Vice President of Engineering

Vice President of Engineering

Los Angeles / Long Beach, California

Compensation: $200,000 – $300,000 annually, plus annual bonus opportunity. Placement within the range is determined by factors such as relevant experience, education, technical leadership background, industry expertise, and qualifications.

About STAX

STAX is a maritime emissions-reduction company supporting cleaner air and more sustainable port operations. Our work sits at the intersection of maritime operations, industrial infrastructure, environmental technology, engineering innovation, and regulatory compliance.

We are seeking a highly experienced Vice President of Engineering to join our executive leadership team and lead the strategy, performance, and scalability of our engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, R&D, technical operations, and project delivery functions.

This is a high-impact executive role for a leader who can translate long-term business objectives into executable plans, build scalable systems and teams, and drive complex engineering and infrastructure initiatives from strategy through execution.

As Vice President of Engineering, you will provide executive leadership across engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, research and development, project management, and technical operations. You will serve as a key advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team while helping guide STAX through continued growth, operational expansion, and successful deployment of maritime emissions-reduction systems.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and execute the company's long-term engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, R&D, and project delivery strategy.
• Provide executive oversight for engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, project management, and technical operations functions.
• Lead planning, prioritization, and execution of multiple concurrent capital projects, system builds, infrastructure initiatives, retrofit programs, and major maintenance efforts.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with quality and performance standards.
• Design and scale organizational structures, processes, systems, and leadership teams that support significant operational growth.
• Establish enterprise-wide frameworks for project management, engineering governance, quality assurance, asset management, maintenance, and performance management.
• Direct research, development, and innovation strategies to improve existing systems and guide future system enhancements.
• Develop short-term and long-term technology roadmaps that support reliability, scalability, operational performance, and regulatory compliance.
• Manage departmental operating budgets, capital expenditure planning, workforce strategy, resource allocation, and long-range investment roadmaps.
• Drive continuous improvement across safety, reliability, manufacturability, cost optimization, lifecycle asset performance, and operational efficiency.
• Represent the company in executive-level interactions with customers, investors, board members, regulatory agencies, port authorities, government organizations, contractors, strategic partners, and industry groups.
• Lead regulatory, permitting, compliance, and stakeholder engagement efforts involving agencies such as CARB, EPA, USCG, OSHA, port authorities, and other applicable organizations.
• Build, mentor, and develop high-performing leadership teams, including directors, managers, engineers, project managers, and technical professionals.
• Champion a culture of safety, innovation, collaboration, accountability, and operational excellence.

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible leadership experience within engineering, manufacturing, industrial, energy, infrastructure, environmental, maritime, or related technical operations environments.
• Minimum 7 years of executive or senior leadership experience with responsibility for engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, project management, and technical operations organizations.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline required.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale engineering, manufacturing, infrastructure, capital project, or operational initiatives.
• Experience overseeing multiple concurrent projects, budgets, schedules, resources, vendors, contractors, and cross-functional teams.
• Experience developing organizational structures, operational strategies, and scalable processes that support business growth, operational excellence, and financial performance.
• Experience managing significant operating budgets, capital expenditure plans, workforce planning, vendor relationships, and resource allocation.
• Strong understanding of engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability practices, project delivery methodologies, quality systems, and operational performance management.
• Ability to translate long-term business objectives into actionable technical, operational, project, and organizational plans.
• Strong executive presence and the ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, customers, investors, regulatory agencies, government organizations, and external stakeholders.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead through complexity, growth, competing priorities, and high-visibility business initiatives.
• Professional judgment, discretion, accountability, and the ability to represent the company with credibility and confidence.
• Valid driver's license required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred.
• Experience within maritime operations, environmental technologies, emissions-control systems, power generation, industrial manufacturing, shipyards, or related industries.
• Experience working with regulatory agencies such as CARB, EPA, USCG, OSHA, port authorities, or similar governmental organizations.
• Experience supporting board-level reporting, strategic planning initiatives, and capital investment decisions.
• Experience leading teams within unionized operational environments.
• PMP or PE certification a plus.

Physical Requirements

This role is performed in a combination of office, industrial, maritime, manufacturing, shipyard, terminal, and field environments and may require:

• Sitting, typing, reviewing documents, attending meetings, and working at a computer for extended periods.
• Traveling between multiple operational, manufacturing, customer, project, and company locations.
• Safely accessing and navigating industrial facilities, manufacturing environments, terminals, barges, vessels, shipyards, and construction sites.
• Boarding vessels and barges, climbing ladders and gangways, walking on uneven surfaces, and accessing elevated work areas while complying with all safety requirements.
• Wearing required personal protective equipment, including hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection, safety footwear, flotation devices, and other site-specific safety equipment.
• Communicating effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communications.
• Reviewing technical drawings, engineering documents, project schedules, reports, budgets, and other business materials in both electronic and printed formats.
• Occasionally lifting and carrying materials, equipment, or luggage weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Travel

• Primary assignment will support the Los Angeles / Long Beach region.
• Regular travel to company facilities, customer sites, ports, shipyards, barges, vessels, and operational locations is required. Domestic and international travel, including overnight travel, may be required based on business needs.
• This position may also require work outside of normal business hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, or emergency response situations, depending on operational needs.

Why Join STAX

• Join a mission-driven organization improving air quality and environmental sustainability.
• Help lead the future of clean maritime technology and emissions-reduction infrastructure.
• Serve as a key executive leader during a critical stage of company growth and operational expansion.
• Lead engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, R&D, and project delivery functions with direct impact on company strategy and execution.
• Work cross-functionally with Executive Leadership, Operations, Engineering, Safety, Environmental, Regulatory, Finance, customers, investors, and port stakeholders.
• Play a major role in scaling innovative maritime emissions-reduction systems that support cleaner port operations and long-term environmental impact.

STAX Engineering is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.