VP – Utilities and Energy Systems

The Vice President – Utilities and Energy Systems provides strategic and operational leadership over all critical utility infrastructure and energy systems across enterprise or regional operations. This role is responsible for ensuring reliable, efficient, safe, and compliant operation of utilities including steam, chilled water, compressed air, electrical distribution, HVAC, water treatment, and renewable energy assets. The VP leads long-term planning and innovation efforts to improve utility system performance, reduce energy consumption, and support decarbonization and sustainability goals.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• • Develop and implement a comprehensive enterprise-wide utilities and energy strategy aligned with business growth, operational reliability, and sustainability goals.

  • Serve as executive leader for all central utility systems (CUPs), energy centers, and distributed energy resources (DERs).

  • Drive modernization initiatives including digitization, energy optimization, and predictive analytics in utility operations.

Utility System Oversight

• Lead the design, operation, and maintenance of utility systems such as:

  • Boilers and steam systems

  • Chillers and cooling towers

  • Compressed air systems

  • Electrical substations and backup power

  • Water and wastewater treatment

  • HVAC systems for critical environments

• Ensure availability and reliability of utility services to support production, R&D, and facility operations.

Energy Management and Sustainability

• • Oversee enterprise energy efficiency programs, demand-side management, and peak load control.

  • Lead decarbonization efforts including electrification, cogeneration (CHP), solar, hydrogen, or geothermal integration.

  • Monitor and optimize energy intensity, utility costs, and GHG emissions across operations.

  • Collaborate with ESG, Finance, and Engineering teams on long-range energy planning and sustainability reporting.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

• • Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, NFPA, ASHRAE, ISO 50001, and local environmental and energy regulations.

  • Oversee pressure systems compliance (ASME BPVC), environmental permits, and safety systems related to utility operations.

  • Lead risk assessments and contingency planning for critical utility outages and infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Capital Planning and Infrastructure Development

• • Provide strategic input on capital investments for utility infrastructure upgrades, expansions, and greenfield projects.

  • Participate in master planning and FEED studies for new utility systems, central energy plants, and facility expansions.

  • Approve major equipment selections, control strategies, and energy system integration.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• • Partner with Operations, Engineering, Facilities, EHS, and Corporate Sustainability teams to align utility strategies with business needs.

  • Collaborate with procurement, finance, and utility providers on energy procurement strategies and rate negotiations.

Team Leadership and Development

• • Lead a diverse team of utility engineers, energy managers, operators, and maintenance personnel across multiple sites.

  • Foster a culture of safety, reliability, innovation, and continuous improvement within utility operations.

  • Develop training, succession planning, and talent pipelines for technical and leadership roles in utilities.

Focus Areas:

• • Utilities Infrastructure: Steam, chillers, compressed air, HVAC, power distribution, RO/DI/wastewater, building systems.

  • Energy Optimization: Metering, demand response, load balancing, energy audits, thermal storage, and automation.

  • Resilience and Reliability: Backup systems, redundancy, control systems (SCADA/BMS), asset lifecycle management.

  • Sustainability & Decarbonization: Renewable integration, net zero strategy, Scope 1 & 2 emissions reduction.

  • Compliance: OSHA, ASME, EPA, NFPA, ISO 50001, local utility codes and environmental laws.

Qualifications:

• • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Energy, or Chemical Engineering (Master’s or MBA preferred).

  • Professional Engineer (PE) license or Certified Energy Manager (CEM) credential preferred.

  • 15+ years of experience in utility systems, energy management, and facility infrastructure, with 5+ years in senior leadership.

  • Demonstrated experience leading utility operations in industrial, manufacturing, pharma, or energy-intensive facilities.

  • Proven ability to manage capital projects, utility risk, compliance programs, and cross-functional teams.

  • Expertise in energy markets, decarbonization technologies, and reliability frameworks.