Senior Director of CEPS

Talascend is currently seeking a Senior Director of CEPS (Cost, Estimating, Planning & Services) for a direct hire opportunity with our client in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Overview

The role involves leading a critical function within a newly established business unit focused on manufacturing rare earth alloys and magnets. The Senior Director will collaborate closely with corporate leadership and site-based teams to drive the successful execution of the capital project portfolio, delivering robust scope definition, cost estimation, scheduling, and risk analysis.

Responsibilities

• Comprehensive project leadership while working closely with corporate leadership teams.
• Direct all functional leads in CEPS on all project phases including engineering, procurement, construction, project management, and operations teams to define project scope, boundaries, interfaces.
• Develop preliminary estimates of capital projects in early stages (including bid estimation); update estimates and forecasts through the life cycle of each project.
• Incorporate escalation, Project Management allowance, contingency, and risk adjustments into overall cost estimates; perform scenario risk analysis and workshops.
• Develop and maintain project schedules; perform critical path analysis, schedule risk assessment.
• Monitor project execution vs plans: track cost, schedule, scope changes; forecasts, and report variances; suggest corrective actions.
• Support the stage/gate or phase-review process, preparing required deliverables.
• Create, maintain and improve estimating tools, databases and processes; keep benchmarking data and cost indices.
• Participate in risk workshops, contractor bid reviews, change management.
• Ensure compliance with standards, safety/environmental/regulatory requirements.
• Facilitate communication among stakeholders; ensure clarity of roles/interdependencies.
• Be an active leader in building a respectful, collaborative, mission-driven, unwavering culture.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or similar).
• Master’s Degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in capital projects, especially in Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Energy Industries.
• 10+ years of experience in cost estimating, project controls, schedule development & risk analysis.

Requirements

• Experience in both upstream & downstream.
• Experience with industry tools for estimation, benchmarking, scheduling, risk.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering projects within budget and schedule.
• Project planning / scheduling expertise; knowledge of critical path method, schedule risk analysis.
• Organizational skills; ability to manage multiple tasks / projects.
• Skilled in creating and delivering clear, concise executive-level briefings, presentations, and communications for internal and external communications.
• Analytical, strategic, and structured thinker with entrepreneurial drive.
• Proactive, resourceful, self-motivated, and possessing exemplary interpersonal skills.
• Ability to drive action and results within a matrixed organization across multiple sites.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience in manufacturing, mining, logistics, or industrial environments.
• Strong analytical skills; ability to work with quantitative data, forecasting, cost models.
• Excellent understanding of capital projects (cost, schedule, risk).
• Familiarity with cost estimating and planning tools / software.
• Good communication skills: able to explain estimates, plans, risks, trade-offs to varied audiences (engineers, management, contractors).
• Ability to work cross-functionally and deal with ambiguity / changes.

Shift

On-site leadership role based in Fort Worth, TX.