Metal Operations Manager

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. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

As the Metal Operations Manager you are responsible for leading day-to-day metallurgical operations to safely and reliably produce on-specification metals using high-temperature and electrochemical processes, including vacuum induction melting, metallothermic reduction, and electrolysis. This role manages an operations team and works closely with engineering and R&D to ensure consistent execution, continuous improvement, and a strong safety culture.

The ideal candidate combines hands-on metallurgical experience with disciplined operations management and a deep respect for the hazards inherent to hot metal processing.

This role begins in Durham, NC and is expected to move to Benson, NC upon completion of new facility.

Responsibilities

• Lead, train, and manage a team of technicians and operators conducting hot metal production.
• Plan and execute production runs to meet quality, throughput, and schedule objectives.
• Ensure consistent execution of startup, steady-state operation, shutdown, and turnaround activities.
• Allocate personnel, equipment, and materials to support both production and experimental campaigns.
• Serve as the escalation point for abnormal operations and troubleshooting.
• Enforce safety procedures, PPE requirements, and lockout/tagout practices.
• Lead pre-job briefings, hazard reviews, and post-run debriefs.
• Promote a culture where unsafe conditions are identified, reported, and corrected without hesitation.
• Contribute to the development, review, and continuous improvement of:

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Work instructions and checklists
• Training materials and qualification standards<span data-ccp-props="{&