---
title: 'Manufacturing Instructor at Vulcan Elements'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-instructor-vulcan-elements-benson-7wex3veqf7b5'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-01'
---

# Manufacturing Instructor at Vulcan Elements

- **Company:** Vulcan Elements
- **Location:** Benson, NC
- **Posted:** 2026-10-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-01
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vulcanelements/jobs/5445653008

## 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 Integrity.

As the Manufacturing Instructor you deliver classroom, simulation, and hands-on equipment training for employees entering advanced magnet manufacturing roles. This position teaches approved curriculum, operates production and training equipment during demonstrations, and supervises learners as they practice required tasks at Johnston County Community College (JCC).

The instructor must become qualified on the assigned machines and processes before operating equipment or supervising hands-on activities. The position works closely with Vulcan Elements subject-matter experts from Operations, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, and Warehouse/Logistics to ensure training remains accurate, safe, and consistent with approved procedures.

Instruction and Facilitation

- Deliver approved onboarding, safety, technical, and operator training using classroom instruction, videos, discussions, simulations, and practical exercises.
- Explain manufacturing and technical concepts in clear, practical language appropriate for hourly operators and technicians.
- Maintain an organized, engaging learning environment and adapt instruction to learner experience while preserving required outcomes.
- Prepare presentations, student guides, handouts, equipment, and materials before each session.
- Coordinate guest instructors and Vulcan Elements subject-matter experts to support training delivery.

Machine Demonstration and Hands-On Training

- Complete required machine qualifications and safely set up, operate, monitor, and shut down assigned equipment.
- Demonstrate approved operating procedures, including controls, operating limits, hazards, quality checks, documentation, and emergency response.
- Supervise hands-on practice, maintain control of the training area, and enforce PPE, procedural, stop-work, and escalation requirements.
- Stop training activities when unsafe conditions, equipment abnormalities, quality concerns, or procedural deviations occur.
- Conduct and document practical evaluations, ensuring learners complete required qualification and authorization before operating independently.

Curriculum Delivery

Teach or coordinate training in the following areas:

- Magnet science, applications, grades, customer requirements, workplace expectations, and manufacturing fundamentals.
- Safety, quality, material control, documentation, traceability, compliance courses, and onboarding requirements.
- Technical terminology, measurements, drawings, specifications, and MES and ERP concepts.
- Receiving, sampling, material preparation, milling, blending, pressing, sintering, inspection, and metallography.
- Department roles, cross-functional handoffs, machine operation, quality checks, basic troubleshooting, and response to abnormal conditions.

Assessment and Administration

- Administer quizzes, simulations, practical exercises, and hands-on assessments, providing coaching and remediation as needed.
- Maintain accurate attendance, assessment, qualification, and completion records.
- Use current, approved materials and procedures, and resolve outstanding questions with appropriate subject-matter experts.
- Collect learner feedback, recommend curriculum improvements, and support scheduling, classroom preparation, pilot-site visits, and future cohorts.
- Protect confidential, proprietary, customer-sensitive, and export-controlled information.

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

## Minimum Qualifications

- High school diploma or equivalent, with at least five years of relevant industrial experience and two years training, coaching, onboarding, or leading employees.
- Experience operating industrial equipment and ability to qualify on assigned machines and processes.
- Knowledge of manufacturing safety, quality, documentation, and equipment-control practices, with the ability to interpret and follow technical documents and approved procedures.
- Strong communication, presentation, organization, and classroom-management skills; ability to demonstrate technical tasks, supervise practice, and maintain accurate training records.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and classroom technology, with the ability to travel between JCC, Vulcan Elements, and pilot sites and work a flexible schedule.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Associate or bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, engineering technology, education, instructional design, workforce development, occupational safety, or a related field.
- Experience delivering manufacturing, safety, technical, or operator training.
- Experience in advanced manufacturing, metals, powder or chemical processing, or regulated production environments.
- Experience with scenario-based instruction, train-the-trainer programs, and practical skills assessments.
- Familiarity with MES, ERP, learning management systems, and manufacturing procedures and work instructions.

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

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.

## Role Authority

This position may operate equipment and supervise hands-on training only after completing the required machine-specific qualification. The instructor may evaluate learner performance but may not authorize independent equipment operation unless designated to do so under the approved qualification process.

Eligible to share/position to various positions within Workforce Strategy and Development team based on needs and performance.

## About Vulcan Elements

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Vulcan Elements manufactures American rare-earth permanent magnets to build a resilient, Western supply chain for critical industries including defense, aerospace, automotive, and AI datacenters.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed + Series A + Debt financing)
- **Headquarters**: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (primary R&D operations also in Research Triangle Park, NC)
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: John Maslin (CEO) and Dr. Piotr Kulik (CTO)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Advanced manufacturing of rare earth permanent magnets (neodymium).
- Target customers: B2B and government/defense – enterprise customers in defense, aerospace, automotive, industrial, consumer electronics, AI datacenters, semiconductor fabrication.
- Mission: "Improving U.S. and allied security by producing the Rare Earth Magnets that are critical to economic and national security." – [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/)

## Products & Services
- **Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (Neodymium)**: High-performance sintered and bonded magnets used in motors, generators, sensors, and actuators. Application areas include defense systems, satellites, AI datacenters, semiconductor fabrication, consumer electronics, industrial motors, power tools, and non-drive train motors. – [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/)
- **R&D and Process Optimization**: Developing next-generation magnetic technologies and advanced manufacturing processes focused on efficiency, cost competitiveness, and supply chain transparency. – [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed.
- **Total Funding**: $690.2 million (as of November 2025) across three rounds:
  - Seed Round (Dec 2023): $5.2M – 3 investors.
  - Series A (Sep 2025): $65M – led by Washington Harbour Partners and Altimeter.
  - Debt Financing (Nov 2025): $620M – led by the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC). – [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/vulcan-elements) / [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/vulcan-elements)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $690.2M; production output of 10 metric tons in 2025.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital, Washington Harbour Partners, Altimeter.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Announced a $1.4 billion partnership with the United States government.
  - Selected Benson, North Carolina, for a 1.1 million sq ft facility – the largest magnet manufacturing plant outside China.
  - Employee headcount of 38 (+200% YoY) as of mid-2026.
  - Rapidly scaling pilot operations; 37 open job listings on Greenhouse. – [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/) / [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/vulcan-elements) / [greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vulcanelements)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Domestic Supply Chain**: The only U.S. company vertically integrating rare earth magnet production, reducing reliance on Chinese supply.
- **Technical Expertise**: Co-founder Dr. Piotr Kulik is one of four rare earth magnet science professors in the U.S. and opened the first academic rare earth magnetics lab in the country in over 20 years.
- **Government Backing**: Strong ties to U.S. national security agencies and over a billion dollars in government-funded partnerships.
- **Process Innovation**: Proprietary process optimization methods aimed at cost competitiveness without sacrificing performance.
- **National Security Focus**: All operations require U.S. Person status, aligning with defense and aerospace customer needs.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale Production**: Transition from pilot-scale (10 metric tons/year) to mass production at the Benson, NC facility to meet surging demand from defense, AI, and automotive sectors.
- **Supply Chain Resilience**: Partnering exclusively with U.S. and allied-country suppliers (UK, Australia, Japan).
- **R&D**: Developing next-generation magnetic materials and advanced manufacturing processes.
- **Talent Acquisition**: Actively hiring engineers, scientists, operations, and business development talent to support rapid growth. – [greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vulcanelements)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Culture**: Employees contribute directly to national security and economic resilience, with values of Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Transparency. – [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/careers/)
- **Benefits**: Competitive equity, unlimited PTO, 90% health insurance (100% for employee), 99% dental and vision, 401K, fully stocked kitchen. – [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/careers/)
- **Work Environment**: Fast-paced startup with a "startup manufacturer" ethos; roles are largely on-site in Research Triangle Park, NC or Benson, NC. Internship opportunities available with mentorship and real impact on critical projects.
- **Growth Opportunity**: Extremely high headcount growth (+200% YoY) and large-scale facility expansion offer rapid career advancement.
- **U.S. Person Requirement**: Many positions require U.S. Person status due to government contracts.

## Sources
1. [vulcanelements.com](https://vulcanelements.com/)
2. [vulcanelements.com/careers](https://vulcanelements.com/careers/)
3. [greenhouse.io (Vulcan Elements jobs)](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vulcanelements)
4. [linkedin.com/company/vulcan-elements](https://www.linkedin.com/company/vulcan-elements)
5. [cbinsights.com/company/vulcan-elements](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/vulcan-elements)

## Other roles at Vulcan Elements

- [Security & Emergency Services Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/security-emergency-services-manager-vulcan-elements-benson-kqjnfejc4mtg) — Benson, NC
- [Maintenance Technician (R&D)](https://feeny.ai/job/maintenance-technician-r-d-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-vmbqxjwqqd14) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Senior Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-design-engineer-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-7d4bmba9bfcw) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Safety Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/safety-specialist-vulcan-elements-benson-289d9hnqpkyt) — Benson, NC
- [Staff Production Control Engineering Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-production-control-engineering-analyst-vulcan-elements-benson-ar3f3045a3cb) — Benson, NC
- [Business Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/business-systems-engineer-vulcan-elements-benson-206rjt2thmg0) — Benson, NC
- [Materials Characterization Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/materials-characterization-engineer-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-kxxg1teeyjgm) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Laboratory Technician – Materials Characterization](https://feeny.ai/job/laboratory-technician-materials-characterization-vulcan-elements-research-dyjdvhdanh07) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Safety Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/safety-manager-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-pt78qasw38w5) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Maintenance Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/maintenance-manager-vulcan-elements-benson-16xbaat3zj0e) — Benson, NC