Plant Manager - South Carolina

Cyclic Materials•McBee, SC

91d•Hybrid

About The Position

Cyclic Materials is a rapidly growing cleantech company, building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials essential to the clean energy transition. The company's proprietary MagCycle℠ and REEPure℠ processes transform end-of-life products into valuable raw materials used in EVs, wind turbines, and electronics. With its successful commercial demonstration, Cyclic Materials is rapidly scaling commercially across North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Toronto, Cyclic Materials has scaled rapidly with plants established in Ontario and Arizona, as well as an expansion by building a campus in South Carolina. Cyclic Materials recently announced a Series C of $75 Million led by T. Rowe Price, in addition to backing by global leaders including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover's lnMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures, Fifth Wall and more. The company has forged strategic commercial partnerships with key industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Lime, and VACUUMSCHMELZE to recycle magnets containing REEs and bring a circular and resilient rare earth supply chain to scale. We are proudly named as one of Top 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch by MIT Tech Review in 2025. Learn more about Cyclic Materials cyclicmaterials.earth. Cyclic Materials is looking to add curious, hard-working, and driven individuals to our growing team. Come join us and help build a global cleantech leader together! Role Overview We are seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead the development of a new, greenfield industrial facility in eastern from site preparation and construction through commissioning, start-up, and steady-state 24/7 operations. This role owns safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people leadership for the site, and will be the single point of accountability for plant performance.

Requirements

10+ years in industrial/process manufacturing (e.g., chemicals, mining/metals, advanced materials, recycling) with 5+ years in plant leadership.
Demonstrated success delivering greenfield/brownfield projects through construction, commissioning, and start-up into 24/7 operations.
Deep knowledge of PSM/OSHA, EHS programs, and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC and local jurisdictions.)
Proven people leadership across multi-shift operations, including union and non-union environments.
Strong command of reliability, maintenance, and production systems (CMMS, LOTO, MOC, PSSR, SOPs, SPC/QA, batch/continuous processes).
Financial acumen: budget ownership, cost control, and capex/opex prioritization.
Ability to work on-site and respond to off-hours events in a continuous operation.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, or Electrical) and a diploma or degree in Business; or an equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.
Experience in circular economy, materials recovery, hydrometallurgy/pyrometallurgy, or advanced materials processing., CMRP, Six Sigma/Lean, NFPA/HAZWOPER would be an asset.

Responsibilities

Serve as owner’s representative throughout design and build; ensure constructability, operability, safety-in-design, and maintainability are embedded in all decisions.
Partner with Engineering, EHS, and Project Management to deliver detailed design, permitting, procurement, construction, and utilities tie-ins to scope, schedule, and budget.
Stand up site controls: site logistics, construction safety plans, lockout/tagout boundaries, contractor management, and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC).
Build the plant operating model (org structure, roles, training roadmap, shift pattern, SOPs, maintenance strategy, spares strategy) ahead of first equipment arrival.
Lead risk registers, HAZOP/LOPA reviews, pre-startup safety reviews (PSSR), and readiness assessments.
Lead multi-disciplinary commissioning plans, FAT/SAT acceptance, and turnover from EPC/vendors to Operations.
Establish control room standards, start-up procedures, and run rules; set initial operating envelopes and centerlines using Hub500 operations in Kingston and Spoke 1 as the initial baseline.
Build and run the 24/7 shift organization (operations, maintenance, lab/QA, materials handling) and manage on-call response.
Implement training & certification (operator qualification, LOTO, confined space, powered industrial trucks, first responder/Emergency Response Team).
Set up production accounting, quality systems, and CMMS; launch tiered daily management (Tier 1–3), visual KPIs, and escalation protocols.
Own safety culture and performance (Zero Harm mindset) and ensure regulatory compliance with SC OSHA and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) requirements.
Deliver production, yield, quality, and cost targets; manage budget, inventory, utilities, and site services.
Drive reliability: preventive/predictive maintenance (PdM), root cause analysis (RCA), and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) to maximize OEE.
Lead continuous improvement; reduce downtime, waste, and variability; optimize throughput and energy use.
Manage supplier performance and logistics for a 24/7 inbound/outbound operation; align with corporate supply chain and commercial teams.
Work with Supply Chain Management, Strategic Partnerships and External Customers to optimize the feedstock and offtake and to explore new feedstock opportunities
Represent the site with community, regulators, and company leadership; prepare clear performance reports and action plans.
Work with Engineering and Capital Project on future site expansion projects including new Spoke facility and additional Hub 2000 expansions.
Hire, coach, and develop a high-performing team; establish a positive, inclusive culture anchored in safety and accountability.
Define staffing plans and shift schedules; ensure adequate coverage for a 24-hour operation (nights, weekends, holidays as needed).
Conduct performance management, succession planning, and skills-matrix development; foster cross-training and advancement.

Benefits

We offer a competitive total rewards package commensurate with experience, including base salary, equity participation, and health & wellness benefits.

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