Staff Manufacturing Engineer

About Vulcan Elements   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.   The Role   As a Staff Manufacturing Engineer, you will contribute to the full lifecycle of a massive  1  million square foot manufacturing facility  expansion—from design and equipment specification through installation, commissioning, production startup, and scale-up to full capacity. You will be responsible for a process step, translating pilot-line processes into full-scale, stable, and repeatable production systems. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role requiring deep technical expertise and leadership.   Core Expectations & Responsibilities   Critical Priority — Equipment & Vendor Selection:  Lead the evaluation, quote comparison, and selection of advanced manufacturing technologies and vendors. You will own the technical and financial side-by-side comparisons to ensure selected machinery meets our aggressive scaling and quality goals.   End-to-End Process Ownership:  Own equipment design/requirements, vendor performance and schedule, commissioning activities, process development, and production qualification for a major heavy production process  (alloy production, casting, jet milling, powder production, pressing, and sintering operations) .   Process Optimization:  Develop and optimize manufacturing processes to improve throughput, quality, and equipment reliability. Monitor OEE results and station cycle times to drive yield and capacity improvements.   Project Management:  Manage technical schedules, budgets, and deliverables aligned with company milestones and customer commitments.   Hands-on Startup Support:  Provide hands-on support during production startup, helping stabilize processes and eliminate early bottlenecks.   Future Innovation:  Develop and innovate new processes and equipment strategies (collaborating with R&D) to implement in future production lines, pushing Vulcan to achieve best-in-class magnet manufacturing.   EHS & Quality Compliance:  Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality standards across all process activities.   Travel:  This position will require some interaction and travel to support equipment development reviews and Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) as needed (estimated at <25% travel).   You will also be responsible for developing, reviewing, or managing the following deliverables:   Risk & Safety:  Risk Assessments, Ergonomic Assessments, PFMEA.   Process Design:  Line Layouts, Process Flow Charts, Bill of Process (BOP), Station Cycle Times, Process Sheets, and Simulations.   Engineering Diagrams:  CAD Drawings, Electrical & Pneumatic Drawings, and performing necessary Electrical and Pneumatic Calculations.   Quality & Control:  Quality Control Plans, R&R (Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility) Studies, Quality Checklists, and Process Checklists.   Operations & Maintenance:  Work Instructions (SOPs), Calibration Procedures, Spare Parts Lists, Bill of Materials (BOM), and Maintenance Manuals.   Controls & IT:  HMI Controls Manuals, Vision Programs, MES Transactions Lists.   Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.   Qualifications   Education & Experience:  Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related technical discipline with  7+ years of experience  or a Master’s degree with  5+ years of experience.   CAD Proficiency:  Strong, hands-on experience creating, modifying, and validating complex equipment assemblies in CAD.   Equipment Design & Commissioning:  A proven track record in heavy custom equipment design, vendor management, and full-cycle commissioning for thermal or raw material processing.   Documentation Mastery:  Expert-level experience authoring and developing standard manufacturing documents (PFMEA, Control Plans, Work Instructions, and Process Flows).   Technical Literacy:  Ability to read, interpret, and create electrical schematics and pneumatic diagrams, including performing core engineering calculations (electrical/pneumatic).   Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.   Preferred Qualifications   Experience specifically in heavy industrial manufacturing, metallurgy, foundry operations, or chemical processing.   Experience handling reactive powders or managing high-temperature vacuum furnace environments.   Proficiency with advanced simulation software for workflow and line balancing.   Familiarity with MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) implementation and transaction mapping.   #LI-CM1