Director, Utah Operations

Magrathea•Salt Lake City, UT

3d•$180,000 - $240,000•Onsite

About The Position

About Magrathea Based in Oakland, California, Magrathea is a global category leader in critical mineral production technology. Our mission is to rebuild the magnesium metal supply base, delivering secure access to one of the most critical materials on Earth. Magnesium is essential to the aluminum, steel, titanium, nuclear, defense, and aerospace industries but 95% of global supply comes from China where large amounts of coal are used to make metal. This isn’t just an economic risk: it’s a national security threat, and Magrathea is fixing it. We’ve developed a next-generation electrolytic process to make magnesium metal from seawater and brines, unlocking a new path to industrial independence and to a cleaner environment for future generations. We’re backed by the earliest believers in Tesla and SpaceX, major European industrial families, and the U.S. Department of Defense. If you’re ready to make a lasting real-world impact, let's talk. Is Magrathea For Me? You'll be joining a small, high-trust team of builders developing an electrolytic magnesium production demonstration plant in the Salt Lake City Area. You will be the person who builds the team and runs it. The facility will produce magnesium metal and the reliable operating data needed to validate the process and inform future commercial project development. You'll be hands-on from day one, on the ground and shaping the facility from detailed engineering drawings through construction, startup, and demonstration operations. If you're the kind of person who is energized by hard, consequential problems, stays clear, calm, and effective when the work is ambiguous or urgent, and wants to build something that will matter far beyond the company, this role is for you.

Requirements

10+ years in high-accountability operating environments in chemical or minerals processing, metals, manufacturing, energy, or heavy industry with previous experience in senior site management, operations, or plant leadership
Demonstrated experience commissioning and starting up a new plant, process unit, or major capital project, not just running an established one
Demonstrated ability to lead an operations team, set clear expectations, and hold operators accountable for safe production and reliable data collection
Experience coaching and qualifying operators through practical training
Demonstrated ability to interpret process trends, diagnose deviations, and translate findings into corrective actions and documented learning
Strong process engineering fluency: able to read and critique PFDs, P&IDs, mass/energy balances, and equipment specs, and to engage substantively with detailed engineering
Proven safety leadership in a hazardous-process environment, with working knowledge of PSM, HAZOP/PHA, and OSHA/EPA requirements
Track record owning production, cost, reliability, and quality targets, with P&L or operating-budget ownership
Comfort with spreadsheets, production reporting, and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS)
Comfort working shoulder-to-shoulder with engineers, operators, vendors, contractors, regulators, and executives
Willingness to be based in the Ogden, Utah area and physically present on-site through construction, commissioning, and operations

Nice To Haves

hydrometallurgy, magnesium/brine/lithium processing, titanium production, chlor-alkali, molten-salt or high-temperature processing, skid-based/modular facilities, process simulation (e.g., Metsim), EPC delivery, or government-funded programs

Responsibilities

Help design the facility, get it built, bring it to life, and then run it.
Review P&IDs and 3D models with engineers, walk the site with our host-site partner and contractors, chase long-lead equipment, write the operating procedures, lead commissioning and startup, and then own day-to-day production, safety, cost, quality, and operating data.
Flag an operability problem before it gets built into steel.
Level a skid, resolving a permitting question with regulators, or training the first operators we hire.
Own the safe, compliant, on-budget delivery of the Ogden demonstration facility — first as a project being built, then as a plant producing magnesium and scale-up data.
Serve as our senior operational presence on the ground, interfacing daily with our host-site partner, EPC/engineering firms, contractors, and equipment vendors.
Bring operational judgment into detailed engineering: review PFDs, P&IDs, 3D models, and skid layouts, and flag operability, safety, and maintainability issues before they are built in.
Drive site integration and civil/building requirements: equipment placement and leveling, drainage, piping, utilities, and clearances.
Define and prioritize long-lead equipment and purchase orders early enough to protect the schedule.
Plan and lead commissioning and startup: procedures, run books, training, first feedstock, and ramp-up; keep operating procedures current as the process evolves.
Own plant performance: production, uptime, yield, quality, and unit cost; manage feedstock and consumables efficiently and oversee safe material receipt and handling.
Set daily operating priorities, review shift logs and process trends, and coordinate troubleshooting and corrective actions with operators and engineers.
Work with engineering to plan operating campaigns, define data collection requirements, and document results that guide process improvements and commercial scale-up.
Coordinate preventive maintenance, repairs, and planned outages with engineering and maintenance resources to support reliable operation.
Build the site safety and environmental program and hold the line on PSM, OSHA, EPA, and Utah DEQ compliance, including air emissions, water discharges, and waste management.
Lead safety meetings and site inspections; support process hazard reviews and regulatory audits, and follow corrective actions through to closure.
Recruit, hire, and develop the site team, starting with a lead process engineer and core operations staff; directly manage all plant operators, including training, work assignments, and performance.
Manage the site budget and, at steady state, hold site operating budget and cost control; support capital cost definition and FID decisions for leadership and the board.
Step into whatever urgent workstream matters most to get the plant built and running, even when it does not fit neatly into a job description.