Commercial Director, Controls & Automation

Revak Keene Turbomachinery•La Porte, TX

About The Position

The Commercial Director, Controls & Automation will lead the expansion of FOX’s established controls and automation capabilities into the U.S. market. Drawing on FOX’s global organization and SSE controls business, the director will develop and execute U.S. commercial strategy, build a domestic customer and opportunity pipeline, establish strategic relationships, and secure projects across oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, and industrial markets. The role requires commercial leadership, an established U.S. industry network, and technical expertise sufficient to position FOX and SSE capabilities with customers. The director will identify target customers, facilities, market segments, and applications; develop new customer relationships and opportunities through FOX’s existing U.S. turbomachinery and aftermarket base; and lead strategic customer engagement from opportunity identification through proposals, negotiations, and contract award. The role will serve as the commercial bridge between U.S. customers and internationally based FOX/SSE technical resources, and will support the handoff of awarded work into engineering and execution while maintaining senior customer relationships. The position is full-time and exempt, based in the United States, with frequent travel throughout the United States and internationally as required. Work may involve exposure to industrial and nuclear environments, facility visits and job-site walks, heat, stairs, and PPE. Extended sitting, standing, climbing, bending, and walking may be required, with occasional extended hours based on operational or customer needs.

Requirements

At least 10 years of relevant industry experience, including significant experience in technical sales, business development, commercial leadership, controls, automation, or turbomachinery aftermarket services.
Demonstrated success developing new business and penetrating U.S. markets in oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, or industrial sectors.
Strong existing network of U.S. customer and industry relationships.
Proven ability to develop business in a market where an organization or product line does not yet have a significant established commercial presence.
Strong technical understanding of industrial control systems, automation, instrumentation, and rotating-equipment applications.
Experience with control systems for centrifugal compressors, gas turbines, steam turbines, compressor drivers, and associated auxiliary systems.
Working knowledge of control-system retrofits and modernization, PLC and DCS platforms, instrumentation, machinery protection, condition monitoring, and digital monitoring technologies.
Experience working with OEMs, independent service providers, controls integrators, or turbomachinery aftermarket organizations.
Demonstrated success managing complex, high-value technical sales cycles from opportunity identification through contract execution.
Experience negotiating pricing, contractual terms, master agreements, and complex technical-commercial contracts.
Ability to coordinate effectively with internationally based engineering and technical teams.
Strong financial and commercial acumen, including understanding of pricing, margins, project risk, and profitability.
Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
Ability to operate independently and build a new business pipeline with limited existing market infrastructure.
Proficiency with CRM platforms, sales forecasting tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
Understanding of union labor environments and project staffing dynamics.
Ability and willingness to travel frequently throughout the United States and internationally as required.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the U.S. market-entry and growth strategy for FOX’s Controls & Automation business.
Build a sustainable domestic pipeline for controls, automation, instrumentation, monitoring, and modernization projects.
Introduce and position FOX controls capabilities within U.S. oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, and industrial markets.
Identify priority customers, facilities, market segments, and applications where FOX can establish an immediate or differentiated market position.
Develop new customer relationships and leverage FOX’s existing U.S. turbomachinery and aftermarket customer base to generate controls opportunities.
Establish relationships with decision-makers across engineering, operations, maintenance, reliability, procurement, project management, and executive leadership.
Drive opportunities involving control-system upgrades and retrofits, compressor and turbine controls, instrumentation, automation, machinery protection, monitoring systems, and digital solutions.
Serve as the primary commercial bridge between U.S. customers and FOX/SSE technical resources located internationally.
Identify U.S.-specific customer requirements, industry expectations, competitive dynamics, and technical or commercial barriers to market entry.
Lead strategic customer engagement from initial opportunity identification through proposal development, negotiation, and contract award.
Develop account plans, capture strategies, and value propositions for major opportunities and strategic customers.
Lead or oversee technical and commercial proposal development with U.S. and international engineering and operations teams.
Provide commercial leadership on pricing, margins, contractual terms, deal structure, and commercial risk.
Negotiate complex contracts, master service agreements, frame agreements, and long-term service arrangements.
Maintain accountability for the U.S. Controls & Automation opportunity pipeline, bookings forecast, revenue outlook, and commercial reporting.
Develop market intelligence regarding competitors, installed equipment, customer investment plans, technology trends, and potential acquisition or partnership opportunities.
Support development of U.S.-specific marketing materials, case studies, technical presentations, and commercial messaging.
Represent FOX at customer meetings, industry conferences, trade shows, and other U.S. business development activities.
Support transition of awarded projects from commercial development into engineering and execution while maintaining senior-level customer relationships.
Assist leadership in developing longer-term U.S. commercial and operational infrastructure for continued Controls & Automation business growth.