Innovation Engineer

PCG is seeking an Innovation Engineer for our Corporate office in Lenexa, KS. We are building a future-ready, field-driven innovation capability at PCG—and the Innovation Engineer plays a critical role in making it real.  This role is responsible for identifying, developing, piloting, and scaling innovative solutions that improve safety, quality, productivity, and business performance. The Innovation Engineer serves as a key connector between field operations, corporate teams, and external partners—ensuring ideas move quickly from concept to measurable impact.  This is a hands-on, field-oriented role with ownership of innovation initiatives across assigned regions. The ideal candidate brings technical curiosity, practical construction experience, and the ability to turn real-world challenges into scalable solutions.  Key Responsibilities  Field Engagement & Innovation Enablement  Serve as the primary innovation lead for assigned branches and regions  Build strong relationships with field leaders, project teams, and branch stakeholders  Facilitate and support branch-level innovation committees, driving consistent participation and outcomes  Establish clear feedback loops to ensure ideas, insights, and results flow between the field and corporate innovation  Identify operational pain points, inefficiencies, and opportunities directly from jobsites  Innovation Lifecycle Ownership (POC → Pilot → Scale)  Lead innovation initiatives through the full lifecycle—from problem definition to pilot execution and scale recommendations  Define and execute Proofs of Concept (POCs), Proofs of Value (POVs), and pilot programs  Establish success metrics and evaluate performance across safety, quality, productivity, and cost  Document outcomes and make clear recommendations to scale, pivot, or stop initiatives  Ensure all pilot learnings are captured, shared, and accessible across the organization  Market Scanning & Technology Evaluation  Continuously scan the market for emerging technologies, including AI, robotics, automation, and construction tech  Evaluate solutions for applicability, scalability, and business value within PCG operations  Maintain a pipeline of vetted opportunities aligned with strategic innovation priorities  Attend industry events, engage with vendors, and monitor key innovation ecosystems   Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution  Partner closely with IT, Safety, Operations, Finance, and other corporate teams to accelerate innovation initiatives  Support implementation efforts, ensuring alignment across stakeholders and systems  Identify and support the integration of new technologies into existing workflows and platforms  Act as a bridge between technical capabilities and field execution needs   Innovation Communications & Knowledge Sharing  Contribute to innovation communications, including pilot summaries, case studies, internal updates, newsletters, and innovation team processes and tools.  Help “publish, not shelve” innovation outcomes to drive awareness and adoption  Support development of content for innovation podcasts, innovation shorts, and field-facing materials   Adoption, Training & Capability Building  Support rollout of new tools and processes through training, coaching, and field engagement  Work directly with field teams to ensure practical adoption of solutions  Help reinforce a culture of continuous learning and experimentation  Provide feedback to improve implementation strategies and user experience   External Partnerships & Ecosystem Engagement  Engage with external partners including vendors, startups, universities, and industry groups  Support evaluation and onboarding of new technology partners  Contribute to expanding PCG’s innovation ecosystem and pipeline   Metrics, Reporting & Business Value  Track and communicate the impact of innovation initiatives using defined metrics  Support development of business cases and ROI analysis  Contribute to reporting on innovation outcomes, trends, and opportunities  Help inform strategic decisions on scaling innovation across the enterprise  Qualifications  Required  2–5 years of experience in construction, operations, engineering, or related field  Strong understanding of construction processes, workflows, and jobsite realities  Proven ability to solve practical problems and navigate ambiguity  Excellent communication and organizational skills  Ability to build relationships across field and corporate teams  Self-starter with a proactive, ownership mindset  Preferred  Bachelors degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field  Experience leading pilots, field deployments, or technology implementations  Familiarity with construction technology, digital tools, AI, or automation  Experience working cross-functionally with IT and operations teams  Exposure to change management, training, or process improvement initiatives