Pilot Plant Manager (California, San Leandro)

SupportFinity™; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

PHNX Materials seeks a Pilot Plant Manager to run the day-to-day operations of the PHNX pilot facility, partnering with engineers, scientists, and operators to operate, troubleshoot, and improve the pilot plant converting industrial ash into valuable products.

This hands-on leadership role offers full ownership of pilot operations, with a focus on safety, process optimization, and seamless transition toward commercial scale-up.

Qualifications

• Prior experience managing day-to-day operations at a pilot plant.
• Hands-on responsibility for pilot plant equipment, operations, and troubleshooting.
• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with direct experience operating equipment.
• Experience managing slurry handling, material transfers, and continuous processes.
• Ability to make real-time operational decisions.
• Strong communication skills and coordinating across engineering, technical, and commercial teams.
• Willingness to work hands-on on the plant floor as needed.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operations of the PHNX pilot facility, ensuring safe, reliable, and consistent performance.
• Guide set up and processes for pilot facility.
• Operate and oversee equipment handling high-solids slurries, including tanks, reactors, filter presses, grinders, crushers, pumps, and material handling systems.
• Make real-time operational decisions to keep processes running smoothly in a fast-paced environment.
• Execute operating procedures to meet performance, quality, and throughput targets.
• Lead equipment setup, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Diagnose and resolve mechanical, electrical, and process issues as they arise.
• Adjust operating parameters and flows to ensure product quality and repeatability.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance and manage equipment uptime.
• Work closely with engineering and technical teams to support process development.
• Provide hands-on feedback to improve equipment design, layouts, and operations.
• Support customer-facing demonstrations and pilot runs.
• Help document learnings, operational data, and best practices to inform future scale-up.
• Own day-to-day safety at the pilot facility, enforcing PPE use, appropriate chemical handling, and safe work practices.
• Ensure adherence to SOPs, permits, and site safety requirements.
• Report and respond to safety incidents, near misses, and operational deviations.
• Serve as the central point of coordination between operations, engineering, and commercial teams.
• Communicate daily status, issues, and priorities clearly across the organization.
• Training, documentation, and knowledge transfer for future operators and facilities.

Skills

Pilot plant operations

Hands-on operator

Mechanical aptitude

Electrical aptitude

Team coordination

Safety compliance

Tools

SCADA

Industrial equipment

Job description

PHNX Materials | Posted Feb 16

Full-time

Negotiable

Unknown

About PHNX Materials

PHNX Materials refines coal ash waste into a sulfate-based fertilizer, and a cement substitute (SCM). Our cost-effective, scalable technology delivers a triple win: providing a low cost fertilizer, helping power producers manage coal ash liabilities, and providing concrete companies a cheaper, greener alternative to cement. With an existing operational pilot facility, PHNX is on a mission to unlock this abundant domestic natural resource.

Role Summary

As the Pilot Plant Manager at the PHNX pilot facility, you will be responsible for running day-to-day plant operations and turning breakthrough science into repeatable, commercial reality. You will work shoulder to shoulder with engineers, scientists, and operators to operate, troubleshoot, and continuously improve a complex pilot plant converting industrial ash into clean, valuable products. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who wants full ownership of pilot operations, not a desk job.

Key Responsibilities

You will play a key role shaping PHNX’s technology, customer-facing demos, and new industry standards.

Pilot Plant Operations and Execution

• Own day-to-day operations of the PHNX pilot facility, ensuring safe, reliable, and consistent performance
• Guide set up and processes for pilot facility
• Operate and oversee equipment handling high-solids slurries, including tanks, reactors, filter presses, grinders, crushers, pumps, and material handling systems
• Make real-time operational decisions to keep processes running smoothly in a fast-paced environment
• Execute operating procedures to meet performance, quality, and throughput targets

Equipment Maintenance and Troubleshooting

• Lead equipment setup, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting
• Diagnose and resolve mechanical, electrical, and process issues as they arise
• Adjust operating parameters and flows to ensure product quality and repeatability
• Coordinate preventative maintenance and manage equipment uptime

Process and Technology Development Support

• Work closely with engineering and technical teams to support process development
• Provide hands-on feedback to improve equipment design, layouts, and operations
• Support customer-facing demonstrations and pilot runs
• Help document learnings, operational data, and best practices to inform future scale-up

Safety and Compliance

• Own day-to-day safety at the pilot facility, enforcing PPE use, appropriate chemical handling, and safe work practices
• Ensure adherence to SOPs, permits, and site safety requirements
• Report and respond to safety incidents, near misses, and operational deviations

Team Coordination and Communication

• Serve as the central point of coordination between operations, engineering, and commercial teams
• Communicate daily status, issues, and priorities clearly across the organization
• Training, documentation, and knowledge transfer for future operators and facilities

Qualifications

• Prior experience managing day-to-day operations at a pilot plant
• Hands-on responsibility for pilot plant equipment, operations, and troubleshooting
• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with direct experience operating equipment
• Experience managing slurry handling, material transfers, and continuous processes
• Ability to make real-time operational decisions
• Strong communication skills and coordinating across engineering, technical, and commercial teams
• Willingness to work hands-on on the plant floor as needed.

Preferred / Bonus

• Experience supporting pilot-to-commercial scale-up efforts
• Forklift certification, OSHA safety training, or equivalent industrial safety experience
• Familiarity with SOP development, process documentation, and operational data tracking

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape and build a facility tackling major environmental challenges.
• Dynamic startup environment with mission-driven team and room for growth.
• The chance to revolutionize heavy industries.

PHNX Materials is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

About the company

PHNX Materials