Director, Gas Infrastructure New Houston, TX

Hanwha Energy USA; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Hanwha Energy USA, headquartered in Houston, TX, seeks a Director, Gas Infrastructure to lead pipeline infrastructure diligence and provide the technical depth across gas transportation, storage, compression, and interconnection projects. You will drive evaluation from screening to investment handoff, translating data into actionable recommendations for development and acquisition.

The role requires deep gas pipelines experience, strong communication with senior executives, and ability to manage

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, chemical, civil, petroleum, electrical, or related engineering.
• 12–20 years of experience with a major pipeline/energy company or equivalent.
• Deep technical experience in natural gas pipelines and system operations.
• Experience evaluating pipeline projects for acquisition, investment, or expansion.
• Knowledge of gas-fired power generation and its integration with pipelines.
• Ability to interpret hydraulic studies, contracts, tariffs, schedules, and investment models.
• Strong written and verbal communication with senior executives and investment committees.

Responsibilities

• Lead pipeline infrastructure evaluations, assessing hydraulics, integrity, and operating risk.
• Review SCADA, cybersecurity interfaces, and reliability data for transmission systems.
• Coordinate environmental permitting and regulatory review with legal and permitting teams.
• Prepare technical assumptions and inputs for commercial negotiations and investment models.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across origination, engineering, finance, and legal.

Skills

Pipeline ops

Technical depth

Leadership

Communications

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

PE license (preferred)

Job description

Hanwha Energy USA, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is part of the Hanwha Group—a FORTUNE Global 300 company and one of South Korea’s most respected business enterprises. With over a decade of experience delivering high-quality, utility-scale energy projects across North America, Hanwha Energy USA has evolved into a comprehensive energy solutions provider. Our portfolio now spans utility-scale renewables, natural gas generation, retail electricity, and strategic partnerships that power America’s growing data center industry.

Our expertise covers the entire energy value chain—from project development and engineering to construction, operations, and maintenance. By integrating advanced technologies, proven processes, and strong partnerships, we deliver reliable, customized solutions that meet the dynamic needs of local energy markets.

Hanwha Energy USA is actively advancing strategic initiatives in natural gas generation and data center development, including hyperscaler solutions on both sides of the meter. We are proud to serve as the parent company of:

• Hanwha Renewables – specializing in utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
• Chariot Energy – providing retail electricity services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in deregulated markets

POSITION OVERVIEW

We are seeking a Director, Gas Infrastructure to add pipeline-specific technical depth to Hanwha Energy USA's growing natural gas infrastructure and generation initiatives. The Director will serve as the company's lead technical resource for the evaluation and advancement of pipeline transportation, storage, compression, interconnection, and other gas infrastructure opportunities. The role will also support technical due diligence for gas-fired generation and related infrastructure investments.

The Director will lead technical workstreams from early screening through due diligence, investment approval, contracting support, and project handoff. Responsibilities include assessing physical feasibility, system operations, integrity and reliability, capital requirements, schedule considerations, and execution risks, and translating those findings into actionable recommendations for development, investment, and operational decision‑making. For gas‑fired acquisitions and investments, the Director will focus on fuel supply infrastructure, pipeline connectivity, and related technical considerations while coordinating broader plant evaluations with engineering and external subject matter experts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Pipeline Infrastructure and System Operations

• Evaluate interstate and intrastate transmission pipelines, gathering systems, storage facilities, compression, metering, regulation, dehydration, and receipt and delivery interconnections.
• Assess pipeline hydraulics, pressure profiles, compression requirements, system bottlenecks, fuel use, redundancy, outage exposure, expansion capability, and practical gas deliverability under normal and peak conditions.
• Review pipeline operating data, maintenance practices, control‑room management, SCADA and telecommunications, cybersecurity interfaces, emergency response, operator qualification, and reliability risks.
• Evaluate integrity‑management programs, inline inspection and direct‑assessment results, corrosion control, anomaly remediation, class location and high‑consequence areas, maximum allowable operating pressure records, leak history, and remaining‑life considerations.
• Identify pipeline compliance, land, environmental, and permitting issues that may affect feasibility, cost, schedule, operation, expansion, or transfer, and coordinate detailed review with the Environmental Permitting Manager and legal counsel.

Commercial Support

• Partner directly with the Director, Gas Origination to screen and evaluate pipeline, lateral, storage, compression, and interconnection opportunities, including greenfield projects, brownfield expansions, joint ventures, and anchor‑shipper positions.
• Develop technical scopes, data‑room requests, site‑visit plans, management questions, and advisor work‑plans aligned with commercial priorities and transaction schedules.
• Test proposed capacity and deliverability against hydraulic studies, compressor availability, outage assumptions, receipt and delivery pressures, gas quality requirements, downstream constraints, tariff provisions, and operating requirements.
• Review route, design basis, constructability, cost estimates, schedule, procurement strategy, commissioning plans, and cost‑to‑complete exposure for pipeline additions and expansions; provide inputs to the Environmental Permitting Manager for permit strategy and schedule.
• Provide technical assumptions for commercial negotiations and investment models, including capacity, availability, fuel loss, operating cost, maintenance capital, expansion capital, schedule, and contingency.
• Support technical due diligence for acquisitions and investments involving simple‑cycle and combined‑cycle generation assets, with particular emphasis on fuel supply infrastructure, pipeline interfaces, pressure and gas‑quality requirements, storage, firm transportation, and no‑notice capability.
• Evaluate operating performance and asset condition, including heat rate, capacity, starts, equivalent operating hours, forced outages, degradation, major maintenance intervals, long‑term service agreements, spare‑parts strategy, and near‑term capital requirements.
• Coordinate specialist review of gas turbines, steam turbines, heat recovery steam generators, generators, balance‑of‑plant systems, electrical systems, water systems, and emissions controls when broader plant expertise is required.
• Identify environmental permit conditions, operating limits, compliance history, and monitoring obligations that affect asset capability or value, and coordinate detailed environmental review with the Environmental Permitting Manager.
• Complete a structured handoff of design and execution matters to the Sr. Director, Engineering and the applicable development, construction, or operations team.

Due Diligence and Investment Support

• Lead or coordinate independent technical due diligence for pipeline and gas infrastructure acquisitions, equity investments, transportation commitments, and strategic partnerships.
• Integrate engineering, operational, environmental, regulatory, and contractual findings into a clear view of asset condition, demonstrated capability, required capital, schedule, and execution risk.
• Translate findings into recommendations for valuation assumptions, transaction structure, closing conditions, representations and warranties, indemnities, capital plans, and post‑closing priorities.
• Direct and challenge independent engineers, integrity specialists, hydraulic consultants, environmental consultants, and other technical advisors so their work addresses the relevant commercial and investment questions.
• Prepare and present concise reports and investment materials for senior management, distinguishing confirmed facts, assumptions, sensitivities, unresolved issues, and recommended mitigations.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Partner with gas origination, engineering, environmental permitting, corporate strategy, business development, finance, legal, construction, operations, and asset‑management teams.
• Support commercial and legal teams in reviewing technical provisions of transportation, storage, interconnection, joint venture, acquisition, and transition‑services agreements.
• Maintain diligence procedures, operating benchmarks, lessons learned, and a qualified network of pipeline, integrity, hydraulic, and generation specialists.
• Support asset onboarding and handoff through prioritized risk registers, capital plans, document‑gap assessments, and clear ownership of open technical items.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, chemical, civil, petroleum, electrical, or a closely related engineering discipline from an accredited institution.
• Twelve to twenty years of progressively responsible experience with a major interstate or intrastate pipeline company, midstream operator, oil and gas exploration and production company, independent power producer, utility, original equipment manufacturer, or engineering advisory firm.
• Deep technical experience in natural gas pipelines and system operations, including hydraulics, compression, integrity management, operating reliability, and applicable PHMSA requirements.
• Experience evaluating pipeline projects or operating assets for acquisition, investment, expansion, commercial commitment, major capital approval, or independent engineering review.
• Working knowledge of gas‑fired power generation and the relationship among plant operating requirements, pipeline deliverability, transportation, storage, pressure, gas quality, and contingency supply.
• Ability to interpret hydraulic studies, engineering reports, operating data, inspection records, drawings, permits, tariffs, contracts, cost estimates, schedules, maintenance records, and investment‑model assumptions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting material risks and recommendations to senior executives and investment committees.
• Ability to manage multiple time‑sensitive workstreams and travel approximately 25% to 40%, including asset and project site visits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer license, advanced engineering degree, or MBA.
• Direct experience in pipeline operations, control‑room management, compression engineering, integrity management, system planning, storage operations, or major‑project development.
• Experience with interstate pipeline tariffs and operating requirements, gas transportation and storage contracts, and joint venture or project‑development agreements.
• Experience evaluating simple‑cycle or combined‑cycle power plants, including assets supporting large industrial or data center loads.
• Experience supporting mergers and acquisitions, representations and warranties diligence, lender or independent engineer reviews, and post‑acquisition integration.

Hanwha Energy USA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Hanwha Energy USA’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

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