Manager Strategic Business Projects- Battery Materials

Cabot’s Battery Materials business is at the forefront of the rapidly expanding global energy storage sector. As a trusted industry leader in conductive additives and advanced material solutions, Cabot partners with top battery manufacturers to power the next generation of electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and high-performance applications. Our innovations enable higher battery efficiency, improved performance, and more sustainable technologies, making Cabot a key contributor to the global energy transition.

In the role of Manager Strategic Business Projects, Battery Materials  you will support the successful execution of multiple high-impact organic and inorganic growth projects within the dynamic and fast-evolving Battery Materials market. You will develop, assess, and recommend strategic pathways that align with business priorities and ensure timely execution. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you will coordinate project activities, track progress against key milestones, and act as a business advocate throughout the entire project lifecycle. You will keep leadership informed through clear and consistent updates, incorporate strategic feedback, and adjust execution plans as needed in response to rapidly changing market conditions.

For this role, Cabot is seeking a professional who has broad experience managing complex projects and is interested and capable of learning the nuances of the Battery Material industry on-the-job.

This role is based at the Billerica, MA location, but is eligible to participate in the current Hybrid Working Arrangement program (Monday/Friday remote and Tuesday-Thursday in office).

Strategic Direction-Setting for New Organic and Inorganic Projects

• Collaborates with cross-functional partners (e.g., commercial, manufacturing, engineering, finance, R&D, corporate strategy, environmental) to scope emerging Battery Materials projects by assessing complex trade-offs and developing strategic options and execution paths
• Aligns with line-management to recommend a preferred path forward to business unit leadership for further consideration

Project Management of New and Ongoing Organic and Inorganic Projects

• Serves as the Business Project Manager for cross-functional project teams (e.g., commercial, manufacturing, engineering, finance, R&D, corporate strategy, environmental); acts as the hub of all project activity and the single source of truth for project strategy and execution paths.
• Applies disciplined project management practices and influencing skills to enforce accountability and drive timely and high-quality project execution.
• Adapts project strategy and plan throughout project lifecycle, in response to fast-moving market dynamics and business needs, to ensure scope and schedule remain aligned with business objectives.
• Facilitates regular cross-functional team meetings to assess progress and identify opportunities, challenges, and risks – solves day-to-day problems and elevates critical issues to line-management for guidance.
• Organizes and leads regular steering committee reviews, with support from line-management, to update leadership on project progress and share critical opportunities, challenges, and/or risks that require feedback and direction-setting.
• Collaborates with line-management and project team to prepare deliverables for major project milestone reviews (e.g., Phase-Gate reviews)
• Designs and executes communication plans to ensure consistent stakeholder engagement, transparency, and alignment throughout the project lifecycle.

Business Case Ownership

• Ensures that each project maintains an attractive and viable business case.
• Collaborates with Business Finance to define key project assumptions that enable scenario-driven financial assessments.
• Monitors project costs, estimates, and forecasts and collaborates with cross-functional teams to drive efficient use of resources.
• Elevates major cost and business case challenges to line-management and Steering Committee for feedback and direction – adapts project strategy and plan as needed in response to feedback.

Project Execution and Coordination

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and manage cross-functional teams and projects with complex interdependencies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects in parallel and balance competing priorities.
• Experience navigating projects with multiple and diverse stakeholders.

Influencing, Collaboration, and Communication

• Ability to effectively communicate needs and engage resources without direct authority.
• Ability to build relationships across functions to gain alignment and support.
• Experience providing direct and constructive feedback/guidance to cross-functional project teams members, to address issues and solve problems.
• Ability to prepare and deliver presentations tailored to the audience and context.
• Ability to manage challenging conversations with professionalism and clarity.

Analytical and Creative Problem Solving

• Demonstrated ability to use structured thinking and develop ad-hoc quantitative assessments to analyze problems and propose practical and innovative solutions.
• Ability to develop visualizations and summaries that highlight key analytical insights and trade-offs.

Financial Awareness and Data Interpretation

• Has introductory-level knowledge and understanding of financial principles, assessments, and statements (e.g., discounted cash flow, internal rate of return, profit and loss statements, etc.) and is able to identify and gather relevant financial and operational data from internal and external sources.
• Willing and interested in building financial acumen through collaboration with business finance and line-management.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor/University degree in Engineering or related science.
• Master’s Degree in Business Administration (or similar) a plus.
• 8+ years of professional experience in a complex multi-national company.
• Experience within a business activity (e.g., Financial Management, Operations, Marketing, Project Management, etc.) or technical background with recent business degree preferred.
• Experience working for a business-to-business manufacturing firm preferred.
• Experience within the Battery Material industry is not required – must be interested and capable of learning on-the-job.

How We’ll Support Your Success:

• The pay range for this role is from $148,200 – $215,000. The actual compensation offered to the successful candidate will depend on the candidate's skill, qualifications, experience and location. In addition, all positions are eligible for health benefits on the first day of employment, 401K savings plans, vision, dental and annual bonus based on company performance.
• Dynamic, Flexible, Hard Working, Team Environment – We are busy, collaborative, growing, and we are doing really meaningful work.
• Hybrid Work Environment – The autonomy to both work from home 2 days a week and develop/sustain colleague relationships in the office 3 days a week.
• Benefits, Vacation, Etc. – We offer a competitive package of benefits.
• Feedback – we are committed to giving and receiving feedback in a direct and open fashion.
• Support – you are part of a team and deserve to feel encouraged and supported. You will be part of a team that cares about you personally and professionally. Our success depends on your success.