Project & Construction Director, RAS Facility

A private investment group is seeking an experienced Project & Construction Director to lead the development and construction of a major greenfield RAS and fish-processing facility in Austria.

The successful candidate will take overall responsibility for the construction delivery of the project: procurement, construction, installation, commissioning and handover to operations.

This is a large-scale aquaculture production project, requiring the integration of complex industrial infrastructure, water and utility systems, specialized production technology and operational facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end engineering and construction of the greenfield RAS facility.
• Take ownership of project scope, CAPEX budget, schedule, quality and construction delivery.
• Manage design development, engineering coordination, permitting and regulatory approvals.
• Lead procurement and tendering for major construction and engineering packages.
• Manage EPC/EPCM partners, general contractors, engineering consultants, subcontractors and equipment suppliers.
• Oversee civil and structural works, utilities, water infrastructure, MEP systems and installation of specialized production equipment.
• Coordinate construction requirements with aquaculture technology and operational teams.
• Manage construction schedules, critical paths, costs, variations, claims and contractor performance.
• Ensure compliance with HSE, quality, technical and regulatory requirements.
• Lead project controls, reporting, risk management and change management.
• Oversee commissioning, testing, start-up and handover of the completed facility to operations.

Candidate Profile

• Extensive senior-level experience in greenfield construction and delivery of complex industrial or production facilities.
• Proven track record of managing projects from design and permitting through construction, commissioning and handover.
• Strong experience with EPC/EPCM projects, industrial construction and major CAPEX programmes.
• Experience in aquaculture, agriculture, food production, controlled-environment production, process industries or other technically complex production facilities is particularly relevant.
• Experience with projects involving complex utilities, water systems, process infrastructure or specialized production equipment is a strong advantage.
• Strong experience managing contractors, engineering partners, significant budgets and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong commercial and contractual capabilities.
• Hands-on leadership style with strong project and stakeholder-management skills.
• Fluent German and English are mandatory.