Cofounder and Chief Operating Officer

Interplay•New York, NY

53d

About The Position

Lantheon is the latest venture born out of Interplay’s Studio, which builds companies from scratch. Lantheon is a U.S.-based, veteran-founded rare-earth refining company building the next generation of clean, modular separation and refining technology for neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr). Our mission is to rebuild the domestic rare-earth supply chain—starting with light rare-earth separation—and to do so faster, cleaner, and more securely than any global competitor. As Lantheon’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), you will lead the company’s transition from blueprint to buildout owning site selection, permitting, construction, and operational readiness for both the pilot and full-scale refining facilities. You will translate Lantheon’s scientific breakthroughs into physical infrastructure that meets environmental, regulatory, and defense-grade compliance standards. This is a rare opportunity to build one of America’s first new industrial platforms of strategic importance in decades, from the ground up, in coordination with government, investors, and industry partners.

Requirements

10+ years in industrial facility development, EPC management, or operations leadership.
Proven experience building and commissioning pilot or full-scale production plants in one or more of the following sectors: Clean energy / battery materials (Tesla, Redwood, QuantumScape, etc.) Aerospace / advanced manufacturing (SpaceX, Anduril, Relativity, etc.) Refining / chemical processing / oil & gas (Chevron, Shell, Bechtel, Fluor, etc.)
Demonstrated expertise in site selection, permitting, environmental compliance, and regulatory navigation.
Strong understanding of process flow, utilities, and chemical plant design.
Experience managing multi-million-dollar CAPEX projects from concept to operation.
Proven ability to operate in high-ambiguity, fast-moving startup environments.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
Familiarity with DOE and DoD program structures, including DPA Title III or federal grant coordination.
Track record of leading rapid scale deployments of new industrial technologies.
Experience working with union and non-union labor, and navigating multi-agency oversight.

Responsibilities

Lead site selection, permitting, and development for Lantheon’s pilot and commercial-scale refineries in Nevada and beyond.
Manage EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) partners, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery of modular refining units.
Oversee civil, mechanical, and process engineering coordination to ensure seamless integration of refining modules.
Serve as primary operational liaison with DOE, DoD, EPA, and Nevada state regulators, navigating all environmental and industrial permitting processes (RCRA, NEPA, air/water discharge, hazardous waste, etc.).
Drive local and state-level engagement on zoning, infrastructure access, and incentives for clean-tech manufacturing.
Design and implement operational systems, safety protocols, and risk management frameworks suitable for hydrometallurgical and chemical processing environments.
Build the operating playbook for rapid replication of Lantheon’s modular refinery design across additional sites.
Recruit and manage cross-functional teams (engineering, operations, safety, procurement).
Establish strong relationships with key suppliers and contractors, ensuring alignment on technical and ESG standards.
Translate strategy into action with measurable milestones; report progress to board, investors, and government partners.
Champion a culture of speed, safety, and precision—balancing startup urgency with industrial discipline.