Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Work Package Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Work Package Manager is the single-point accountable leader for one or more work packages within a major program or project. This person defines the work breakdown structure (WBS) at the package level, prepares and manages integrated schedules and budgets, ensures compliance with technical and contractual requirements, manages risks and change, coordinates subcontractors and suppliers, and delivers accepted outputs to the client or program integration team. The role requires hands-on management of resources, interfaces and deliverables across engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning phases.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Project Engineer with WBS or package-level experience
Planning Engineer / Scheduler
Construction or Technical Supervisor with project delivery exposure

Advancement To:

Program Manager / Delivery Manager
Project Director or Head of Project Controls
Engineering Manager or Operations Delivery Lead

Lateral Moves:

Contract / Commercial Manager
Integration Manager or Systems Engineering Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the planning, execution and handover of assigned work packages by developing detailed scope definitions, work breakdown structures (WBS), acceptance criteria and deliverable lists that align with the program baseline and contract requirements.
Prepare, validate and control the work package schedule using integrated master schedules (IMS) and tools such as Primavera P6 or MS Project, ensuring milestone alignment, critical path identification and timely recovery plans for slippage.
Establish and manage the work package budget and cost forecast through detailed cost estimating, budgeting, tracking and variance analysis; implement corrective actions to maintain cost performance and optimize cash flow.
Implement earned value management (EVM) practices at the work package level to report performance metrics (BCWS, BCWP, ACWP), explain variance causes and forecast cost-to-complete and estimate at completion (EAC).
Own change control for the work package: assess scope change requests, prepare impact assessments (cost, schedule, technical and contractual), obtain approvals and update baselines in collaboration with commercial and client teams.
Manage technical execution by coordinating engineering deliverables, discipline interfaces, design reviews and technical queries (RFIs), ensuring that engineering outputs meet quality, safety and regulatory requirements prior to procurement or construction.
Coordinate procurement and supply chain activities for the package, including preparation of procurement scopes, support to tender evaluation, issue of purchase orders, supplier/specialist integration and oversight of supplier performance and deliverables.
Supervise on-site construction and installation activities when applicable, including contractor mobilization, method statements, work permits, quality checks and daily progress reporting to ensure safe and compliant execution.
Identify, document and manage package-level risks and opportunities through a live risk register; develop mitigation, contingency and opportunity realization plans and escalate high-impact issues to program management.
Act as the primary interface with client representatives, program managers, discipline leads and stakeholders to communicate progress, negotiate schedule/cost changes and secure timely decisions and approvals.
Prepare and deliver periodic progress reports, dashboards and presentations for program leadership and clients that summarize schedule, cost, risk, quality, HSE and resource status with clear recommendations and actions.
Ensure configuration management and document control for all package artifacts, including drawings, specifications, test plans, certificates and as-built documentation; own turnover documentation and formal acceptance procedures.
Lead package-level commissioning, testing and turnover activities by coordinating test plans, FAT/SAT procedures, witness test events and remedial actions until formal client acceptance and closeout.
Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned, implementing best practice processes, and participating in post-project reviews to enhance future package delivery and reduce cost, schedule and quality risks.
Manage human and contractor resources for the work package: define roles and responsibilities, allocate resources, monitor productivity, mentor staff and coordinate subcontractor interfaces to ensure effective team performance.
Ensure health, safety and environmental (HSE) compliance within the package: review and approve HSE plans, conduct safety walkdowns, participate in incident investigations and enforce site-specific safety requirements.
Deliver quality assurance and control activities at the work package level: define inspection and test plans (ITPs), coordinate third-party inspections and track non-conformances through resolution and closure.
Drive commercial outcomes by supporting claims preparation, substantiating extensions of time and cost impacts, and collaborating with commercial teams to negotiate settlements and variations with clients and subcontractors.
Maintain tight coordination with project controls and planning functions to ensure accurate baseline maintenance, progress measurement, resource loading, earned value updates and alignment with program reporting cycles.
Facilitate technical and commercial reviews such as design reviews, HAZOPs, gate reviews and package acceptance reviews; prepare required documentation and lead cross-functional review meetings to close open actions.
Champion supplier and subcontractor performance management: set KPIs, monitor adherence to contractual milestones, enforce quality and safety standards and apply escalation when performance falls below expectations.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Support corporate governance activities such as audits, regulatory compliance checks and external inspections at the package level.
Assist in developing tender and bid responses by providing accurate work package scope, duration, resource and cost inputs for proposal models.
Provide mentorship and technical coaching to junior work package coordinators and engineers; encourage skills development and succession planning within the delivery team.
Participate in operational readiness and start-up planning to align handover activities, spare parts, training and maintenance documentation ahead of commissioning.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Work Package Management and full lifecycle delivery (scope, schedule, cost, quality, HSE).
Strong knowledge of Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) development and control.
Proficiency with scheduling and planning tools (Primavera P6, MS Project) and integrated master scheduling.
Project controls competency including Earned Value Management (EVM), forecasting and variance analysis.
Cost estimating, budgeting and financial forecasting experience at package level.
Contract and commercial awareness, including change control, claims and variations management.
Risk management methodology and active risk register ownership with mitigation planning.
Experience with procurement and subcontractor management, including solicitation, evaluation and oversight.
Familiarity with engineering deliverables, configuration management and document control systems.
Quality management practices, inspection & test plans (ITPs) and non-conformance resolution.
HSE management and compliance knowledge relevant to construction and engineering projects.
Hands-on experience with ERP or project financial systems (SAP, Oracle, Deltek) and advanced Excel skills.
Ability to prepare technical and commercial reports and present to senior stakeholders.
Knowledge of commissioning, testing and turnover processes for complex technical systems.

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills, capable of influencing across multi-disciplinary teams.
Leadership and people management with proven ability to lead distributed teams and contractors.
Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to create concise executive summaries and detailed technical reports.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to rapidly analyze issues, make decisions and implement corrective actions.
Organizational and time-management skills to balance competing priorities and tight delivery schedules.
Resilience and adaptability in dynamic, high-pressure project environments.
Collaborative team player who fosters cross-functional cooperation and drives consensus.
Attention to detail combined with a pragmatic, delivery-focused approach.
Conflict resolution and escalation management skills to resolve interface and contractual disputes.
Continuous improvement orientation with curiosity for process optimization and lessons learned capture.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Business or a related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Engineering Management, Project Management, MBA or equivalent.
Professional certifications such as PMP, Prince2 Practitioner, APMP, PMI-RMP or NEBOSH (as applicable).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical, Civil, Electrical or Systems Engineering
Construction Management or Project Management
Business Administration or Finance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5 to 12 years of progressive experience in project delivery, engineering or construction with at least 3 years in lead or supervisory delivery roles.

Preferred:

8+ years of experience on large, multi-discipline capital projects with demonstrable experience as a Work Package Manager, Package Lead, Project Controls Lead or similar.
Demonstrated track record managing budgets in the multi-million dollar range, subcontractor packages, and complex technical handovers.
Relevant industry experience (oil & gas, power, infrastructure, aerospace, defense, manufacturing) and experience working in regulated environments or major program deliveries.