Project Director

Location: Cape Town Green Point, Western Cape

Reporting to: Managing Director

Employment Type: Permanent | Full-time

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Project Director to provide strategic leadership and overall accountability for the successful delivery of a large-scale project. This is a senior, office-based leadership role responsible for overseeing all project workstreams, ensuring the project is delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.

Working closely with the Construction Director, who is responsible for on-site execution, the Project Director will provide strategic direction, governance, and oversight across engineering, procurement, construction, commercial, finance, and stakeholder management. The successful candidate will act as the primary representative for the project, engaging with executive leadership, investors, lenders, clients, and other key stakeholders to ensure the successful achievement of commercial and strategic objectives.

Purpose of the Role

The Project Director will provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and governance throughout the project lifecycle. This role is responsible for protecting the commercial, contractual, and reputational interests of the business while fostering a high-performing, collaborative project team.

While the Construction Director leads day-to-day site operations, the Project Director retains overall accountability for project strategy, governance, commercial performance, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and successful delivery through to commissioning and handover.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide clear, confident leadership across all project teams.
• Build and lead a high-performing senior leadership team across office and site functions.
• Foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and safety.
• Make timely, informed decisions and act as the final escalation point for critical project matters.
• Mentor, coach, and develop senior team members while identifying succession and capability needs.
• Chair leadership meetings and ensure effective communication across all workstreams.

Strategic Governance

• Define and oversee the overall project strategy, delivery model, and execution plan.
• Ensure alignment with business objectives and client expectations.
• Provide governance over project schedule, cost, risk, quality, and performance.
• Lead project steering committee and executive reporting meetings.
• Identify strategic risks early and implement effective mitigation plans.

Stakeholder & Client Management

• Serve as the senior point of contact for clients and key external stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with investors, regulators, contractors, and community stakeholders where applicable.
• Ensure proactive communication regarding project progress, risks, and changes.
• Represent the project professionally in executive and industry forums.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Take ownership of the overall commercial performance of the project.
• Oversee project budgets, forecasting, cost control, and profitability.
• Review and approve major commercial decisions, variations, and claims strategies.
• Ensure accurate project reporting and provide executive leadership with clear visibility of project performance.

Collaboration with the Construction Director

• Develop and maintain a strong partnership with the Construction Director.
• Clearly define responsibilities between office-based project leadership and on-site construction management.
• Support the Construction Director in resolving complex project and client issues.
• Ensure alignment between strategic objectives and on-site execution.

Experience

• Proven experience operating as a Project Director or in an equivalent senior leadership position on projects of similar scale and complexity.
• Demonstrated success leading large, multidisciplinary project teams.
• Previous site-based experience within major construction or infrastructure projects is highly advantageous.
• Extensive experience managing senior client relationships and executive stakeholders.
• Strong commercial and contractual management expertise.

Leadership Competencies

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire confidence and build trust.
• Decisive, resilient, and composed under pressure.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to simplify complex information for diverse audiences.
• Comfortable holding senior leaders accountable for performance and delivery.
• Ability to maintain momentum and drive results throughout long-term projects.

Skills

• Strategic planning and decision-making.
• Commercial and financial management.
• Stakeholder engagement and relationship management.
• Contract negotiation and dispute resolution.
• Risk management and governance.
• Project controls, including cost, schedule, quality, and reporting.
• Strong presentation and executive communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional registration or membership with a recognised industry body is advantageous.