Jorge Rodriguez

About Jorge Rodriguez

Engineering and Capital Projects leader with 17+ years of experience delivering large-scale manufacturing programs across North America, Latin America, and the Middle East. I specialize in operational readiness, commissioning, and capital project execution for complex industrial environments, including packaging, food & beverage, and aluminum manufacturing.Currently contributing to the launch of Novelis’ $4.2B greenfield aluminum recycling and rolling facility in Alabama—one of the largest industrial investments in North America—leading operational readiness and commissioning integration across multiple production areas.Throughout my career with Tetra Pak, Mondelēz, and Novelis, I have led cross-functional programs that connect engineering, construction, and operations to enable successful plant startups. My work has included developing global playbooks, implementing Stage Gate governance, and embedding TPM and WCM principles to accelerate ramp-up performance and long-term asset reliability.I’m particularly passionate about bridging corporate strategy with shop floor execution—building the systems, capabilities, and leadership alignment required to deliver complex capital projects safely, on schedule, and with strong operational performance from day one.Operational Readiness | Early Equipment Management (EEM)| TPM & WCM | Greenfield/Brownfield Project Execution | CapEx Management | FAT/SAT | PMO & Governance | Risk Management | Cross-functional Leadership | Manufacturing Strategy | Engineering Project Coaching

Experience

1. Early Equipment Management (Eem) Manager - Global Capex Pmo (Corporate Hq - Global Role)

   Novelis

   Jan 2023 — Present · Atlanta, GA, US

   Leading Operational Readiness and Commissioning strategy for Bay Minette, a flagship $4.1B USD greenfield project—the largest single investment in Novelis’ history and one of the most advanced aluminum rolling and recycling facilities in North America.Spearheaded the development of the Project Management Playbook, standardizing global project execution methodology with a strong emphasis on Early Equipment Management (EEM) and Operational Readiness (OR), including Commissioning, Qualification, and Start-Up – enabling vertical startups across global sites.Led the global design and deployment of the Stage Gate governance process for CapEx projects >$3M USD, defining functional engagement, go/no-go criteria, and SteerCo decision-making frameworks. Trained over 130 professionals across all Novelis regions and supported on-site pilot launches in manufacturing plants.Supported Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) and enhanced execution visibility through Power BI dashboards, improving risk management and cross-functional alignment on critical path activities.Conducted strategic assessments of major capital projects ($100M–$2.5B), identifying technical and governance risks across North America. Delivered formal recommendations to regional leadership and the global PMO.Prepared executive portfolio reports on Novelis’ largest initiatives and competitor benchmarking, presented directly to the Chairman and global leadership team, informing investment strategy and capital allocation.

Education

• Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro

  Bachelor's degree, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering

  2003 — 2008