Director, Engineering

Annual Wage Range: $189,520.00 - $260,590.00

Benefits: U.S. Employee Benefits Summary (grace.com)

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

The Director of Engineering provides global leadership for engineering, capital project development, and technical governance across manufacturing and growth platforms. The role is accountable for engineering strategy, early-stage project development (FEL-0-2), standards, capital approval governance, and operational support, drawing on deep experience in process engineering, operations, and large-scale capital delivery. The position oversees worldwide engineering activities, manages significant capital budgets, and acts as a senior technical authority supporting strategic initiatives, M&A, and plant operations.

The preferred location for this role is Columbia, MD but candidates from Houston, TX will also be considered.

• •Lead, coach, and develop the central engineering organization through performance management, calibration, merit and bonus planning, and succession development.
• •Assemble and lead multidisciplinary teams to develop and advance process concepts from FEL through start-up and operation.
• •Provide technical leadership and mentoring to senior engineers and subject-matter experts.
• •Drive engineering capability development aligned with long-term operational and growth needs.

• •Provide executive engineering leadership for major capital projects from concept through commissioning and start-up.
• •Administer the global capital approval and stage-gate process to ensure alignment of scope, cost, schedule, and risk.
• •Lead and support strategic initiatives including expansions, greenfield facilities, and major maintenance projects.
• •Serve as engineering design authority for complex or high-risk facilities.

• •Establish, maintain, and enforce engineering standards, design guides, and execution practices.
• •Approve technical workflows, CARs, and gap analyses.
• •Lead technical assurance reviews, design reviews, and governance boards.
• •Ensure sound engineering principles are applied across development, scale-up, and operations.

• •Provide technical support to manufacturing sites to address safety, reliability, quality, and capacity challenges.
• •Apply deep unit operations knowledge to process troubleshooting and optimization.
• •Support EHS, compliance, and risk-reduction initiatives globally.
• •Act as escalation point for complex operational and technical issues.

Financial & Governance

• •Select and govern relationships with third-party engineering and EPC firms globally.
• •Support M&A activities through engineering and operational due diligence and integration.
• •Collaborate with R&D, Operations, EHS, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure alignment with business strategy.
• •Represent engineering leadership in alliances and external technical forums.

• •Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• •Life Insurance and Disability
• •Grace Wellness Program
• •Flexible Workplace
• •Retirement Plans
• •401(k) Company Match
• •Paid Vacation and Holidays
• •Parental Leave
• •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 positi