Director, Execution Excellence

The Director, Execution Excellence is responsible for driving global consistency, governance, compliance, and operational excellence across AEPW's project portfolio. The role serves as the organizational owner for project execution standards, contract performance management, audit readiness, HSE oversight, and compliance with AEPW's End-to-End (E2E) project development and execution framework.

Working closely with Program Leaders, Contract Performance Managers (CPMs), Legal, Finance, HSE, HRDD, and executive leadership, this role ensures projects are executed consistently, contract obligations are fulfilled, governance requirements are met, risks are proactively managed, and project outcomes are delivered efficiently and effectively.

While all CPMs report operationally into their respective Country or Thematic Programs, they maintain a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Director, Execution Excellence, who provides functional leadership, standards, tools, training, oversight, and quality assurance across the project portfolio globally.

The HSE Leader reports directly into this role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Global Project Execution Excellence

• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve AEPW's project execution framework.

• Ensure consistent application of the AEPW E2E process across all program areas.

• Develop standardized project management methodologies, templates, and tools.

• Identify execution risks, bottlenecks, and systemic issues.

• Promote a culture of execution discipline and accountability.

2. Leadership of Contract Performance Management Community

• Provide functional leadership to all CPMs.

• Establish standard operating procedures, reporting formats, and performance expectations.

• Conduct regular coordination meetings and capacity-building initiatives.

• Support CPMs in resolving project execution and contract performance issues.

• Capture and disseminate lessons learned across programs.

3. Project Planning, Scheduling, and Performance Tracking

• Lead development of consistent planning and scheduling standards.

• Work with CPMs and Program Leaders to develop project plans, Gantt charts, critical paths, and milestone schedules.

• Monitor project progress against approved milestones and deliverables.

• Establish portfolio-wide execution dashboards and reporting tools.

• Support corrective action and recovery planning for underperforming projects.

4. Contract Compliance and Delivery Assurance

• Ensure projects comply with contractual obligations, approved work plans, budgets, and reporting requirements.

• Oversee contract administration and performance management practices.

• Partner with Legal, Finance, and Program teams to resolve contract implementation issues.

• Ensure CPMs conduct periodic monitoring visits and contract performance reviews.

• Ensure contract performance findings are documented, tracked, escalated, and resolved.

• Support audit readiness and documentation requirements.

5. Audit, Assurance, and Corrective Action Management

• Oversee organizational response to project execution audit findings.

• Work closely with CPMs, Program Leaders, HSE, HRDD, Legal, and project teams to ensure timely closure of all audit findings and corrective actions.

• Establish and maintain a consistent global process for tracking findings, corrective actions, responsible owners, due dates, and closure status.

• Ensure effective management and closure of findings

• Monitor trends across audit findings and identify systemic improvement areas.

• Provide regular reporting to leadership on audit performance and corrective actions.

• Ensure lessons learned incorporated into project execution standards and procedures.

6. Governance and E2E Process Compliance

• Serve as the organizational owner for execution-related aspects of the E2E process.

• Monitor project compliance with governance requirements.

• Conduct stage-gate and readiness reviews.

• Identify process deviations and implement corrective actions.

• Maintain reporting systems providing visibility into E2E compliance.

7. Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Leadership

• Directly manage the HSE Leader.

• Ensure HSE requirements are embedded throughout the project lifecycle.

• Establish and maintain global HSE standards.

• Ensure required HSE self-assessments and reviews are completed.

• Monitor HSE performance, incidents, corrective actions, and lessons learned.

• Promote a strong culture of safety and responsible project delivery.

8. Portfolio Reporting and Executive Support

• Provide regular reporting to the VP, Global Programs & Circularity.

• Develop executive dashboards covering schedule adherence, milestone achievement, compliance, audit findings, risks, and HSE performance.

• Support reporting to executive leadership, Investment Committee, Governance Committee, and Board-level forums.

9. Continuous Improvement and Organizational Capability Building

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives.

• Identify opportunities for digitization, automation, and process optimization.

• Develop and deliver training programs related to project execution, compliance, contract management, audit readiness, scheduling, governance, HSE, and HRDD.

• Foster a community of practice across CPMs and Program Leaders.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, Environmental Management, or related discipline.

• Master's degree preferred.

• 12-15+ years of project execution, program management, infrastructure delivery, development finance, sustainability, or related experience.

• Experience managing complex, multi-country programs.

• Strong experience in governance, contract management, audit management, compliance, and project controls.

• Experience overseeing HSE and assurance programs.

• Experience working in matrixed international organizations.