Senior Director-Innovation & Insights

Ergon, Inc is seeking a strategic and hands-on Senior Director, Innovation & Insights. The Senior Director - Innovation & Insights leads Ergon's enterprise innovation capability: a disciplined, data-led, and collaborative system that turns segment knowledge, technical capability, and market insight into measurable organic growth. Operating as a service and facilitation function, the role leads a small corporate Center of Excellence that helps segments innovate together while retaining ownership of execution and results.

The role also owns enterprise foresight and long-term opportunity assessment.

Enterprise Innovation Leadership

• Build and lead enterprise innovation strategy aligned to organic-growth priorities.
• Establish a business-centered innovation narrative tied to measurable growth.
• Lead through collaboration and influence rather than centralized control.

Enterprise Innovation System, Pipeline & Metrics

• Build visibility into innovation pipeline, timing, value, and risk.
• Develop common stage-gate and prioritization processes.
• Define innovation scorecard and reporting cadence for ELT and Board.

Cross-Segment Collaboration & Execution

• Identify opportunities to leverage knowledge and assets across segments.
• Convene cross-functional teams around high-potential opportunities.
• Support transition of long-term initiatives into business-unit execution.

Foresight & Insights

• Monitor economic, energy-transition, and demographic trends.
• Identify adjacent markets and long-term opportunities.
• Translate insights into innovation pipeline and strategy implications.

Long-Term Platforms, Funding & Intellectual Property

• Steward long-term cross-business platform work.
• Partner with Finance on innovation funding model.
• Support enterprise intellectual-property strategy.

Center of Excellence Leadership & Team Development

• Lead a lean innovation Center of Excellence.
• Provide program leadership and analytical support.

Executive Engagement & Culture

• Prepare updates for ELT and Board.
• Promote enterprise-first thinking while respecting segment ownership.
• Build trust through transparency and disciplined follow-through.

• 7+ years of leadership in innovation, strategy, commercialization, or related roles.
• Proven success leading cross-business initiatives through influence.
• Experience improving innovation or product-development operating models.
• Strong strategic foresight, commercial, financial, and analytical skills.
• Executive presence and ability to build trust across the enterprise.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Why Ergon Inc.?

At Ergon, we are a relationship-driven, family-owned company that values the growth and contributions of each employee. Headquarters in Flowood, Mississippi, we take pride in maintaining a close-knit, small-company atmosphere while offering exceptional career opportunities. With approximately 4,500 employees, we operate in multiple sectors, including pavement & pavement preservation, specialty refining, logistics, construction, and specialty chemicals. Our people are the foundation of our success, and we are committed to fostering a workplace where talent is recognized, rewarded, and empowered.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) matching & profit sharing
• Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Plans
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave
• Tuition assistance
• Opportunity to shape enterprise-wide compensation strategy
• Collaborative, inclusive, and performance-driven culture
• Career growth in a dynamic, diversified organization

At Ergon Inc., we live by our core values:

• Empowered Service:
  Together, we're committed to delivering unparalleled service. We do…