Supervisor, Battery Recycling

Supervisor, Battery Recycling

The Supervisor, Battery Recycling is responsible for leading daily battery recycling operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant processing of lithium-ion batteries and related components for electric vehicles. This role directs technicians and contingent workers engaged in de-energizing, pre-treatment, depowering, disassembly, shredding, sorting, inventory management, and material handling activities. The Supervisor serves as the frontline leader for production operations, driving safety, quality, productivity, and employee development while ensuring compliance with company standards, environmental regulations, and customer requirements.

Primary Duties/Key Responsibilities

• Lead and direct the daily activities of Battery Recycling technicians, operators, and contingent workforce members by assigning work, establishing priorities, monitoring workflow, and ensuring operational objectives are achieved.
• Oversee all battery recycling operations, including pre-treatment, depowering, splitting and trenching, disassembly, shredding, material recovery, inventory transactions, and production data management.
• Coordinate with facility leadership, engineering teams, technicians, vendors, and service providers to ensure operational effectiveness and equipment reliability.
• Monitor equipment performance, escalate maintenance needs, and maintain clean, organized, and audit-ready work areas.
• Champion a culture of safety by enforcing company policies and regulatory requirements, conducting safety inspections, ensuring proper PPE usage, supporting incident investigations, and driving corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, environmental, hazardous material, quality, and company operational standards.
• Monitor production performance, inventory accuracy, quality metrics, and operational records to ensure customer, regulatory, and business requirements are met.
• Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective and preventive actions to address operational, safety, and quality issues.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, and cost performance.
• Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate team members through training, performance management, recognition, corrective action, and career development activities.
• Foster employee engagement, accountability, teamwork, inclusion, and alignment with Cox values and organizational expectations.
• Support workforce planning, staffing, onboarding, training, and resource allocation to meet production demands and operational goals.
• Review and leverage key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive continuous improvement and support achievement of production, service, quality, and financial objectives.
• Support additional tasks and responsibilities as assigned by management

Required Experience & Specialized Knowledge and Skills

• High School Diploma/GED and 5 years of experience in manufacturing, recycling, battery processing, automotive, warehouse, production, industrial operations, logistics, or a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 3 years of experience; a master's degree and 1 year of experience; or a Ph.D. and up to 1 year of experience.
• Strong knowledge of production operations, safety systems, inventory management, quality processes, and Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, communication, problem-solving, and collaboration skills with the ability to effectively lead and develop teams.
• Ability to work in a regulated industrial environment requiring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protection, and hazardous material controls.
• Ability to pass required medical evaluations for the PAPR, background screening, and drug testing.
• Ability to work flexible schedules and shifts based on business requirements.

Preferred Experience & Specialized Knowledge & Skills

• Previous experience in a supervisory, lead, or team leadership role, or experience leading cross-functional projects.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field.
• Experience in lithium-ion battery recycling, battery manufacturing, energy storage systems, automotive manufacturing, hazardous material processing, recycling operations, or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Experience working within ISO 9001, IATF 16949, EPA, OSHA, or other regulated operational environments.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, HAZWOPER, Environmental Compliance, Forklift, or other applicable industry certifications.

Physical Requirements

• Frequently stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, reach, and perform repetitive motions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds independently and greater weights with assistance or mechanical lifting devices.
• Ability to work in industrial environments with varying temperatures, dust, noise, and moving equipment.
• Ability to wear required PPE, including PAPR respiratory protection, Tyvek suits, and other related safety gear when required.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an industrial battery recycling environment that may include depowering stations, recycling processing areas, warehouse operations, and splitting/trenching facilities. Employees are required to comply with all PPE, environmental, and safety requirements, including PAPRs, safety footwear, eye protection, gloves, high-visibility apparel, Tyvek suits, and other equipment as required by the work area.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.

Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual's age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.EOE, including disability/vetsApplicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.