VP OF ENGINEERING

Our client is a VC-backed clean tech startup based in Massachusetts.

Position Summary

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Vice President of Engineering to lead the engineering team in developing an industrial wastewater treatment product specifically designed to remove PFAS from the water stream. As the Vice President of Engineering, you will be responsible for overseeing the electrochemical process, mechanical design, system design, hardware, controls, civil engineering, and field engineering aspects of our product development process. Your expertise and leadership will play a crucial role in driving innovation, ensuring the highest level of product quality, and supporting the growth and success of company. This role reports to the COO.

Responsibilities

1. Team Leadership and Management:

   • Provide strategic guidance and direction to the engineering team, ensuring alignment with the company’s goals and objectives.
   • Foster a collaborative and high-performance engineering culture, promoting creativity, knowledge sharing, and professional development.
   • Able to oversee development of standard processes and implement controls, workflows, and checks in place as the engineering team grows.
   • Manage and mentor a multidisciplinary team of environmental, mechanical, chemical engineers, controls engineers, and civil engineers, fostering an environment of innovation and excellence.
   • Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular performance evaluations, and provide constructive feedback to enhance team performance.
   • Responsible and accountable for weekly and monthly reports on progress to Key Performance Indicators. Participate in daily Stand Up as a leader and key member of the management team.

2. Product Development and Design:

   • Lead the overall product development process, from concept to commercialization, ensuring adherence to project timelines, budget, and quality standards.
   • Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Research and Innovation, Product, Commercial, Supply Chain, Quality, Marketing, and Finance, to drive efficient and effective product development cycles.
   • Provide technical expertise and guidance in the design, testing, and validation of the industrial wastewater treatment product, focusing on PFAS removal. Ability to concisely and clearly communicate status internally and externally.
   • Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, regulations, and environmental guidelines throughout the product development lifecycle.

3. Engineering Excellence and Innovation:

   • Experience with implementation of a company’s first Product Lifecycle Management software and successful workflow development to meet needs of company size and management of the process.
   • Responsible and accountable for engineering team outputs and ensuring deliverables are accurate and complete.
   • Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the engineering team, implementing best practices, methodologies, value engineering, Design for Manufacturability, and tools to enhance efficiency and productivity.
   • Stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and advancements in industrial water treatment, incorporating relevant innovations into product design and development. Foster a culture of innovation, encouraging creative problem-solving, propensity for progress and solutions, and facilitating the exploration of new approaches and solutions.

4. Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

   • Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including Sales, Marketing, and Operations, to understand customer needs, market dynamics, and competitive landscape, translating them into engineering requirements.
   • Engage with external partners, vendors, contract manufacturers, and experts to leverage their knowledge and resources, fostering strategic collaborations to drive product advancements and market expansion.
   • Represent company in industry conferences, events, and technical forums, showcasing our expertise in industrial water treatment and PFAS destruction, professionally representing the company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field. Advanced degree
  welcome.
• Proven experience (10+ years) in engineering leadership roles, preferably in the
  development of industrial water treatment systems or hardware related large scale construction products.
• Strong background in mechanical, systems engineering, controls engineering, or civil engineering, with a comprehensive understanding of multidisciplinary engineering principles, including working knowledge of HMIs, PLCs, and machine learning.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully leading and managing engineering teams, fostering innovation, and driving results.
• Expertise in product development processes, including design, testing, validation, and manufacturing.
• Familiarity with electrochemical processes and water treatment technologies is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of PFAS and water contaminants preferred.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and environmental standards related to industrial water treatment and PFAS removal is advantageous.

Physical Requirements

Regularly required to walk, stand, sit, talk, and hear; operate objects, tools, or controls; pull samples in an industrial setting; pick up paper, files, pick up components, and other common office objects. Ability to view computer screens and work with details for extended periods of time. Work to be performed in a lab environment, customer sites and field sites (indoors and outdoors), therefore proper safety protocols must be followed.

Location

This is a hybrid role local to Mansfield MA with 3-4 days a week in office (4 days a week in person unless traveling or off site meetings).

APPLY HERE