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Plantible Foods, a vertically integrated biology company backed by Astanor Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Piva Capital, Kellogg's, and Vectr Ventures, is scaling from its first commercial facility to developing and executing the next generation of production facilities. The company is seeking a Director of Capital Projects to own the end-to-end execution of major capital builds.
This is a hands-on, accountability-driven role—not a design-only or advisory position. You will be responsible for turning defined facility needs into operating plants, bringing together Plantible's internal engineering, operations, development, finance, and technical teams with external engineers, contractors, vendors, and construction partners. You will own projects from Front-End Loading (FEL) through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handoff to Operations.
Key responsibilities include:
**Own the Build**: Manage scope, schedule, budget, risk, and execution strategy for major capital projects. This includes large-scale greenhouse and cultivation infrastructure (Upstream) and food-processing environments covering biomass handling, maceration, extraction, centrifugation, solid-liquid separation, filtration, purification, drying, and Clean-In-Place (CIP) systems (Downstream). Build and maintain integrated project plans from FEL through commissioning. Know the critical path, identify slippage, and drive recovery. Establish clear project governance, decision rights, stage gates, and accountability across internal and external teams. Surface problems early with leadership decisions and tradeoffs, not surprises.
**Turn Engineering into an Executable Facility**: Partner with Plantible's engineering and technical leaders to translate process and operational requirements into buildable facility designs. Manage interfaces between process, agricultural, mechanical, civil, structural, electrical, controls, utilities, and site infrastructure. Lead external engineering, EPC/EPCM, construction, and specialty partners. Challenge scope, design assumptions, and unnecessary complexity before they become expensive construction decisions. Ensure lessons from previous designs become standards for future facilities.
**Control the Project**: Own project cost forecasts, commitments, contingency, schedule, and change-control processes. Partner with Finance to translate project forecasts and schedules into accurate cash-flow planning. Understand what has been spent, committed, remains at risk, and where the project is expected to finish. Evaluate changes based on cost, schedule, technical, and operational impact. Establish reporting that tells leadership what they need to know to make decisions.
**Build It**: Develop procurement and contracting strategies for major equipment and construction packages. Identify long-lead equipment before it becomes the critical path. Hold engineering firms, contractors, and vendors accountable for scope, schedule, quality, and performance. Oversee construction execution and drive resolution of RFIs, field changes, design conflicts, and contractor issues. Spend time where the project is happening—this is not a conference-room role. Promote strong construction safety, process safety, hygienic design, and quality culture.
**Start It Up**: Own the transition from construction through mechanical completion, commissioning, startup, and operational handoff. Bring Operations into the project early enough to build something that can actually be operated and maintained. Establish commissioning and turnover plans before construction is finished. Capture lessons learned to inform future projects.
**Requirements**
The posting indicates qualifications are expected but the specific requirements section was omitted from the excerpt provided. Candidates are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet all listed qualifications, as the company considers a range of candidates for current and upcoming roles.
