Job Description
The Functional Director is accountable for providing strategic leadership, governance, and functional excellence across site. The role ensures that the function delivers safe, compliant, reliable, and competitive performance, aligned with Shell's global standards, site priorities, and long-term business objectives.
This role acts as the single point of accountability for functional outcomes at site level and represents the function in the site leadership team.
Key Accountabilities
1. HSSE & Risk Leadership
- Demonstrate visible safety leadership
- Ensure full compliance with HSSE, Process Safety, and regulatory requirements
- Own functional risk management, assurance, and audit closure
- Intervene decisively to stop unsafe work and manage high-risk activities
2. Functional Strategy & Governance
- Translate global and regional functional strategies into site-specific execution plans
- Ensure adherence to Shell global standards, controls, and Management System (OMS)
- Own functional performance frameworks, KPIs, and assurance processes
- Act as functional authority for site, including approvals and escalations
3. Operational Excellence & Value Delivery
- Drive safe, reliable, and cost-effective delivery of functional outcomes
- Identify and realize continuous improvement, optimization, and value opportunities
- Balance short-term operational demands with long-term asset and capability needs
- Support production, reliability, and margin improvement objectives
4. People & Capability Leadership
- Build a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive team
- Develop succession plans and strengthen critical skill pipelines
- Coach and mentor managers and senior professionals
- Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and constructive challenge
5. Stakeholder & Interface Management
- Partner closely with Site General Manager and Site Leadership Team , Other Functional Directors, Regional and Global Functional Leader, Regulators, contractors, and JV partners (where applicable)
- Represent site in regional/global functional forums
6. Change & Transformation
- Lead functional transformation initiatives (digitalization, new ways of working, simplification)
- Support major site changes including turnarounds, capital projects, and new technologies
- Ensure effective change management and workforce engagement
Dimensions
- Accountable for functional performance across integrated sites
- Manages multi-disciplinary teams operating in a high-risk industrial environment
- Influences significant OPEX/CAPEX decisions through functional authority
Skills & Experience Requirements
- Degree in Engineering, Science, or related discipline
- At least 15 years of extensive leadership experience in refinery, petrochemical, or complex manufacturing environments
- Proven track record in HSSE leadership and operational excellence
- Strong understanding of Shell Management System and functional governance (or equivalent)
- Ability to operate effectively at site, regional, and enterprise levels
- Credibility to challenge, influence, and make high-impact decisions
Leadership Expectations
- Leads with courage, care, and curiosity
- Models Shell leadership behaviors and values
- Drives performance while maintaining strong people engagement
- Demonstrates enterprise thinking beyond functional silos
