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Vulcan Elements manufactures American rare-earth permanent magnets for defense, aerospace, and automotive applications. This is a greenfield operations leadership role: you are hired before machining equipment is installed and own the complete build-out from commissioning through steady-state production.
You will lead equipment commissioning and process qualification end-to-end—from factory acceptance testing through installation, site acceptance, and first-article sign-off across nine production lines. You partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Capital Execution, and Automation teams on equipment selection, tooling strategy, cell layout, and controls integration, serving as the operations acceptance authority for handover.
You design the Machining Operations organization from scratch: shift model (four-crew rotating schedule), cell and station structure, span of control, and the Shift Lead and Sr./Lead Technician layers. You define technician roles and progression paths across CNC machining, grinding, coating, tumbling, packaging, and inspection, including skill blocks that govern advancement.
You own safety performance and culture for the area with visible floor presence and personal accountability. You partner with EHS on job hazard analysis, pre-startup safety review, and machine-specific procedures. You build shift safety routines—pre-shift checks, near-miss reporting, hazard recognition coaching—and hold Shift Leads accountable.
You establish Overall Equipment Effectiveness measurement, data capture, and loss taxonomy before startup to ensure a trustworthy baseline. You drive first-pass yield, scrap and rework reduction, cycle time, and changeover performance using structured problem solving. You own dimensional and cosmetic quality outcomes in partnership with Quality, including control plans, SPC on critical characteristics, and in-line inspection strategy.
You own the Machining Operations operating expense budget: direct and indirect labor, overtime, tooling and abrasives, coolant and consumables, plating chemistry, and supplies. You build the area cost model and headcount plan through the ramp and manage to it with monthly variance explanation and corrective action. You manage tooling and consumable spend as a controllable through vendor strategy, tool life management, and regrind programs.
The role requires regular presence on the production floor, ability to navigate all facility areas, climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, work in hot/humid/noisy environments, and use PPE including respirators.
**REQUIREMENTS**
**Required:**
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline
- 8+ years in precision machining or discrete manufacturing operations, including 5+ years leading production teams in 24/7 multi-shift environment
- Deep working knowledge of CNC machining and precision grinding—setup, tooling, fixturing, feeds and speeds, tool life, and drivers of dimensional variation
- Strong command of GD&T, dimensional metrology, process capability (Cpk), and statistical process control
- Demonstrated ownership of equipment commissioning and process qualification—you have brought new machining equipment from installation through first article and capability sign-off
- Demonstrated ownership of OEE or equivalent equipment performance metrics, including establishing the measurement method rather than inheriting one
- Direct accountability for safety performance in machining or metalworking environment, including machine guarding, LOTO, and chemical handling
- Operating budget ownership with demonstrated cost control, particularly of labor and consumable spend
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities
**Preferred:**
- Greenfield, startup, or major expansion experience—standing up a machining operation from an empty building
- Experience machining brittle, hard, or magnetic materials; familiarity with rare earth magnet machining and pyrophoric swarf handling
- Experience with electroplating or surface finishing operations, including chemical handling and wastewater considerations
- Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) with record of applied projects in machining environment
- Experience deploying MES, shop-floor data collection, or automated inspection systems
