Chief of Staff

About Magrathea

Based in Oakland, California, Magrathea is a global category leader in critical mineral production technology. Our mission is to rebuild the magnesium metal supply base, delivering secure access to one of the most critical materials on Earth. Magnesium is essential to the aluminum, steel, titanium, nuclear, defense, and aerospace industries but 95% of global supply comes from China where large amounts of coal are used to make metal. This isn't just an economic risk: it's a national security threat, and Magrathea is fixing it. We've developed a next-generation electrolytic process to make magnesium metal from seawater and brines, unlocking a new path to industrial independence and to a cleaner environment for future generations. We're backed by the earliest believers in Tesla and SpaceX, major European industrial families, and the U.S. Department of Defense. If you're ready to make a lasting real-world impact, let's talk.

Is Magrathea For Me?

You'll be joining a small, high-trust team of builders on a mission to stand up the first major electrolytic magnesium smelter this century. We're doing it this decade. There are no pointless positions here, no layers of middle management, no meetings about meetings: just a deep focus on moving important work forward. You'll be hands-on from day one, shaping the core of a technology that will have major impacts on national security, clean technology, and industrial resilience. If you're the kind of person who is energized by hard, consequential problems, stays clear, calm, and effective when the work is ambiguous or urgent, and wants to build something that will matter far beyond the company, this role is for you.

What This Role Is - and Is Not

This is a hands-on execution role. The highest-leverage person in this seat will personally drive critical workstreams, unblock details, chase vendors, build operating systems, prepare materials, walk the floor, write follow-ups, own deadlines, and make sure important things actually happen.

You should be excited by a role where you are willing to do whatever useful work moves the mission forward. One day you may be helping prepare for a board meeting or government funding process; the next you may be calling vendors, tightening a project plan, improving a safety process, resolving an operational bottleneck, or sitting with engineers to turn a messy problem into a clear next step. This role is for someone who wants to build, not observe. Operate, not advise.

Ideal Background

• 10+ years of experience in high-accountability operating environments, such as industrial startups, manufacturing, energy, defense, aerospace, engineering, project development, government programs, consulting, investing, or the military
• Strong technical fluency and comfort working with engineers, operators, vendors, contractors, and executives
• Demonstrated ability to take ambiguous, messy problems and turn them into clear plans, owners, timelines, and outcomes
• Participated in negotiation of contracts and commercial agreements
• Exceptional written communication, project management, analytical judgment, and follow-through
• Willingness to personally execute: drafting, calling, chasing, organizing, documenting, negotiating, troubleshooting, and closing loops
• Strong bias toward action, low ego, sustained energy and follow-through, and comfort operating without a playbook
• Bonus: experience in chemical processing, metals, mining, energy infrastructure, project finance, EPC, advanced manufacturing, or government funding programs

You'll Thrive Here If

• You like being close to the work and close to the details
• You get energy from taking chaos and turning it into order
• You are comfortable switching between strategy and execution many times in the same day
• You are a strong writer, clear thinker, and persistent, thoughtful, and dependable follow-through person
• You can earn credibility with engineers, operators, executives, investors, and government stakeholders
• You do not need a large team, a clean org chart, or perfect information to be effective
• You take pride in doing unglamorous work extremely well when that is what the mission requires

Compensation

• Salary range: $160,000-$200,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Equity, stock options, and/or milestone-based compensation
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401k from day 1 with pre-tax and post-tax investing options

Role Expectations

• Serve as a force multiplier for the CEO and CTO by taking high-priority, ambiguous problems and driving them to completion
• Process contracts like NDAs with our legal team, prepare presentations, and develop financial reporting for investors, the government, and our board of directors
• Support operating finance for tax, payroll, reporting, and audits
• Steward the company's human resources policies
• Develop, use, and implement AI tools for your work and across the organization
• Own cross-functional execution across operations, engineering, commercial, finance, government funding, recruiting, and internal company systems
• Follow details through to completion: vendors, contractors, partners, investors, agencies, candidates, internal owners, deadlines, open questions, and next steps
• Step into whatever urgent workstream matters most, even when it does not fit neatly into a job description

Location

• Full-time in-person at our Oakland, California facilities
• Magrathea sponsors visas for candidates from Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand

A Note on Qualifications

Research shows that some candidates are less likely to apply unless they meet every listed qualification. We do not want that to stop the right person from reaching out. If you are excited by Magrathea's mission and believe you can succeed in a hands-on, high-ownership role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every requirement.

Join Us

If you're looking for the most challenging, consequential, and meaningful work of your career - this is the moment. Help us build the clean industrial base future generations will inherit. Help us restore independence to a security-critical strategic metal. Make history with us.