VP / Senior Manager, Operations and Engineering

NEU Battery Materials Pte Ltd; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

NEU Battery Materials Pte Ltd in Singapore seeks an experienced VP / Senior Manager of Operations and Engineering to lead the scale-up of its proprietary recycling process from lab to commercial scale. You will coord​inate in-house development, external collaborations and EPCs, and drive safety, compliance and operational performance.

The role requires 8+ years in scaling industrial processes, EPCM or operations leadership, and strong plant engineering knowledge.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, or Industrial Engineering.
• MBA or PMP is a plus.
• 8+ years in scaling industrial processes from lab to commercial scale.
• Experience in EPCM or operations leadership in lithium, chemical, or recycling sectors.
• Proven ability to take technologies from pilot to full-scale operations.
• Strong plant engineering design, commissioning, and manufacturing systems knowledge.
• Solid operations management: material handling, SOPs, logistics, maintenance, EH&S.
• Mentoring experience and ability to work cross-functionally in R&D-heavy environments.
• Analytical thinker with problem-solving skills; familiarity with international safety frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end scale-up of proprietary recycling process from lab to commercial scale.
• Coordinate in-house development, external collaborations and EPCs.
• Oversee layout, utilities, infrastructure; manage scope, schedule and CAPEX.
• Translate lab/pilot insights into scalable engineering solutions.
• Serve as internal owner for EPCM contractors and third-party consultants.
• Ensure quality, safety, and technical standards at all stages.
• Establish and enforce engineering quality, safety, and performance standards.
• Translate R&D insights into robust process specifications.
• Coordinate with internal teams, contractors and suppliers; manage material flow.
• Drive plant KPIs (OEE, uptime, cost-per-ton) and identify cost-reduction opportunities.
• Support process validation, performance testing, and commissioning.
• Manage permits and regulatory compliance (Singapore and international).
• Mentor junior engineers in plant design, vendor management, and commissioning.

Skills

Operations leadership

EPCM management

Project management

SOP implementation

HSE / EH&S

Mentoring engineers

Cross-functional work

Education

Engineering degree (Chemical/Mechanical/Process/Industrial)

MBA or PMP (preferred)

Job description

VP / Senior Manager, Operations and Engineering

Help recover critical metals for the world.

Overview

Founded in 2021, NEU Battery Materials is a Singapore-based climatetech company that developed the world’s first patented electrochemical redox recycling method to recycle used lithium batteries. The company focuses on extracting critical lithium from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries that are found in electric cars and energy storage systems, which will be key in developing a circular supply chain. NEU aims to be the largest, cleanest, and most neutral source of recycled lithium globally. NEU’s contribution to electrification and circularity has been recognized by the likes of the Temasek Foundation, BloombergNEF, Forbes Asia, and many others.

We are looking for an experienced VP / Senior Manager of Operations and Engineering, to join our engineering team during a critical scale-up phase.

Objectives

The candidate will be responsible for:

• Timely project delivery: deliver key milestones on schedule and within approved capital expenditure plan
• Performance: improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), uptime, yield, and cost-efficiency versus plan
• Safety & compliance: ensure operational safety, and secure and maintain permits with the relevant regulatory authorities
• Operating system & team: build the Operations & Engineering organization and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end scale-up of NEU’s proprietary recycling process from lab-scale to commercial-scale by coordinating in-house development, external collaborations and EPCs
  • Oversee process layout, utilities, and infrastructure development
  • Define project scope, schedule, CAPEX, and resource plans, while ensuring delivery on time and within budget
  • Translate lab-scale and pilot insights into scalable, cost-efficient commercial engineering solutions
• Serve as internal owner and coordinator for EPCM contractors or third-party engineering consultants
  • Identify, evaluate, and manage engineering consultants, EPCs, and contractors
  • Review engineering deliverables, drawings, and safety documentation
  • Ensure quality, safety, and technical standards are met at all stages
• Establish and enforce engineering quality, safety, and performance standards for commercialisation
• Translate validated R&D insights into robust, scalable process specifications

Local Operations

• Coordinate with internal teams, contractors, and suppliers to ensure alignment across all workstreams
• Manage and own the full material flow, from feedstock intake to outboard materials
• Drive OEE, uptime, cost-per-ton, and other plant performance KPIs
• Lead process operating cost and identify potential cost reduction opportunities for future commercial plant design
• Lead and support process validation, performance testing, and troubleshooting during commissioning
• Manage all relevant Singapore permits and approvals (e.g. NEA, SCDF, MOM, PUB)
• Ensure compliance with chemical handling, safety, waste management, and environmental discharge standards
• Establish scalable frameworks for regulatory compliance applicable to international markets
• Guide and mentor junior engineers in plant design, vendor management, and commissioning

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, or Industrial Engineering; MBA or PMP is a plus
• Minimum 8 years of experience in scaling industrial processes from lab-scale to commercial-scale, EPCM, or operations leadership, ideally within lithium, chemical, or recycling sectors
• Proven track record in taking technologies from pilot stage to full-scale operations, and EPCM or plant project management (concept to commissioning)
• Deep understanding of plant engineering design, commissioning, and manufacturing systems
• Strong operations management skills, including material handling, SOPs, logistics, maintenance, and EH&S
• Ideally experienced in mentoring engineers and working cross-functionally in R&D-heavy environments
• Possess good analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Familiarity with international (US/EU) environmental and industrial safety frameworks.
• Good to have knowledge in any of these areas; flow battery, redox flow processes, electrochemical processes, fuel cell