Senior Manager, Machining Operations

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.

This leader is hired before the machining equipment is installed and is accountable for building the organization, qualifying the process, and running it once it starts. That means owning equipment commissioning and process qualification from early engagement in the factory acceptance testing through first article and capability sign-off; designing the shift model, cell structure and technician progression; writing the training and onboarding programs that qualify every operator on the floor;

and then owning safety, OEE, quality and the operating budget in steady state.

• Own machining process startup end to end — from equipment specification review and factory acceptance testing through installation, site acceptance, commissioning, process qualification and rate ramp.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Capital Execution and Automation & Digital Manufacturing on equipment selection, tooling and fixturing strategy, cell layout, and controls integration; serve as the operations acceptance authority for equipment turnover.
• Lead first-article inspection, process capability studies and Cpk qualification for each machining, grinding, coating and finishing operation before it is released to production.
• Partner with the Manufacturing Engineering team to establish coolant, handling, tooling and abrasive management systems from scratch, including the consumable strategy and vendor relationships behind them.
• Define the lot flow, WIP staging and buffer strategy through the area in partnership with Production Controls, and confirm it physically during construction rather than after turnover.
• Drive the ramp from first qualified part to full rate across nine production lines, sequencing capability build against the equipment delivery and line startup schedule.

• Design the Machining Operations organization: shift model on a four-crew rotating schedule, cell and station structure, span of control, and the Shift Lead and Sr./Lead Technician layer that carries daily floor authority.
• Define technician roles and the progression path across stations — CNC machining, grinding, coating, tumbling, packaging and inspection — including the skill blocks that govern advancement.

• Own safety performance and safety culture for the area, with visible presence on the floor and personal accountability for the conditions people work in.
• Partner with EHS on job hazard analysis, pre-startup safety review, and the machine-specific procedures that must exist before equipment is energized.
• Build the shift safety routines — pre-shift checks, near-miss reporting, hazard recognition coaching — and hold Shift Leads accountable for running them credibly.

• Own Overall Equipment Effectiveness for the area, and the availability, performance and quality components behind it. Establish the measurement method, data capture and loss taxonomy before startup so the baseline is trustworthy.
• Drive first-pass yield, scrap and rework reduction, cycle time and changeover performance, using structured problem solving on the largest recurring losses.
• Own dimensional and cosmetic quality outcomes in partnership with Quality — control plans, SPC on critical characteristics, in-line inspection strategy and material disposition.