We have been exclusively retained by a venture-backed industrial technology company that is redefining how steel is made, to identify a Vice President of Technology to support them in the next phase of company growth. The organization has developed a first-of-its-kind, single-step metalmaking process that dramatically reduces emissions and production costs while improving scalability and product quality. Having successfully operated the world’s largest pilot system of its kind, the company is now transitioning from proof-of-concept into early-stage commercial deployment.

The Vice President of Technology role is an important part of this next phase. This is a hands-on, execution-oriented technology leadership position focused on real-world technology development and scale-up, not an academic or purely advisory role. The person in this seat will work closely with executive leadership to help guide technical direction while partnering side by side with engineering, operations, R&D, and safety teams as the company moves from pilot operations toward commercial deployment.

This is a direct-hire leadership role based at the company’s headquarters and operating facilities in the greater Houston area.

The Role You’ll Play

The Vice President of Technology will be responsible for supporting technology development and technical execution across R&D, engineering, and operations, with a primary focus on advancing and scaling a first-of-kind ironmaking process from pilot operations toward commercial deployment. This role requires deep technical credibility, comfort operating in plant environments, and the ability to move between strategic support and hands-on problem solving.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the development and execution of technology strategy in alignment with company objectives

• Partnering with R&D, engineering, and operations teams to drive technical progress and resolve challenges

• Contributing to pilot plant performance analysis, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement efforts

• Providing technical input on scale-up activities, including early-stage commercial design considerations

• Collaborating with safety and operations teams to promote safe, stable, and reliable plant performance

• Assisting in identifying technical risks, gaps, and opportunities for optimization

• Supporting cross-functional communication to ensure alignment across teams and initiatives

• Spending time in and around plant operations to observe performance, support troubleshooting, and stay closely connected to real-world system behavior

Background Profile

The ideal candidate is a technically rigorous, execution-driven leader with deep experience in industrial process technology and scale-up. This person brings credibility on the plant floor, strong engineering judgment, and the ability to contribute meaningfully in evolving, fast-moving technical environments.

Required experience and qualifications include:

• 10+ years of experience in heavy industry, manufacturing, energy, metals, or related industrial environments

• Strong foundation in process fundamentals, including heat and mass transfer and thermodynamics

• Experience contributing to the scale-up of pilot or first-of-kind technologies

• Hands-on experience supporting commissioning, startup, or optimization of industrial systems

• Comfort working directly in plant environments and collaborating closely with operations teams

• Strong technical judgment and problem-solving skills

• Experience working cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and leadership teams

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline

• Ability to translate technical concepts into practical, operable solutions

Preferred or highly valued experience includes:

• Prior experience in a startup or high-growth industrial technology company

• Exposure to steelmaking, ironmaking, aluminum, or adjacent metallurgical processes

• Experience interpreting modeling, simulation, or engineering analyses and applying insights to practical improvements

• Working knowledge of industrial instrumentation and control systems

• Ability to identify risks and challenges associated with scaling first-of-kind technologies