VP of Projects

Candid Intelligence•Houston, TX

About The Position

Candid is building the AI layer for EPCs and owner operators. We use AI to reduce the manual effort behind preconstruction engineering by automating document understanding, consistency checks, and repetitive workflow steps across major disciplines. The goal is to make preconstruction 10x faster without sacrificing engineering quality. We recently raised $6.5M from top AI and industrial investors (including Schneider Electric and Meta’s Chief AI Scientist). Our team includes engineers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, major LNG and power projects, and leading EPCs. Candid is at the inflection point where early client engagements need to become a scalable delivery practice. We need a senior leader who has overseen multiple concurrent capital projects and knows how to build the team, processes, and quality systems to deliver pre-FEED and FEED work at scale. You will be the person responsible for making sure every Candid engagement delivers engineering-grade output on time. You will hire and manage Project Directors, set delivery standards, and serve as the senior domain authority in our most strategic client relationships.

Requirements

20+ years in capital project execution, with significant time in LNG, gas-to-power, power generation, midstream, or petrochemical facilities
You have held VP, Director, or Senior Project Director titles overseeing multiple concurrent Pre-FEED / FEED engagements
Proven track record of building and leading project teams — not just inheriting them
Deep fluency in FEL stage-gate methodology, PDRI, design basis development, and the full preconstruction engineering lifecycle
You understand both the EPC and owner/operator perspectives and can navigate the interface between them at a senior level
Strong commercial instincts — you can scope engagements, price work, and manage client expectations without a 10-person PMO behind you
Experience managing P&L or project economics at the portfolio level
You see AI as leverage, not a threat. You want to build a delivery organization that is fundamentally different from what exists today.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience at a leading EPC or a major owner/operator in the LNG/power space
Experience building a project delivery practice or consulting practice from scratch
Relationships with project development teams at owner/operators currently in or approaching pre-FEED
Background in EPCM, PMC, or owner’s engineer models
Familiarity with AWP, modular execution, or other execution strategy innovations

Responsibilities

Own Candid’s entire project delivery portfolio across LNG, gas-to-power, power generation, midstream, and downstream/petrochemical engagements
Hire, manage, and develop a team of Project Directors who execute Pre-FEED / FEED delivery work for clients
Define and enforce delivery methodology, quality standards, and gate review processes across all engagements
Serve as Candid’s senior engineering authority in strategic client conversations — the person VPs of Projects and Heads of Engineering at owner/operators and EPCs look to for understanding the work
Work with Candid’s sales team to scope new engagements, qualify opportunities, and ensure delivery commitments are realistic
Partner with our AI and product team to prioritize automation targets based on real delivery pain points across the portfolio
Build the systems to track project performance, resource utilization, and delivery quality as the practice scales from 3 engagements to 30
Own client satisfaction and retention — if a project is at risk, you are the escalation point