Plant Superintendent

Job Description

Plant Superintendent

About the Opportunity
Our client is an industrial technology company turning end-of-life magnets into a domestic source of critical materials, cutting the country's reliance on overseas supply. Backed by serious investment, they're standing up a first-of-its-kind plant from the ground up, and need an experienced, hands-on leader to run it.

As Plant Superintendent, you'll lead the development, commissioning, and day-to-day operation of the facility. This is a full-time, exempt, on-site leadership role with full accountability for safety, production, cost, and people, and real involvement in shaping how the plant runs as it scales. The right person leads with a safety-first mindset, shows up on the floor, and can balance daily delivery with building toward what comes next.

What You'll Do

• Provide leadership in line with a safety-first culture.
• Ensure compliance with all HSE standards, procedures, and federal, state, and local regulations.
• Play an active, hands-on role in managing demonstration plant operations and facility development, supporting equipment selection, installation, commissioning, and the safe ramp-up from demonstration scale to full production.
• Lead daily plant operations to hit production, quality, recovery, and efficiency goals, while maintaining strong process control, risk management, and operational discipline.
• Lead a team of hourly operators, set schedules, conduct performance reviews, and build a well-trained, motivated workforce, growing the team from a handful of operators to a 24/7 rotation as the plant scales.
• Identify and roll out continuous improvement initiatives to optimize plant performance, throughput, and reagent consumption.

What You Bring
Education

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required. Chemical, Metallurgical, and Mechanical backgrounds all work; what matters most is hands-on plant processing experience.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in chemical, mineral processing, manufacturing, oil and gas, or petrochemical operations, including at least 3 years in a supervisory role in plant operations.
• Proven success leading teams in a production or plant environment, including engaging, motivating, and holding hourly staff accountable.
• Strong understanding of safety systems, plant operations, process control, and cost management.
• Working knowledge of project management principles and hands-on troubleshooting ability.
• Direct experience with critical minerals or rare earth processing is a plus, not a requirement.

Key Skills

• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent administrative, organizational, and supervisory skills.
• Valid driver's license.

Additional Requirements

• Able to regularly lift moderately heavy objects (50 lbs, occasionally up to 75 lbs), climb ladders and stairs, and stand for extended periods.
• Comfortable working safely in and around strong permanent magnets and magnetic fields (individuals with pacemakers, implanted medical devices, or related conditions should consult occupational health first).
• Legally eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship, now or in the future.

Why Join

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Health benefits package, with full benefits details shared during the interview process.
• The chance to help build a first-of-its-kind facility in a strategically vital U.S. industry.
• A fast-moving, collaborative, high-performing, safety-first team culture.

A Note on Fit
We understand no candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Contact
Laura Fletcher
720-935-3754
laura@mrcrecruiting.com