Plant Manager

An innovative critical materials technology enterprise is seeking an agile, hands-on Plant Operations Manager to lead construction turnover, commissioning, startup, and full commercial ramp-up at its state-of-the-art processing facility. This operational leader will translate patented extraction and separation technologies into a disciplined, high-recovery manufacturing environment. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will hold complete operational accountability for process safety, production output, mass-balance yields, asset reliability, and operational expenditures.

Plant Operations Manager Key Responsibilities

• Facility Commissioning & Ramp-Up: Direct construction handover, equipment commissioning, wet testing, and initial commercial ramp-up in coordination with EPC firms, OEMs, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Operational Architecture & Team Building: Recruit, train, and mentor the plant operations team—including supervisors, chemical operators, and technicians—while implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs), shift structures, and management-of-change (MOC) protocols.
• EHS & Process Safety Leadership: Champion an uncompromised plant floor safety culture, ensuring full compliance with environmental permits, hazardous materials handling, OSHA standards, and rigorous process hazard analyses (PHA).
• Yield, Mass Balance & Process Optimization: Partner with chemical and R&D engineers to track mass-balance closure, eliminate extraction losses, improve separation purity, and stabilize continuous unit operations.
• Asset Care & Reliability Strategy: Establish preventative/predictive maintenance frameworks, turnaround schedules, spare-parts inventory, and vendor service contracts to maximize facility availability and eliminate unplanned outages.
• Supply Chain & Operational Budgeting: Manage chemical reagents, feedstock inputs, finished product inventories, and operational expenditure budgets to maximize operational margins without compromising product specifications.
• Executive Cadence & Metrics: Direct daily shift handoffs, visualize plant KPIs (availability, throughput, lot yield, OEE), and deliver proactive performance dashboards directly to executive stakeholders.

Plant Operations Manager Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline (equivalent extensive plant leadership background considered).
• Operational Experience: 7+ years in continuous chemical processing, hydrometallurgy, refining, battery materials, or advanced metals recycling operations, including 3+ years managing direct reports or operating shifts.
• Commissioning Acumen: Verifiable background leading greenfield/brownfield commissioning, equipment startup, or rapid operational scale-ups.
• Process Systems Knowledge: Strong proficiency with PFDs, P&IDs, automated control systems (DCS/SCADA), hazard evaluations, and structured root-cause analysis (8D, Fishbone, RCA).
• Operational Presence: Hands-on mindset with an active, visible presence on the operating floor, ready to navigate real-time process upsets and maintenance outages.

Preferred Credentials

• Hands-on background with solvent extraction (SX), membrane separations, hydrometallurgical leaching, lithium-ion battery recycling, or rare-earth element processing.
• Formal background in process safety management (PSM) involving flammable solvents, acids, or volatile chemistry.
• Experience implementing Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and visual shop-floor management systems in a high-growth scale-up setting.

Plant Operations Manager Compensation & Benefits

• Highly competitive base salary aligned with experience
• Annual performance bonus incentive
• Equity participation grant
• Relocation package for qualified out-of-market candidates
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and 401(k) benefits