commercial management through all phases of the project lifecycle.
• Review project performance, verifying financial targets are achieved with rational to explain as required.
• Use early warning KPIs to identify a project, or aspect therein, which is not achieving its goals.
• Develop mitigation strategies to correct non-performing projects with peer teams as required.
• Monitor general project KPI’s, ensuring negative trends are monitored and corrected as required.
• Provide accurate reports which provide clarity on alignment of performance to the overall project.

Project Delivery:

• Own the delivery of a portfolio of customer projects from initiation through to completion.
• Ensure alignment of all project streams with overall program objectives, timelines and budgets.
• Monitor interdependence, risks and resource allocation across projects.
• Ensure adherence to project scope, timelines, budgets and quality standards.
• Implement robust project governance, risk management and reporting structures.
• Provide clear, accurate and regular reports on all active projects.

Risk Management:

• Proactively identify, monitor and mitigate project risks and issues (internal or external).
• Develop mitigation strategies and escalate to ensure project momentum and successful outcomes.
• Utilise regular Lessons Learned activities to ensure identified risks are not repeated.

Client Engagement:

• Act as a senior point of contact, managing escalations and proactively resolving issues impacting delivery.
• Maintain strong client relationships, manage expectations, ensure satisfaction and repeat business.
• Ability to travel in the region of 30% - 40% of standard hours.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic and analytical thinker with a hands-on, results-driven mindset.
• Strong leadership presence and ability to inspire cross-functional teams.
• Financially and commercially astute with sound business judgment.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management abilities.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and resilience.

Must-Have Skills, Experience, and Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Project Management or related field.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, Agile) is essential.
• 7+ years of experience in program management, ideally in electrical systems or industrial infrastructure.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and leading project teams.
• Familiarity with electrical switchgear systems and data center environments is a plus.