Director of Technology Innovation
4 days ago
Houston
We are Continuum Solutions, a boutique strategic retained search firm based in Houston, Texas. We have partnered exclusively with our Houston area client to identify talent for the following position: Director of Technology Innovation (On-Site: Northeast Houston, 77044) Our client is a well-capitalized developer building a large-scale, mixed-use master-planned community in Houston. They’re looking for a Director of Technology Innovation to design and deploy the sensor, data, and software ecosystem that will power a truly “smart” urban environment—one that measures its own performance and improves how people live, work, and move through the space. If you love building novel hardware + software products, get excited about urban-scale data, and want to shape a next-generation “smart city” with a human-centric lens, this could be your role. What You’ll Be Doing • Designing and deploying a network of sensors across a large urban development—capturing, storing, and transforming real-world data into actionable insights., • Building or buying the right tech stack:, • In some cases, engineering and prototyping custom sensors., • In others, selecting best-in-class hardware, connectivity, and platforms., • Owning decisions around networks, databases, and applications., • Owning products from concept to deployment: taking several works-in-progress across the finish line and leading new greenfield initiatives., • Leading strategic product planning: setting “goal-line” objectives for smart city products that align with business strategy., • Defining scope, methodology, timelines, and budgets for each product iteration., • Creating clear system designs and schematics that show how each product interfaces with the broader built environment., • Curating a library of precedents and inspiration (people, places, products) and organizing site visits to convert research into firsthand experience., • Building a network of top-tier partners: identifying and collaborating with leading innovators, consultants, and vendors (systems, engineering, architecture, traffic, programming, etc.)., • Immersing yourself in the Houston innovation ecosystem and representing the organization at community, networking, and industry events (some outside standard business hours)., • Driving internal alignment and adoption:, • Leading charrettes, visioning sessions, and trainings around new products., • Owning UX, interfaces, and reporting outputs., • Conducting due diligence on emerging technologies and maintaining a compendium of smart city tools, opportunities, and potential partners., • Leading development of a smart city sensor database with the goal of democratizing data access across the organization., • Partnering with internal teams to define “performance specifications” for various smart city applications (mobility, energy, environment, amenities, etc.)., • Running ad hoc analytics on existing datasets to uncover insights and inform future investments. What You Bring • Deep technical foundation with practical, working knowledge across all seven OSI layers., • Strong product/engineering leadership experience, including:, • Prior senior role leading product and/or application development., • Proven ability to take novel products from idea → prototype → market., • Hands-on systems mindset: fluent in both hardware and software tooling; naturally curious about new technologies and options., • Track record of managing multiple projects and external teams at once, without dropping the details., • Excellent communication skills (written, visual, and verbal) with the ability to explain complex systems to non-technical stakeholders., • Strong analytical intuition around data—how to capture it, model it, and present it in ways that drive real decisions., • Relationship builder: experience sourcing, evaluating, and nurturing partnerships with technology vendors, research groups, and other innovators. Who You Are • You’re passionate about changing how the world works, not just iterating on the status quo., • You’re comfortable turning fuzzy ideas into concrete, buildable products., • You’re fascinated by human behavior and how physical + digital environments shape it., • You enjoy re-thinking digital infrastructure and data-gathering from first principles., • You’re familiar with smart city concepts (or excited to ramp up quickly)., • You genuinely enjoy building and sustaining strategic relationships across disciplines. Why This Opportunity • Big canvas, real impact: help shape the technology backbone of a large, high-visibility master-planned community in one of the fastest-growing major metros., • Stability + resources: well-funded, long-term development with committed ownership., • Compensation & benefits: competitive pay, medical, dental, vision, PTO, long-term disability, 401(k) eligibility, and a modern office environment with thoughtful perks., • Team environment: collaborative group of talented professionals committed to raising the bar for human-centered development.