Water Program Director
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 14, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 13, 2026.
PQ is a leading global provider of silicates, silicas and derivative products. PQ's products are used in a wide variety of industrial processes and many customer products, from decorative paints to green cement, from clean drinking water to green tires and from toothpaste to biofuels and beer.
Ideal candidates resonate with PQ's Core Values of Integrity, Sustainability, People, Customer Focus and Safety. Successful employees embrace and model these values in their behaviors and actions.
We are seeking an early-career-to-mid-career water treatment professional with 5 - 10 years of chemical industry experience to own PQ’s water program across all manufacturing facilities. This role sets water treatment strategy, selects and manages treatment programs and suppliers, and controls both operating and capital spend for water treatment company-wide. The successful candidate will combine hands-on technical service or sales experience from a major water treatment provider with the commercial judgment to deliver measurable preventative, restorative, and opportunistic value at each site.
Location: This role can be based near a major PQ plant or office, such as Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; or Augusta, GA.
Travel Requirement: Greater than 50%
Key Responsibilities:
Lead PQ’s water treatment program strategy across all manufacturing facilities.
Evaluate and audit existing water treatment programs to identify performance gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities. Recommend, select, and manage water treatment programs, suppliers, and service approaches based on site-specific needs and business value. Coordinate program implementation with plant personnel, and track and deliver preventative, restorative, and opportunistic value through improved program reliability, efficiency, and cost management.
Manage water treatment operating expense (OPEX) for the company - both budget and spend.
Support plant shutdowns and outages involving water treatment systems, inspections, and follow-up actions. Conduct root cause evaluation on all failures.
Own capital expenditure (CAPEX) approval for all water treatment projects and collaborate with local engineering on implementation.
Qualifications:
5-10 years of relevant experience in industrial water treatment, chemical manufacturing, or related technical applications. Strong technical background in cooling water, boiler water, and industrial utility water treatment systems.
Experience with hands-on troubleshooting, issue diagnosis, and implementation of corrective actions in plant or industrial environments.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and work effectively across sites and functions without direct authority.
At least 3 years (within the total experience above) with a major water treatment provider - for example Nalco/Ecolab or Veolia/Suez/GE - in technical service or sales.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific field required. Must be based within commuting distance of a major PQ plant or office (Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; or Augusta, GA).
Willing to travel more than 75% of the time.
Versatile - able to operate credibly across plant floor, technical, and office/commercial settings (“concrete, linoleum, and carpet”).
EHS Responsibilities
- Communicates, promotes and personally demonstrates Safety/Health (including PQP Principles) as #1 priority
- Participation in risk assessment audits as applicable
- Understand PQ Principles (PQP) and how they are implemented in the site organization, rules and procedures
- Completes HSE training requirements identified for the job in a timely manner
PQ is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics. Click on the link to read Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal (eeoc.gov). For more information, please review the link Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov).