Location: Walkersville, Maryland | Fully on-site position

Build and Scale a First of Its Kind Domestic Carbon Materials Operation

An advanced materials venture in Maryland is commercializing a proprietary carbon conversion platform designed to establish a fully domestic supply of high-performance synthetic graphite and related carbon materials.
The company is moving from validated bench-scale chemistry to equipment procurement, pilot commissioning, and early production. This role will lead the operational buildout of the pilot facility, establish the systems required for safe and repeatable production, and help position the site for Commercial Phase 1 scale-up, targeting approximately 1,500 tons per year across multiple products.
This is a hands-on builder role for an operations leader who wants to create the operating system rather than inherit one.

The Role

This is not a steady-state manufacturing role. The first mandate is to help stand up the facility, commission equipment, establish operating systems, and create the discipline required for safe, repeatable pilot production.
The Sr. Operations Manager will report directly to senior leadership and will work alongside the Technical Leads during the pilot stage. The Technical Leads will own process development, product quality, and customer-specific technical requirements. The Sr. Operations Manager will own operational readiness, facility execution, logistics, production systems, operator training, safety discipline, and day-to-day plant performance.
As the site scales, this role is expected to take increasing ownership of overall operations while continuing to work closely with technical leadership on process performance, product quality, and customer-specific production runs.

What You Will Do

• Lead pilot facility commissioning, operational readiness, and daily production execution.
• Coordinate equipment installation, startup support, production logistics, and readiness activities.
• Establish SOPs, safety protocols, operator training systems, production routines, and operating discipline.
• Build and manage a small team of technicians and operators as the operation grows.
• Coordinate maintenance, troubleshooting, vendor support, spare parts planning, and system optimization.
• Implement process monitoring, quality controls, production reporting, and operating metrics.
• Partner closely with Technical Leads to align operations with process development, material quality, and customer-specific production requirements.
• Support sourcing, procurement, installation, commissioning, and operation of the manufacturing and production system.
• Oversee safe, reliable execution of multi-step chemical, thermal, mechanical, and powder-processing systems.
• Create the operational foundation required to scale from pilot output to Commercial Phase 1 production.

Team and Leadership Scope

This person will begin by leading a small, hands-on operating environment and is expected to help build the operations team over time. By 2028, the team reporting to this function is expected to include approximately 5-7 people.
Ideal candidates do not need to be managing a large organization today. Direct team leadership of fewer than 10 people is appropriate, provided the candidate has demonstrated strong shop floor ownership, cross-functional influence, and the ability to build processes from scratch.
The strongest fit is a hands-on floor leader with a strong process development orientation, strong operating discipline, and the ability to collaborate effectively with technical SMEs, vendors, operators, and senior leadership.

How the Role Evolves

In the near term, this role will focus on pilot facility readiness, equipment installation, commissioning support, SOP creation, safety systems, production planning, operator training, maintenance coordination, and early operating discipline.
Over time, the role is expected to expand into broader ownership of site operations as the company moves toward Commercial Phase 1 production. The next major scale target is approximately 1,500 tons per year across multiple products, representing an estimated $28M+ in annual revenue-generating production capacity.
As the company grows, additional senior operations leadership may be added, such as a COO or equivalent executive leader. This role is still expected to remain central to site execution and will have meaningful growth opportunities as the facility, team, and production platform scale.

What Success Looks Like

At 6 months:

• Pilot equipment installation and commissioning activities are moving safely and effectively.
• Core SOPs, safety protocols, production planning tools, and reporting systems are in place.
• Operator training, maintenance coordination, and daily operating routines are being established.
• The Sr. Operations Manager is viewed as the operational owner for facility readiness and execution discipline.

At 12 months:

• Stable pilot throughput is being achieved.
• Operational discipline, safety rigor, and production reporting are embedded across the facility.
• A small team of operators or technicians is trained, accountable, and operating with increasing independence.
• Technical and operations teams are working together effectively to support process development, product quality, and customer-specific production needs.

Longer term:

• The site is operationally prepared to scale toward Commercial Phase 1 production.
• The operations team, systems, and operating cadence are capable of supporting increased production volume.
• The Sr. Operations Manager has helped build the foundation for a scalable, revenue-generating advanced materials manufacturing platform.

Requirements

• 8 to 12 years of experience in manufacturing, materials processing, industrial plant operations, or controlled production environments
• 3 to 5 years of direct supervisory responsibility over technicians, operators, shift teams, or production personnel
• Experience supporting equipment commissioning, process monitoring, safety protocol development, and operational readiness
• Comfort working across multi-step thermal, chemical, mechanical, powder, or material processing systems
• Strong safety discipline and practical judgment in regulated or controlled production environments
• A builder mindset with the ability to create structure while processes, infrastructure, and teams are still being developed
• Direct experience with graphite, graphene, coal-derived materials, thermal treatment, acid/slurry systems, powder processing, purification, or pilot-scale commissioning is strongly preferred, but not required for consideration.

Highly Relevant Experience

• Equipment commissioning, facility startup, process launch, or pilot to production scale-up.
• Hands-on leadership of small technical teams, operators, technicians, or production personnel.
• Experience developing SOPs, operating procedures, safety protocols, training systems, and production reporting.
• Strong safety and regulatory discipline within chemical, thermal, powder, mechanical, or controlled production environments.
• Operational troubleshooting across equipment, material flow, maintenance, process consistency, throughput, and quality.
• Experience working with engineers, scientists, vendors, and technical SMEs to translate process requirements into reliable plant execution.

Relevant Industry Backgrounds

Strong candidates may come from specialty chemicals, advanced materials, ceramics, metals, or mineral processing, industrial gas systems, powder processing, food and beverage manufacturing, aerospace or defense manufacturing, or other process-driven industrial manufacturing environments.
Specific experience in slurry-based systems, acid-handling systems, high-temperature processing, powder handling, purification systems, or chemical process manufacturing is considered a strong plus but is not required for consideration.

Education
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related discipline preferred. Equivalent hands-on operational leadership experience will also be considered.

Operating Environment
This is an early-stage pilot and scale-up environment. Processes, systems, staffing, operating routines, and production discipline are still being built.
Success requires a hands-on floor leader who can move between strategy and execution, including equipment readiness, operator training, production planning, troubleshooting, safety discipline, and process development support. The right person will be comfortable working alongside Technical Leads, vendors, operators, and senior leadership to source, procure, install, commission, and operate the manufacturing system.
This environment will favor someone practical, accountable, calm in the face of ambiguity, and motivated to build the operational foundation for a new domestic carbon materials platform.

Travel
Minimal expected travel. This is primarily a facility-based role in Maryland.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $150,000 to $170,000, commensurate with experience, with flexibility for candidates who exceed all expectations.
• Bonus: 10% annual performance bonus.
• Eligible for long-term incentive plan.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), Paid Time Off, company-paid STD, LTD, and Life insurance.

Candidates must qualify as a U.S. Person as defined under applicable U.S. export control regulations, including U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents (green card holders), and other protected individuals. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Our client is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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