Vulcan Elements
Pilot Operations Manager
Research Triangle Park, NC
Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 5 days ago
LogisticsProcess ImprovementMechanical DesignLeadership
About the role
- Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future.
- With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future.
- The Pilot Operations Manager is responsible for end-to-end execution of pilot-scale manufacturing for advanced rare earth materials, serving as the critical link between development and full-scale production.
Responsibilities
- Pilot Production Leadership: Own daily pilot manufacturing operations from planning through delivery, ensuring reliable, safe, and on-time execution of material and testing plans aligned with program and commercial priorities.
- lead process optimization, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement to improve yield, stability, and scalability.
- implement and manage KPIs (yield, throughput, quality, schedule adherence) to drive performance and accountability.
- synthesize and communicate clear material testing summaries to support data-driven decisions and stakeholder alignment.
- Quality & Process Control: Maintain high-precision specifications through rigorous process control, in-process verification, and structured root cause and corrective action for deviations.
- Team Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop a team of technicians
- build a culture of accountability, precision, and continuous improvement.
- Process Engineering & Scale-Up: Translate R&D processes into robust, repeatable pilot workflows; lead process optimization, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement to improve yield, stability, and scalability.
- Operational Excellence & Scheduling: Establish and enforce SOPs, work instructions, and standardized workflows; coordinate production schedules, resource allocation, and equipment readiness; implement and manage KPIs (yield, throughput, quality, schedule adherence) to drive performance and accountability.
- Documentation, Testing & Traceability: Ensure complete and accurate batch records, material qualification traveler sheets, and process documentation; synthesize and communicate clear material testing summaries to support data-driven decisions and stakeholder alignment.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience in advanced materials, pilot production, or manufacturing environments.
- Proven experience leading pilot or production teams, with direct accountability for execution, safety, and performance.
- Hands-on experience working in pilot-scale or development environments, supporting process iteration, scale-up, and material qualification.
- Demonstrated experience in process engineering, pilot line operations, or scaling technologies from R&D to production.
- Strong track record of implementing SOP-driven operations, KPI management, and production documentation systems.
- Experience managing material flow, production scheduling, and cross-functional coordination.
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
Visa & Work Authorization
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U
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This listing is sourced directly from Vulcan Elements's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.