Concrete Technology & Sustainability Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The Concrete Technology and Sustainability Manager serve as Orion's technical authority for structural concrete materials and its low-carbon concrete program. This role develops, optimizes, and validates proprietary concrete mix designs across Orion's self-perform scopes and leads the company's embodied-carbon strategy, including Global Warming Potential (GWP) reduction, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) development, and response to client sustainability requirements on mission-critical, data center, and industrial pursuits.

Working across Business Development, Estimating, and Field Operations, the position translates deep materials expertise into predictable field performance, defensible carbon reductions, and clear, data-backed value for internal teams and clients. This is a fully remote role for a self-directed subject-matter expert with the credibility to represent Orion's technical capabilities to sophisticated clients, general contractors, suppliers, and testing laboratories.

The incumbent must support the guiding beliefs and core values of Orion, which are centered on Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Teamwork most importantly, with each built upon the all-important foundation of Integrity.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Concrete Mix Design and Materials Technology
• Develop, optimize, and validate structural concrete mix designs across Orion's self-perform scopes, including cast-in-place, tilt-wall, elevated decks, foundations, mat and specialty substructure, and watertight structures.
• Engineer performance-based mixes to meet specified compressive strength, durability, and exposure requirements (per ACI 318 Chapter 19 exposure categories), workability, set time, and early-strength targets such as tilt-up panel lift strengths.
• Optimize supplementary cementitious material (SCM) content and cementitious systems, including slag-based and ternary blends, to balance performance, constructability, cost, and carbon reduction.
• Design and oversee trial and production test-batch programs; direct laboratory and field testing and interpret results to refine and qualify mixes.
• Build and maintain regional mix design libraries organized by market, strength class, and exposure condition.
• Provide technical review of drawings, specifications, and submittals against applicable ACI 301/318, ASTM, and project-specific requirements.
• Low-Carbon Concrete and Sustainability Program
• Lead Orion's low-carbon concrete program and serve as the company's technical authority on embodied-carbon reduction for concrete.
• Quantify and validate GWP reductions against recognized baselines, such as NRMCA regional benchmark values, reporting cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) embodied carbon.
• Develop, source, and validate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to substantiate carbon claims; coordinate with EPD program operators (for example, NRMCA and ASTM) and material suppliers.
• Model project concrete carbon emissions using client and industry carbon calculators; assess volume-weighted GWP reduction and marginal abatement cost to meet client carbon-reduction targets.
• Interpret and respond to client sustainability requirements, including embodied-carbon limits, EPD submittals, and material-disclosure documentation, for mission-critical, data center, and industrial pursuits.
• Advance batching and material strategies that improve production consistency and carbon verifiability, including on-site and portable batch plant feasibility and quality-control planning for self-perform delivery.
• Establish and maintain concrete QA/QC standards, testing protocols, and acceptance criteria for self-perform work.
• Ensure mix designs, testing, and documentation conform to applicable ACI and ASTM standards and project requirements.
• Troubleshoot field concrete issues involving strength, durability, placement, and finishing, and lead root-cause analysis and corrective action.
• Maintain documentation and traceability supporting carbon verification, client reporting, and internal knowledge management.
• Serve as the technical subject-matter expert supporting Business Development, Estimating, and Field Operations.
• Provide technical content, data, and validation for proposals, qualifications, presentations, and client and pursuit meetings.
• Support estimators with mix-related material, cost, and carbon inputs during pursuit and preconstruction.
• Translate technical capabilities into clear, data-backed value narratives for internal and client audiences.
• Build and manage relationships with ready-mix suppliers, cement and admixture manufacturers, aggregate sources, and independent testing laboratories.
• Coordinate material qualification, sourcing, and testing across Orion's operating markets.
• Evaluate emerging materials, admixtures, and low-carbon technologies for applicability to Orion's work.

EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE

• Responsible and accountable for incumbent’s own personal safety.
• Responsible and accountable for the safety of all co-workers and any other incumbents encountered.
• Authorized and obligated to stop work on any task or series of tasks whenever an unsafe condition or situation is anticipated or is observed.
• Complies with all applicable laws, regulations and Company policies and procedures, and is subject to appropriate disciplinary action (including dismissal) for failure to do so.
• Reports all violations of applicable laws, regulations or Company policies and procedures promptly, and is subject to appropriate disciplinary action (including dismissal) for failure to do so.
• Performs other duties as may be assigned or requested by immediate supervision (such as certification training, safety training, procedure review, etc.).

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Materials Science or Engineering, Construction Management, Concrete Industry Management, or a related technical field. Equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• Experience Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in concrete materials technology, mix design, and/or concrete quality control, including hands-on mix design development and optimization.
• Demonstrated expertise developing and optimizing structural concrete mix designs.
• Working knowledge of supplementary cementitious materials, admixtures, and low-carbon and high-performance concrete systems.
• Proficiency with embodied-carbon concepts, GWP quantification, and EPDs.
• Strong command of ACI and ASTM standards and concrete testing methods.
• Proficiency with data analysis and reporting tools, including spreadsheet-based carbon calculators and mix design software.
• Ability to work independently and self-directed in a fully remote capacity while collaborating across multiple offices and project teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

PREFERED QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• ACI certification, such as Concrete Quality Technical Manager (CQTM), Concrete Field Testing Technician – Grade I, Concrete Strength Testing Technician, or Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician.
• LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) or a comparable sustainability credential.
• Experience delivering low-carbon concrete on data center, mission-critical, or heavy industrial programs.
• Direct experience developing and publishing EPDs.
• Experience with self-perform batch plant operations, fixed or portable.
• Established relationships with regional material suppliers and independent testing laboratories

The Company expects and requires incumbent and each of its other employees to observe and fulfill the above and all other safety responsibilities and actively work toward maintaining a safe workplace.  Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable workplace accommodation. 

Periodic travel (estimated 15–25%) to Orion offices (Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa), active project sites, batch plants, and testing facilities as business needs require.

Regular use of computer and virtual collaboration tools.

The individual must also be able to wear and properly utilize appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to work or visit within areas where it is required.  This includes a hard hat, safety glasses, respirators, ear plugs, steel-toed shoes, or other protective equipment as required by the work performed and location the work is being done.

This individual must also have the ability to identify critical issues and formulate action plans with all levels of management, including corporate and executive. 

The incumbent must possess the ability to remain calm during emergencies and respond appropriately as dictated by the circumstances of the incident and as directed by the Safety Representative or other management personnel.  Must be capable of evacuating the work area in a timely manner should an emergency arise.

In addition, the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.