Chief Projects Officer at X-Force Engineering Limited

The Chief Projects Officer (CPO) is responsible for leading and overseeing the entire project delivery function of X-Force Engineering Limited. The role holder has overall responsibility for five operational units — HSE, Project Planning, QA/QC, Construction Operations, and Quantity Surveying — ensuring that all projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. The Chief Projects Officer provides strategic and operational oversight of the company's full project portfolio, drives delivery excellence across all sites, and ensures that X-Force Engineering consistently meets and exceeds client expectations on every engagement.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Project Management Office, directing the unit heads of HSE, Project Planning, QA/QC, Construction Operations, and Quantity Surveying to ensure cohesive, high-performance project delivery across all active and pipeline projects
• Establish and enforce project delivery standards, methodologies, and governance frameworks across the company's entire project portfolio, ensuring consistency, accountability, and compliance with contractual, regulatory, and client requirements
• Oversee project planning and scheduling across all projects, ensuring baseline programmes are realistic, resource-loaded, and regularly updated, with schedule and cost variances proactively identified and mitigated; maintain executive oversight of HSE performance across all sites, championing a zero-harm culture and enforcing compliance with Nigerian HSE regulations
• Ensure QA/QC systems and Inspection and Test Plans are effectively implemented on all projects, and oversee the Quantity Surveying function to ensure accurate cost planning, BOQ preparation, variation management, and final account settlements are handled in the company's commercial interest
• Provide direct executive oversight of the Construction Operations Unit, ensuring all site engineers and construction supervisors are deployed effectively across active project sites; monitor site progress against approved programmes, enforce construction methodology standards, review and approve method statements and inspection test plans, and intervene decisively where site performance, safety, or quality falls below required standards
• Ensure all construction activities across X-Force Engineering project sites comply fully with approved drawings, specifications, and contract requirements; oversee site mobilisation and demobilisation, plant and equipment deployment, subcontractor management, and material procurement in coordination with the relevant unit heads
• Serve as the senior client interface for all project delivery matters — managing escalations, resolving disputes, chairing progress meetings with key clients, and ensuring client satisfaction is maintained at the highest level across the portfolio
• Report to the Managing Director on overall project portfolio performance, resource utilisation, risk exposure, and financial delivery, and provide delivery capability input to support major business development and tender pursuits

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• B.Eng. or B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, or related field from an accredited institution — Mandatory
• M.Sc. in Project Management, Engineering Management, Construction Management, or MBA — Strongly Required at this level
• COREN Full Registration (R.Eng.) — Mandatory
• Membership of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) — Mandatory

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS & LICENCES

• COREN Full Registration (R.Eng.) — Mandatory
• NSE Corporate or Fellow Membership (MNSE / FNSE) — Mandatory
• PMP (Project Management Professional), PRINCE2 Practitioner, or Primavera P6 Professional Certification — Mandatory (at least one is required; possession of two or more is a strong advantage)
• NEBOSH or equivalent HSE qualification — Advantage
• FIDIC or NEC Contract Management Certification — Strong Advantage

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 10 to 15 years post-qualification experience in engineering project management, construction management, or infrastructure delivery, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership or head of department role
• Demonstrated experience managing and directing multi-disciplinary delivery teams encompassing project planners, HSE officers, QA/QC officers, site engineers, and quantity surveyors
• Extensive experience with Nigerian procurement regulations, FIDIC or NEC contract administration, and client management in both public and private sector engineering projects
• Strong background in construction operations and site management — including method statement review, site programme management, plant and subcontractor oversight, and quality inspection — with the technical credibility to provide authoritative direction to site engineers and construction supervisors across multiple concurrent project sites
• Track record of implementing project management systems, quality management frameworks, and HSE management plans across multiple simultaneous project sites

KEY COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

• Mastery of project management methodologies (PMI / PRINCE2) and delivery governance across multi-project portfolios
• Proficiency in Primavera P6 and/or MS Project for scheduling, resource loading, and programme management across concurrent projects
• Deep understanding of construction operations — site sequencing, method statements, plant and labour deployment, subcontractor management, and construction programme control across multiple live project sites
• Exceptional leadership and people management skills — able to direct, develop, and hold accountable heads of five distinct operational units
• Commercial acumen — contract administration, cost control, variation management, and claims handling
• Outstanding stakeholder and client management skills, with the confidence to represent the company at senior client and regulatory levels
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to make sound decisions under pressure across multiple concurrent project challenges.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

• Portfolio-level project delivery on time — schedule variance within ±10% across all active projects
• Portfolio cost performance — project cost variance within ±5% of approved budgets company-wide
• Zero lost-time injury (LTI) incidents attributable to HSE management failures across all project sites
• QA/QC compliance — zero major non-conformances at client or regulatory inspections; NCR close-out rate of 100% within agreed timeframes
• Client satisfaction score of 85% or above across all active projects per quarterly client survey
• Monthly project portfolio performance report submitted to the Managing Director by the 5th of every month