Sr. Manufacturing Engineer

Vulcan Elements Inc.; North Dakota; On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements is expanding a 1 million square foot facility and seeks a Sr. Manufacturing Engineer to lead the full lifecycle from design through startup and ramp to full capacity.

You will own a major production process, translating pilot-line work into scalable, stable manufacturing systems with strong leadership and hands-on problem solving. This high-impact role requires deep technical expertise in alloy production, casting, powder production, pressing, sintering, machining, coating,

Qualifications

• PFMEA, Control Plans, Work Instructions, and Process Flows authored to standard.
• Ability to read, interpret, and create electrical schematics and pneumatic diagrams.
• Experience with custom equipment design, vendor management, and full-cycle commissioning.
• Strong CAD skills for complex equipment assemblies and validation.

Responsibilities

• Lead equipment selection, quote comparison, and vendor evaluation, with technical and financial analyses.
• Own end-to-end process ownership: design requirements, vendor performance, commissioning, and qualification.
• Develop and optimize processes to improve throughput, quality, and equipment reliability; monitor OEE and cycle times.
• Manage technical schedules, budgets, and deliverables aligned with milestones and customer commitments.
• Provide hands-on startup support to stabilize processes and remove bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with R&D to develop new processes and equipment strategies for future production lines.
• Ensure EHS and quality compliance across all activities.
• Travel to support reviews and FATs, with an estimated <10% travel.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Equipment design

Documentation

Technical literacy

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related

Job description

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Transparency.

As a Sr. Manufacturing Engineer, you will contribute to the full lifecycle of a massive 1 million square foot manufacturing facility expansion—from design and equipment specification through installation, commissioning, production startup, and scale-up to full capacity. You will be responsible for a process step, translating pilot-line processes into full-scale, stable, and repeatable production systems. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role requiring deep technical expertise and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Critical Priority — Equipment & Vendor Selection: Lead the evaluation, quote comparison, and selection of advanced manufacturing technologies and vendors. You will own the technical and financial side-by-side comparisons to ensure selected machinery meets our aggressive scaling and quality goals.
• End-to-End Process Ownership: Own equipment design/requirements, vendor performance and schedule, commissioning activities, process development, and production qualification for a major production process (alloy production, casting, powder production, pressing, sintering, machining, coating, testing, packaging, etc.).
• Process Optimization: Develop and optimize manufacturing processes to improve throughput, quality, and equipment reliability. Monitor OEE results and station cycle times to drive yield and capacity improvements.
• Project Management: Manage technical schedules, budgets, and deliverables aligned with company milestones and customer commitments.
• Hands-on Startup Support: Provide hands-on support during production startup, helping stabilize processes and eliminate early bottlenecks.
• Future Innovation: Develop and innovate new processes and equipment strategies (collaborating with R&D) to implement in future production lines, pushing Vulcan to achieve best-in-class magnet manufacturing.
• EHS & Quality Compliance: Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality standards across all process activities.
• Travel: This position will require some interaction and travel to support equipment development reviews and Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) as needed (estimated at <10% travel).

You will also be responsible for developing, reviewing, or managing the following deliverables:

• Risk & Safety: Risk Assessments, Ergonomic Assessments, PFMEA.
• Process Design: Line Layouts, Process Flow Charts, Bill of Process (BOP), Station Cycle Times, Process Sheets, and Simulations.
• Engineering Diagrams: CAD Drawings, Electrical & Pneumatic Drawings, and performing necessary Electrical and Pneumatic Calculations.
• Quality & Control: Quality Control Plans, R&R (Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility) Studies, Quality Checklists, and Process Checklists.
• Operations & Maintenance: Work Instructions (SOPs), Calibration Procedures, Spare Parts Lists, Bill of Materials (BOM), and Maintenance Manuals.
• Controls & IT: HMI Controls Manuals, Vision Programs, MES Transactions Lists.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical discipline with 5+ years of experience OR a Master’s degree with 3+ years of experience.
• CAD Proficiency: Strong, hands-on experience creating, modifying, and validating complex equipment assemblies in CAD.
• Equipment Design & Commissioning: A proven track record in custom equipment design, vendor management, and full-cycle commissioning for various industrial processes.
• Documentation Mastery: Expert-level experience authoring and developing standard manufacturing documents (PFMEA, Control Plans, Work Instructions, and Process Flows).
• Technical Literacy: Ability to read, interpret, and create electrical schematics and pneumatic diagrams, including performing core engineering calculations (electrical/pneumatic).

U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience specifically in heavy industrial manufacturing, metallurgy, magnetics, or chemical processing.
• Proficiency with advanced simulation software for workflow and line balancing.
• Hands-on experience with machine vision programming (e.g., Cognex, Keyence).
• Familiarity with MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) implementation and transaction mapping.
• Experience in highly regulated industries such as Defense (DoD), Aerospace (AS9100), or Automotive (IATF 16949).

Physical and Environmental Requirements

The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and work in environments that may be hot, humid, or noisy. The role also requires the use of personal protective equipment, including respirators, and adherence to all applicable safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Employees must be able to complete required fit testing, wear appropriate PPE for the duration of assigned tasks, and respond safely to changing conditions within the production environment.