Vice President of Growth & Innovation

Unleash Innovation. Ignite Growth. Drive Change.

• Are you a visionary specialty chemical leader who can connect market insight, technical innovation, commercialization, and strategic investment into measurable enterprise growth?
• Do you thrive in a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and impact?
• Pilot Chemical Company is filling this exciting executive-level position to shape and execute the strategies that define their future.

Pilot Chemical Company is a privately held, family-owned global specialty chemical company with a 74-year legacy of innovation and customer focus. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH with other locations in Texas, New Jersey, and Mexico, Pilot combines big-company capabilities with the agility of a medium-sized business to deliver tailored surfactant technologies and EPA-registered biocide solutions. Known for quality, reliability, and a broad portfolio, it serves both consumer and industrial markets as a preferred innovation partner and solutions provider.

Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a member of the Leadership Team, the Vice President of Growth & Innovation will lead Pilot’s enterprise growth agenda across innovation, commercialization, market development, technical service, strategic partnerships, and inorganic growth initiatives. This person will lead a total team of ~25 people and split office time between Pilot’s Headquarters and Technical & Innovation Center.

This executive will serve as the architect of Pilot’s future growth strategy—identifying emerging market opportunities, anticipating customer needs, advancing breakthrough technologies, and building a disciplined portfolio of innovation and investment opportunities that create long-term enterprise value.

Success in this role requires both visionary thinking and operational execution, combining strategic leadership with technical credibility and commercial acumen to accelerate growth across the organization.

• Develop and execute Pilot’s long-term growth strategy and multi-year growth roadmap.
• Identify new market opportunities, strategic partnerships, and emerging technologies that accelerate business growth.
• Leverage customer insights and competitive intelligence to drive data-informed investment decisions.

Innovation, Commercialization & Technical Leadership

• Lead innovation from ideation through commercialization, ensuring technical excellence and customer value creation.
• Oversee Technology & Innovation and Technical Service organizations supporting customers and manufacturing operations.
• Partner with Manufacturing to improve product quality, reliability, and process performance through technical problem solving.
• Lead strategic partnerships, business development initiatives, and M&A opportunities from target identification through integration planning.
• Build robust business cases including valuation, risk assessment, and synergy analysis to support investment decisions.
• Manage Pilot’s enterprise growth portfolio through disciplined prioritization, governance, and value realization.

Leadership & Organizational Excellence

• Lead and develop high-performing Technology & Innovation and Market & Business Development teams.
• Partner across Commercial, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Business Services to accelerate execution and remove organizational barriers.
• Establish KPIs, monitor growth initiatives, and communicate progress to the Leadership Team and Board of Directors.

• Educational & Business Foundation – Advanced degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, business, marketing, or a related discipline, with the strategic and analytical capabilities to lead enterprise growth initiatives.
• Specialty Chemical Industry Leadership – 20+ years of progressive leadership experience with deep expertise in specialty chemicals and related markets.
• Growth Strategy & Innovation – Proven track record driving profitable growth through innovation, commercialization, market development, and market dynamics relevant to Pilot (AOS formulations, household cleaners, personal care, I&I, biocides, lubricants, emulsion polymerization).
• Strategic & Commercial Acumen – Ability to…