Director Of Innovation & Operational Technology

Gulf Coast Authority•Houston, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Apply for the opportunity to join our team dedicated to preserving and protecting Texas waters. The Director of Innovation & Operational Technology (DIOT) participates in the development and execution of strategic initiatives that drive innovative and technological advancement, process excellence, and operational resilience across the organization. This role combines visionary innovation leadership with deep expertise in OT systems (SCADA, DCS, PLCs, IoT) to deliver transformative solutions that enhance GCA's brand, productivity, safety, environmental protection, and competitive advantage. As the DIOT position is newly created in the industry and at GCA, it is initially a planning and influence role with limited autonomy. This role requires significant collaboration across all sectors of the Authority, demonstrating planning and execution through buy-in from various departments and levels of the organization, framing decision-making matrices, and not only understanding but also vetting the options and alternatives of various technologies and process changes in preparation for recommendation to Senior Management. This role must also provide for the cost-and-benefit analysis of any proposed change at the Authority. The DIOT position is one of influence. The DIOT is an on-site position and reports to the General Manager/CEO.

Requirements

Possess technical expertise and an in-depth knowledge of industrial control systems, network architectures, cybersecurity frameworks, and digital transformation technologies.
Possess judgment and behaviors to conduct oneself in a manner that represents Authority professionally with the highest integrity.
Demonstrated strategic vision and outlook to translate Authority objectives into innovation roadmaps and OT strategies that balance risk, cost, delivery, and time-to-value.
Strong leadership and influence capabilities, including people management and change management skills with experience leading cross-disciplinary teams and driving organizational change at the senior level.
Data-driven mindset, proficient in analytics platforms (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB), and familiar with Lean/Six Sigma methodologies.
Effective and competent communicator with excellent verbal, written, comprehension, presentation, and influencing skills to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders to gain support of OT initiatives.
Ability to bridge gaps across departmental disciplines, building relationships with peers, subordinates, supervisory, managerial, and executives to support the organization.
Maintain high emotional intelligence with a positive mindset, viewing challenges as learning opportunities, and creating viable solutions to challenges.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Industrial Automation, or related field.
Ability to acquire and maintain professional certifications in innovation, engineering, operational, and information technology.
10+ years of progressive experience in OT management (SCADA/DCS/PLC) and innovation leadership within manufacturing, energy, utilities, or similar sectors.
Proven track record delivering large-scale OT implementations and innovation projects that yielded measurable operational improvements.
Excellent presentation skills capable of influencing decision-makers to support wastewater strategic initiatives, complex project plans, and emerging business models.
Demonstrated project management capabilities to ensure complex and technical projects are assessed, planned, scheduled, implemented, and progress on schedule within budgetary and timeframe constraints.
Possess and maintain a valid Texas driver's license and meet vehicle insurance carrier requirements for insurability.

Responsibilities

Promote and prioritize developmental expertise and maintain a multi-year innovation planning roadmap (high-level, broad approach) of project management aligned with the Authority’s technological advancement strategy, as approved by the GM/CEO in coordination with all Senior Management.
Identify emerging technologies (for example. AI/ML, digital twins, augmented reality, 3D printing, etc.) with high impact potential driving digital solutions to continually improve wastewater and water reuse processes.
Build an innovation-focused team and overall innovative culture by implementing idea management frameworks, governance processes, and incentives to capture and accelerate high-value ideas Authority-wide.
Build and execute an innovation plan aligned to energy optimization and stabilization, grid modernization, operational intelligence, asset monitoring, and internal and external customer service improvements.
Develop and present business cases, ROI analyses, and performance measurements to ensure innovative initiatives translate into repeatable, Authority-wide capabilities that improve reliability, safety, efficiency, or customer outcomes.
Manage defined workstreams, produce business-ready deliverables, and support both traditional and agile delivery models, with execution rigor emphasized alongside strategy.
Assist in the management of electricity contracts for the Authority.
Assist in training development and implementation for innovation in operations, maintenance, and technical services, as needed.
Maintain a customer focus on developing advanced processes to enhance brand and increase market presence.
Address the need for new skill sets, as well as the upskilling of current capabilities, with technical and operational support functions, and collaborate with Human Resources in recruitment and training, including a skills/training library, to foster a responsive culture of innovation and continual improvement.
Review various potential projects for innovation and opportunities for the Authority to participate. Work with various departments on the Authority’s bandwidth to respond. Present to Senior Management for recommendation to pursue along with a path forward, as necessary.
Explore R&D opportunities as the role develops and the Authority progresses, utilizing state-of-the-art applied research and pilot programs.
Assist in the design and develop proofs-of-concept, manage innovation labs, and scale successful pilots into production, process capabilities, and reliability.
Collaborate with multiple departments of GCA and, at the direction of the GM/CEO and Senior Management, establish eco-system partnerships with universities, research foundations, and financial entities, as appropriate, and technology vendors to co-innovate or acquire cutting-edge solutions designed to fund and scale startups that solve wastewater and water reuse challenges.
Define the Authority OT strategy and architecture, including operational and compliance standards—covering SCADA, DCS, PLCs, RTUs, and industrial IoT devices—to ensure scalability, interoperability, and security.
Oversee system delivery and maintenance, including the lifecycle of OT systems, reliability, requirements gathering, vendor selection, design, installation, commissioning, and ongoing support to ensure appropriate uptime for control systems.
Partner with the IT and Information Security teams to implement cybersecurity and compliance measures, especially on OT systems, to ensure the safety and security of critical operations.
Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements, including training to proactively address potential threats.
Develop and test OT disaster recovery plans, conduct tabletop exercises, and ensure that business continuity measures minimize downtime in the event of system failures or cybersecurity incidents.
Work closely with management, technical services, operations, etc., and maintenance to apply methodologies, data analytics, and automation to streamline workflows and reduce cost per unit to ensure effective process optimization.
Collaborate on digital transformation initiatives—real-time performance dashboards, predictive maintenance programs, repeatability and reliability — promoting data-driven decision-making and continuous improvements. Closely monitor impacts that integrations might have on various areas of the Authority, careful to avoid creating singular points of failure and ensuring all systems are tied together.
Collaborate to design and deliver cross-training and change management initiatives for management, technical services, operations, and maintenance, including engineers and technical contributors on new OT platforms, emerging tools, and innovation practices to manage organizational change to ensure cultural adoption and proficiency.
Provide coordinated analysis with IT on the emerging technology portfolio, including AI and advanced analytics, digital twins, security including selected surveillance ensuring privacy and other remote sensing capabilities.
Lead integration of new technologies with enterprise systems and field operations, including structured vendor evaluation and development of long-term technology partnerships.
Coordinate with Senior Managers and HR on team building in recruitment, mentorships, and succession planning to retain a high-performing teams Authority-wide.
Responsible for proposing the budget and ROI and the P&L for innovation and OT functions by developing budgets, tracking KPIs (e.g., time-to-market, ROI of pilots, OT uptime and reliability), and reporting progress to the Senior Management team on a regular scheduled basis.
Coordinate with appropriate GCA internal departments on vendor & stakeholder process, seek reliable sources, negotiate contracts with technology suppliers, manage service-level agreements, and maintain strong vendor relationships to secure strategic pricing and support.
Propose a market presence with innovative capability assessments, process subject matter expertise, customer & client relationships and brand promotion.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Assist in designing and implementing formal governance structures, technical standards, and defining successful metrics to support scaling new capabilities into production.
Engage externally, as assigned, with industry groups, research partners, and peer utilities to inform strategy and identify emerging best practices.
Conduct change impact and readiness assessments, and lead targeted communications, training, and resistance management efforts.
Drive strong stakeholder engagement and influence across organizational levels, establishing clear expectations for measurable outcomes, including ROI, adoption, and business performance, and ensuring disciplined execution through governance, risk management, communication, enablement, and leadership support.