Executive Director – Carbon Capture, Bio-Industrial Solutions & Circular Materials
Executive Director – Carbon Capture, Bio-Industrial Solutions & Circular Materials
Function: Carbon Capture / Climate Tech / Bio-Industrial Solutions / Circular Materials
Level: Senior Leadership / Business Unit Head
Employment Type: Full-time
Location: Head Office and project sites; the role will require travel to industrial locations, partner facilities, laboratories, customer locations, and other project sites.
Role Overview
We are looking for a senior techno-commercial leader to build and lead an integrated carbon capture and circular materials business covering CCUS, biochar, algae-based CO₂ capture, biotechnology solutions, and fly ash utilisation. The role will have end-to-end responsibility for developing the strategic roadmap, evaluating technologies, developing and scaling pilots, establishing commercial operations, building partnerships, ensuring carbon accounting and regulatory compliance, and creating commercially viable products and solutions. This is a leadership role for someone who can combine technology, industrial project execution, sustainability, commercialisation, and P&L thinking rather than operate purely as a technical or research specialist.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and execute the strategic roadmap for CCUS, biochar, algae, biotechnology, and fly ash utilisation initiatives.
Identify suitable CO₂ sources, biomass/feedstock opportunities, algae cultivation routes, fly ash supply chains, industrial partners, and customer markets.
Evaluate technologies and lead technical due diligence, vendor selection, pilot design, equipment selection, commissioning, and scale-up.
Lead projects from concept and pilot stage through commercial implementation.
Establish operating systems including:
SOPs
Production controls
Quality systems
Safety protocols
Dashboards
Compliance processes
Build robust Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV) systems for carbon reduction/removal claims and carbon-credit readiness.
Ensure carbon and sustainability claims are supported by appropriate data, testing, documentation, and third-party verification.
Drive development and commercialisation of products including:
Biochar and related carbon products
Algae biomass and algae-derived products
Biotechnology / bio-industrial products
Fly ash-based materials and products
CO₂ utilisation solutions
Develop commercial partnerships and offtake opportunities with industrial emitters, power plants, cement and materials companies, technology providers, laboratories, research institutions, and other ecosystem partners.
Evaluate unit economics, CAPEX/OPEX, product pricing, project viability, customer offtake, and commercial scalability.
Coordinate with finance, legal, HR, EHS, government/regulatory agencies, auditors, laboratories, universities, and industrial partners.
Build and lead a multidisciplinary team covering process engineering, plant operations, biotechnology/R&D, materials, MRV, EHS, quality, project management, and commercial functions.
Present project progress, commercial performance, risks, compliance status, and strategic recommendations to senior management.
Candidate Profile
Experience
15–25 years of relevant professional experience across areas such as industrial projects, process engineering, environmental engineering, biotechnology, carbon projects, plant operations, circular materials, or related sectors.
Minimum 5 years of leadership experience with responsibility for teams, budgets, and project execution.
Demonstrated ability to manage pilot-to-commercial-scale projects involving multiple stakeholders, vendors, budgets, and regulatory requirements.
Strong industrial execution exposure with experience taking technologies or projects beyond the research/concept stage.
Educational Background
B.Tech / M.Tech or equivalent qualification in one or more of the following disciplines:
Chemical Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Biotechnology / Bioprocess Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Related applied engineering or science disciplines
An MBA/PGDM, PhD, or relevant certifications in carbon accounting, EHS, project management, or quality systems would be advantageous.
Relevant Technical Exposure
Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS)
CO₂ capture and utilisation
Biochar / biomass conversion / pyrolysis
Algae cultivation, photobioreactors, or biological CO₂ capture
Biotechnology / bioprocess scale-up
Carbon mineralisation
Fly ash utilisation and value-added materials
Cementitious materials / concrete additives / geopolymer products
Environmental and industrial process systems
Carbon accounting, MRV, and verified carbon projects
Direct hands-on experience across CCUS, biochar, algae, carbon mineralisation, fly ash products, or verified carbon projects will be highly valued.
Commercial & Leadership Capabilities
Translate emerging technologies into commercially viable projects and products.
Evaluate unit economics, project feasibility, CAPEX payback, and commercial risks.
Develop customer partnerships and secure industrial offtake.
Lead multidisciplinary teams consisting of scientists, engineers, plant teams, contractors, and commercial stakeholders.
Manage technology partners, EPC vendors, laboratories, and consultants.
Build new projects, pilots, plants, technology platforms, or business verticals from the ground up.
Communicate effectively with technical teams as well as senior management and business stakeholders.
Carbon, Regulatory & Safety Orientation
The role requires a strong understanding of:
Carbon accounting and MRV
Environmental claims and audit-ready documentation
Environmental permits and regulatory compliance
Industrial safety and EHS requirements
Third-party testing and verification
Carbon-credit methodology and registry documentation
Exposure to frameworks such as ISO 14064, GHG Protocol, Verra, Gold Standard, or similar carbon-accounting/verification frameworks would be advantageous.
Key Attributes
Strong plant and project execution mindset
Techno-commercial orientation
Hands-on leadership style
High standards of safety and regulatory compliance
Strong documentation and data discipline
Commercial pragmatism and ability to assess project viability objectively
Ability to work across project sites, laboratories, and industrial environments
Ability to operate effectively in an emerging and rapidly evolving climate-tech business
Reporting
The role will report to senior management / the Board and will lead cross-functional technical, project, operational, MRV, EHS, quality, and commercial teams.