VP of Operations

Cambrian Innovation; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Collaborative environment

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Cambrian Innovation is seeking a VP of Industrial Wastewater Operations to provide executive leadership across multi-site wastewater treatment, ensuring compliant, safe, and reliable operations.

This role drives performance, regulatory compliance, cost management, and continuous improvement, while partnering with Sales, Engineering, EH&S, and regulators to advance Cambrian's water reuse and treatment initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (chemical, environmental, civil) or related field.
• 10+ years leading industrial wastewater operations, multi-site.
• Deep knowledge of high-strength wastewater treatment and relevant regulations (NPDES, permits).
• Proven ability to lead large teams, manage budgets, and drive improvements.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management with regulators and customers.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for multi-site industrial wastewater treatment systems.
• Ensure compliance with customer contracts, federal, state, and local environmental regulations (e.g., NPDES, pretreatment standards, industrial discharge permits).
• Develop and execute the industrial wastewater operations strategy, aligning capacity, technology, and resources with business growth, production plans, and sustainability goals.
• Direct and mentor a team of site supervisors and operators; establish clear performance expectations, KPIs, and development plans.
• Oversee operating and capital budgets for industrial wastewater assets; approve major expenditures, track financial performance, and drive cost optimization without compromising safety or compliance.
• Lead process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives, including treatment performance, chemical usage, energy efficiency, sludge management, and water reuse recycling.
• Partner with sales, engineering, project management, operational compliance, EH&S, and other stakeholders to review initial plant designs and operating costs during the proposal phase.
• Sponsor and reinforce a strong safety culture, ensuring robust procedures, training, and incident learning for operations and maintenance teams.
• Guide selection, design, and implementation of new treatment technologies, automation, and control systems in partnership with engineering and external vendors.
• Serve as primary executive point of contact for environmental regulators and key customers on industrial wastewater issues, including negotiations, site visits, and responses to inquiries.
• Provide executive reporting to senior leadership on compliance status, risk profile, capital needs, and performance against operational and sustainability targets

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder mgmt

Financial acumen

Regulatory compliance

Process safety

Cross-functional leadership

Multi-site operations

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

Job Title: VP of Industrial Wastewater Operations

FLSA Status: X Exempt Non-Exempt

Department: Operations

Location: Houston, TX

Direct Supervisor: COO

Indirect Supervisor: CEO

Basic Function

The Vice President of Industrial Wastewater Operations provides executive leadership for all industrial wastewater treatment and collection activities across the organization, ensuring safe, reliable, and fully compliant handling of process effluents and discharges. This role is accountable for multi-site operations performance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and continuous improvement in safety, quality, service, and cost.

Responsibilities and Typical Duties

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for multi-site industrial wastewater treatment systems, ensuring optimization of treatment processes that treat high-strength and specialty industrial effluents in compliance with customer contractual agreements, NPDES permits, and other regulatory requirements.
• Own compliance with customer contractual agreements, federal, state, and local environmental regulations (e.g., NPDES, pretreatment standards, industrial discharge permits), including reporting, inspections, and corrective action plans.
• Develop and execute the industrial wastewater operations strategy, aligning capacity, technology, and resources with business growth, production plans, and sustainability goals.
• Direct and mentor a team of site supervisors and operators; establish clear performance expectations, KPIs, and development plans.
• Oversee operating and capital budgets for industrial wastewater assets; approve major expenditures, track financial performance, and drive cost optimization without compromising safety or compliance.
• Lead process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives, including treatment performance, chemical usage, energy efficiency, sludge management, and water reuse recycling.
• Partner with sales, engineering, project management, operational compliance, EH&S, and other stakeholders to review initial plant designs and operating costs during the proposal phase.
• Sponsor and reinforce a strong safety culture, ensuring robust procedures, training, and incident learning for operations and maintenance teams.
• Guide selection, design, and implementation of new treatment technologies, automation, and control systems in partnership with engineering and external vendors.
• Serve as primary executive point of contact for environmental regulators and key customers on industrial wastewater issues, including negotiations, site visits, and responses to inquiries.
• Provide executive reporting to senior leadership on compliance status, risk profile, capital needs, and performance against operational and sustainability targets

Travel Required

• 10-30% to customer sites as needed

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (chemical, environmental, civil) or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in industrial wastewater operations, including multi-site responsibility.
• Deep knowledge of industrial high-strength wastewater treatment processes, regulations, and permitting for relevant industries (chemical, petrochemical, manufacturing, food and beverage, refining).
• Proven track record leading large operations teams, driving performance improvement, and managing significant operating and capital budgets.
• Strong understanding of process safety, environmental compliance, and risk management within industrial environments.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels and represent the company with regulators and customers.
• Strong stakeholder management: working with executives, sales, operations, finance, engineering, project management, clients, and external partners or contractors.
• Solid financial acumen: project and departmental budgeting, resource allocation, and reporting to senior leadership/board.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical and project trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.

About Cambrian

Cambrian Innovation is a commercial provider of distributed water reuse, energy recovery and wastewater treatment solutions. Cambrian’s pioneering WEPA is a pay-by-the-gallon contract for commercial and industrial customers globally, ensuring cost-effective and sustainable wastewater treatment, water reuse, and clean energy generation. As we continue our track record of excellence with purpose, and we expand to serve new industries and new geographies, we are dedicated to helping our employees develop rewarding and creative careers.

What You Can Expect from Cambrian

• A supportive, highly collaborative, team-oriented environment
• Opportunities to make a difference and be recognized.
• Growth and development with a leader in the industry
• Ability to work with bright, innovative, and forward-thinking colleagues.
• Competitive compensation and benefits