Pavement Technologies Technical Director

Job Family Group:

Sales and Business Development

Are you ready to do something remarkable? Ready to collaborate with an incredible team to solve problems that improve people’s lives? Meet Ingevity.

At Ingevity, we develop innovations that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Our products enable oil to flow better, crops to grow fuller, roads to last longer and ensure that the air we all breathe is cleaner.

Our people come from all different backgrounds and help reimagine new possibilities daily. We understand there is no challenge too big and no contribution too small. We seek out new ideas for tackling complex problems and celebrate achieving the improbable. We value each person’s unique talents and synergize them to create meaningful impact and sustainable solutions for our customers and our world.

Bold. Energetic. Ingenious. Genuine. If these qualities describe you, we’d love for you to join Ingevity!

Technical Director, Pavement Technologies (Pavement & Dispersants)

Are you ready to do something remarkable? Ready to collaborate with an incredible team to solve problems that improve people’s lives? Meet Ingevity.

At Ingevity, we develop innovations that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Our sustainably sourced products enable crops to grow fuller and roads to last longer and ensure that the air we all breathe is cleaner.

Our people come from all different backgrounds and help reimagine new possibilities daily. We understand there is no challenge too big and no contribution too small. We seek out new ideas for tackling complex problems and celebrate achieving the improbable. We value each person’s unique talents and synergize them to create meaningful impact and sustainable solutions for our customers and our world.

Bold. Energetic. Ingenious. Genuine . If these qualities describe you, we’d love for you to join Ingevity!

We are seeking a bold, experienced technical leader to elevate our global Pavement and Dispersants technical organization. You will lead innovation, product development, technical service, pilot plant operations, and our Charleston, Tulsa and European laboratories while building the capabilities, partnerships, and disciplined processes needed to accelerate growth. The successful candidate will bring a record of developing high-performing teams, advancing Open Innovation, and creating productive collaborations with customers, universities, research institutions, and external technology partners.

How you will impact Ingevity:

Reporting to the Global VP, Pavement Technologies, the Technical Director is a key member of the leadership team responsible for the global technical organization supporting the Pavement and Dispersants businesses. This leader will define technical strategy, build organizational capability, advance Open Innovation, and ensure technical resources are focused on the priorities that deliver the greatest customer and business value.

Key Responsibilities:

• •Lead a global, multi-site technical organization encompassing innovation, product development, applications, technical service, pilot plant operations, and the European laboratory.
• •Translate technical investments into commercial outcomes through effective prioritization, customer engagement, and successful product commercialization.
• •Build and lead an Open Innovation program that expands access to external knowledge, capabilities, and technologies through creative partnerships with customers, suppliers, universities, research institutions, and other outside organizations
• •Create a disciplined workforce planning and refine an established portfolio-management process to prioritize and resource innovation, customer projects, plant support, industry data generation, sales support, and technical service activities
• •Implement project-management frameworks and tools that clarify priorities, allocate work, track progress, and improve the timeliness and predictability of technical delivery.
• •Continuously improve technical workflows, governance, decision making, and project handoffs to reduce complexity, accelerate execution, and enable the team to focus on its highest-value work.
• •Assess the organization’s structure, skills, processes, tools, and external capabilities, and implement a roadmap that advances the technical organization to its next level of performance.
• •Collaborate with executives and leadership teams to drive the IngeviWay culture of “Build, Inspire, and Lead”, through advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion with integrity and ethical behavior.
• •Develop cohesive teams and capable leaders to build a world-class technical and innovation organization in the markets we serve.
• •Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle for pavement additives and AgChem dispersants, from concept and business case development through inception, field validation and scale-up.
• •Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to drive innovation and deliver high-quality, market-relevant solutions.
• •Build organizational capability through active employee development, succession planning, and clear accountability so technical teams have the skills, leadership, and resources needed to meet business demands.
• •Manage direct reports by providing timely, constructive feedback, coaching, performance assessment, and development opportunities.
• •Keep up to date on new developments in pavement additives and AgChem dispersants specifications, and related industry trends.
• •Ensure the Pavement Technologies innovation pipeline is robust and aligned with market insights, customer needs, agency specifications, contractor requirements, and emerging infrastructure trends.
• •Manage the departmental budget and allocate resources strategically to maximize customer and business impact, support sustainable growth, and maintain high-quality standards.

Defining the Growth Pathway (Vision and Strategy):

This role is intended for a genuine technology visionary. Beyond running an effective technical organization, this leader is expected to define where pavement and dispersant technology is going over the next decade and to position Ingevity to lead there.

• •Author and own a 5- to 10-year technology roadmap that connects long-horizon infrastructure, regulatory, and sustainability trends to a funded, staged portfolio of programs with clear decision points.
• •Lead the technical agenda for sustainability and decarbonization in pavements, including warm-mix and low-energy technologies, high-recycled-content (RAP/RAS) systems, bio-based and renewable feedstocks, durability and life-extension, and credible lifecycle/EPD substantiation.
• •Anticipate regulatory and specification change (agency specifications, performance-based testing, emissions, chemical registration) and shape it proactively through standards bodies, agency engagement, and published industry data.
• •Build and steward the intellectual property strategy - patent estate, trade secrets, freedom-to-operate, and defensive positioning - as a deliberate competitive asset rather than a by-product of projects.
• •Support inorganic growth by scouting, technically evaluating, and integrating acquisition, licensing, and venture targets in partnership with corporate development.
• •Modernize how the organization innovates, including high-throughput and statistically designed experimentation, predictive modeling, data management, and AI/digital tools that shorten development cycles.
• •Serve as a visible technical voice of Ingevity with customers, agencies, industry associations, and conferences, translating complex science into a compelling case for change.

What you need to succeed:

• •Advanced degree in chemistry or a related technical field required; PhD preferred, with 15+ years of relevant industrial experience in innovation, product development or applications technology.
• •Demonstrated experience building, leading, or materially advancing an effective Open Innovation program within a tech