Plant Operations Director: Biochar Plant Leader

Cold Steppe Inc.; Stuttgart (AR); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Cold Steppe Inc. in Stuttgart, Arkansas, invites an experienced Plant Operations Director to lead AR-1's automated production, safety culture, and community presence.

You will own all facets of the facility and partner with the Co-Founder and COO to shape how we operate and scale. The role demands 15+ years in manufacturing leadership, a engineering degree, and a track record of running 24/7 operations, implementing preventive maintenance, and building high-performing teams in an industrial

Qualifications

• Engineering degree required; equivalent technical manufacturing experience considered case-by-case.
• 15+ years of manufacturing, plant, or operations leadership experience.
• Experience managing a 24/7 continuous manufacturing operation.
• Strong leadership of frontline production and maintenance teams.
• Thermodynamics and power operations background — particularly important as we scale to Alabama sites.
• Budget and cost management responsibility; safety and environmental compliance.

Responsibilities

• Own everything that happens inside the AR-1 facility and its public face in Stuttgart.
• Build a world-class safety culture and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Drive throughput, uptime, quality, and overall operating performance of a continuous automated line.
• Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Hire, develop, and lead a high-performing manufacturing team.
• Own the facility budget and cost management decisions.
• Collaborate with founders to shape future facilities and site design.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Frontline team leadership

Operations leadership

Safety & environmental compliance

Continuous improvement (Lean/Six Sigma

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Mechanical background

Electrical background

Job description

Cold Steppe Inc. in Stuttgart, Arkansas, invites an experienced Plant Operations Director to lead AR-1's automated production, safety culture, and community presence.

You will own all facets of the facility and partner with the Co-Founder and COO to shape how we operate and scale. The role demands 15+ years in manufacturing leadership, a engineering degree, and a track record of running 24/7 operations, implementing preventive maintenance, and building high-performing teams in an industrial