Manufacturing Engineer – Machining & Automation Research Triangle Park, NC

Manufacturing Engineer – Machining & Automation

Location:

Research Triangle Park, NC

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 a 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.

• Critical Priority – Equipment & Vendor Selection: Lead the evaluation, quote comparison, and selection of advanced manufacturing technologies and vendors. 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 automated production process (machining, grinding, coating, testing, and packaging).
• 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