Director, Global Customer Technology

W.R. Grace & Co.; Aiken (SC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Insurance and Disability

Grace Wellness Program

Flexible Workplace with maximum core‑h

Retirement Plans

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation and Holidays

Tuition Reimbursement

Company Donation Match Program

Job summary

Grace’s FCC Global Customer Technology team seeks a Director to lead a global group of Senior Principal Technologists, setting vision and priorities for customer technology. You will partner with Marketing, Commercial, R&D and regional service teams to apply Grace technology, deliver world-class technical service, and drive improvements across FCC operations, with up to 35% travel.

Requirements include 15+ years in refining/catalyst, strong leadership, and exceptional communication, with a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of refining, catalyst, petrochemical, or related process industry experience.
• Significant experience leading technical organizations and developing highly skilled technical professionals.
• Demonstrated expertise in refining process technology, catalyst applications, process optimization, troubleshooting, and customer-facing technical support.
• Strong business acumen and proven ability to connect technical solutions with commercial outcomes.
• Excellent communication, presentation, leadership, and influencing skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multiple regions, cultures, and functional organizations.
• Travel requirement up to 35% - domestic and international.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a global team of Senior Principal Technologists and technology subject matter experts.
• Establish the vision, priorities, and strategic direction for Global Customer Technology.
• Build organizational capability through mentoring, coaching, succession planning, and technical talent development.
• With Marketing and Commercial teams, drive alignment of customer technology strategies with business objectives and market opportunities.
• Ensure delivery of world-class technical service that maximizes customer value and strengthens long-term customer partnerships.
• Provide executive-level technical support to strategic customers and key industry accounts.
• Lead global efforts to identify, prioritize, and resolve unit challenges impacting customer operations.
• Serve as the organization's highest-level technical authority for customer application and process technology issues.
• Provide leadership in advanced troubleshooting, process optimization, startup support, shutdown support, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Guide development and implementation of technical methodologies, models, tools, and best practices used throughout the global technical service organization.
• Ensure technical rigor and consistency in customer recommendations and technology deployment activities.
• Provide oversight for critical catalyst and technology trials across the customer base.
• Ensure maintenance of critical trial protocols, governance processes, and best practices.
• Maintain strategic relationships with FCC licensors and other key industry organizations.
• Represent Grace at industry committees, conferences, workshops, and technical forums.
• Strengthen Grace's technical reputation through thought leadership, publication support, and customer engagement activities.
• Lead end-to-end coordination of technical service workshops and customer technology events globally.

Skills

Leadership experience

Communication

Presentation skills

Influencing

Process technology

Catalyst applications

Process optimization

Troubleshooting

Customer-facing support

Business acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related technical discipline

Job description

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Location: Aiken, SC, US, 29801 Lake Charles, LA, US, 70665 Columbia, MD, US, 21044 Pasadena, TX, US, 77507 Baltimore, MD, US, 21226 East Chicago, IN, US, 46312 South Haven, MI, US, 49090 Chicago, IL, US, 60629 Tyrone, PA, US, 16686 Norco, LA, US, 70079 Baton Rouge, LA, US, 70805 Chattanooga, TN, US, 37406

Grace, a Standard Industries company, is a leading global supplier of catalysts, engineered materials and fine chemicals. We provide innovative products, technologies and services which our customers use to manufacture everyday products like renewable fuels, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, cosmetics, food packaging, beer, edible oils and more. Our thousands of employees help shape a better future at our global headquarters in Columbia, MD and locations worldwide.

Job Description

Grace’s Performance Catalyst Technologies business is seeking a Director for our FCC Global Customer Technology (GCT) team. The GCT team is responsible for delivering best-in-class technical service that strengthens Grace's position as the industry's leading supplier of FCC catalyst and technical service. Our catalyst and additives technology, along with our technical service, enable refiners worldwide to maximize transportation fuels and petrochemical production while meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The Director role manages a team of highly experienced Senior Principal Technologists and serves as the senior technical leader for customer-facing technology activities focused primarily on the FCC market.

This individual provides strategic leadership for technical service excellence, FCC unit expertise, and troubleshooting support. The Director partners closely with Commercial, Marketing, R&D, and Regional Technical Service organizations to ensure successful application of Grace technology and assists customers in maximizing profitability of their FCC operations.

• Lead and develop a global team of Senior Principal Technologists and technology subject matter experts.
• Establish the vision, priorities, and strategic direction for Global Customer Technology.
• Build organizational capability through mentoring, coaching, succession planning, and technical talent development.
• With Marketing and Commercial teams, drive alignment of customer technology strategies with business objectives and market opportunities.
• Ensure delivery of world-class technical service that maximizes customer value and strengthens long-term customer partnerships.
• Provide executive-level technical support to strategic customers and key industry accounts.
• Lead global efforts to identify, prioritize, and resolve unit challenges impacting customer operations.
• Serve as the organization's highest-level technical authority for customer application and process technology issues.
• Provide leadership in advanced troubleshooting, process optimization, startup support, shutdown support, and performance improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities (2 of 2)

• Guide development and implementation of technical methodologies, models, tools, and best practices used throughout the global technical service organization.
• Ensure technical rigor and consistency in customer recommendations and technology deployment activities.
• Provide oversight for critical catalyst and technology trials across the customer base.
• Ensure maintenance of critical trial protocols, governance processes, and best practices.
• Maintain strategic relationships with FCC licensors and other key industry organizations.
• Represent Grace at industry committees, conferences, workshops, and technical forums.
• Strengthen Grace's technical reputation through thought leadership, publication support, and customer engagement activities.
• Lead end-to-end coordination of technical service workshops and customer technology events globally.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of refining, catalyst, petrochemical, or related process industry experience.
• Significant experience leading technical organizations and developing highly skilled technical professionals.
• Demonstrated expertise in refining process technology, catalyst applications, process optimization, troubleshooting, and customer-facing technical support.
• Strong business acumen and proven ability to connect technical solutions with commercial outcomes.
• Excellent communication, presentation, leadership, and influencing skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multiple regions, cultures, and functional organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and driving organizational change.
• Travel Requirement up to 35% - domestic and international.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Chemical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Experience engaging with refining licensors, major operating companies, and industry organizations.
• Experience leading global technical organizations.
• Demonstrated track record of technology commercialization and deployment.
• Strong understanding of catalyst technologies, refining operations, and customer technology service models.
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Grace Wellness Program
• Flexible Workplace with maximum overlap with the core hours
• Retirement Plans
• 401(k) Company Match
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Company Donation Match Program

Grace is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Grace via email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Grace. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Grace as a result of the referral or through other means.