Building a Chemical EPC Team for Energy Transition Growth
- Kimberly Wilson
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Proven Results: Helping a Chemical Company Build EPC Talent for $ 500 M+ Energy Transition Projects
TL;DR – Executive Search Support for Chemical EPC Growth in Energy Transition
In this case study, a chemical company launching its own EPC group needed highly specialized talent to support energy transition projects. TLR Search conducted targeted market mapping, identified candidates with expertise in hydrogen, chemical engineering, business development, and capital project leadership, and helped the company hire multiple leaders across key functions.
Challenge: New EPC Team for Energy Transition Projects
A Director of Global Talent Acquisition and a Global Executive Director of HR for Engineering Talent supported a business unit as it launched a new internal EPC group led by the VP of Process Gas. This expansion was part of the company’s broader push into the energy transition space, focused on capturing market share in emerging areas like hydrogen and process gas technologies.
The hiring needs were highly specific and included:
Proposal and project development professionals with strong business development (BD) experience
Individuals with expertise in process gases and hydrogen market technologies
Engineering backgrounds with EPC and capital project experience
Candidates who could bring diversity to the leadership team
Professionals who could step out of traditional EPC firms to join a chemical company’s new initiative
Internal leaders recognized that this was a highly niche search requiring external recruiting expertise and specialized market knowledge.
Solution: Market Mapping and Executive Search in the Chemical EPC Space
TLR Search used its proprietary market mapping process to identify talent who met technical and strategic requirements.
We:
Mapped the EPC talent market for professionals who had led $ 500 M+ capital projects related to energy transition
Identified candidates with hydrogen market and process gas expertise
Marketed the role to passive candidates who were not actively seeking new opportunities, but who aligned with the company’s vision
Helped candidates see the opportunity to move beyond traditional EPC firms and into a cutting-edge chemical company initiative
Presented a diverse slate of candidates while providing market intelligence around diversity in EPC leadership talent
Our relationship-driven approach allowed us to engage talent who would have otherwise overlooked this unique opportunity.
Result: Three Key Hires for a High-Growth Business Unit
Although initially retained to help fill one role, the client ultimately hired three candidates we presented, adding critical leadership to several functional areas:
Proposal and estimating leadership (chemical engineering focus)
Business development leadership for energy transition markets
Project development leadership for large-scale capital projects
One of the hires was an ethnically diverse candidate who brought additional perspective to the growing team. These hires positioned the business unit to lead in a highly competitive energy transition market.