--- title: 'Mechanical Engineer at Red Metals' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-red-metals-charleston-5bw202dts430' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-05' --- # Mechanical Engineer at Red Metals - **Company:** Red Metals - **Location:** Charleston, SC - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-04-13 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/redmetals/1efffaaf-36ad-4298-ae25-e151eac77ac8 ## Job description Mechanical Engineer Charleston, South Carolina ## About Red Metals Red Metals is rethinking the domestic copper supply chain at a pivotal moment in American industry. Copper underpins electrification, data centers, and defense systems. U.S. demand already exceeds domestic supply, and the gap is widening as grid modernization, the energy transition, and buildout of AI infrastructure accelerate. We are building a new model for this critical industrial layer in the United States. ## The Role We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and operate our first copper processing and refining systems. This is not a support role. You will take process concepts from first principles through commissioning and into production, and you will own performance, reliability, and output. ## What You’ll Do - Design and build mechanical systems. Own mechanical performance across the plant. - Translate process concepts into equipment specifications, mechanical layouts, and fabrication drawings - Select and integrate mechanical equipment across the flowsheet - Work closely with chemical and controls engineers to build a functioning plant - Commission mechanical systems, including hands-on troubleshooting on the plant floor - Define maintenance procedures, inspection intervals, and reliability KPIs - Analyze equipment data and drive improvements in yield, quality, and throughput - Interface directly with vendors, fabricators, and contractors to execute quickly - Contribute to development of in-house controls and automation systems, using AI and process data to accelerate development, improve reliability, and continuously optimize Red Metals Non-Negotiables 1. Bias for Action We move fast. Speed beats polish. We use every tool, especially AI, to accelerate decisions, execution, and learning. 1. Grit We do hard things because they matter. We keep pushing when others quit. 1. Ownership We own outcomes, not tasks. We see problems, fix them, and follow through across functions. 1. Signal We cut through noise. We communicate clearly and directly so decisions are fast and execution stays sharp. 1. Craft We take pride in our work. Quality, care, and precision are the standard. ## What We’re Looking For - Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field, or equivalent hands-on experience demonstrating mechanical engineering capability - 3-8+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, ideally in metals, mining, refining, or heavy industry - Strong fundamentals in mechanical design, process development, and materials, whether developed through formal education or practical experience - Experience taking mechanical systems from design into real operation - Comfortable working on the plant floor in an industrial environment - Ability to operate with incomplete information and make sound decisions quickly Strong Pluses: - Experience with mechanical processing or sorting of mined or secondary materials - Experience with copper or non-ferrous metals processing - Experience commissioning industrial equipment - Familiarity with process control systems and instrumentation - Startup or early-stage experience ## Why Red Metals - Build a company from zero, not optimize an existing system - Direct ownership of critical process and operational decisions - Work on a problem that matters: rebuilding U.S. industrial capacity - Small team, high trust, no bureaucracy Location This role is based in Charleston, South Carolina and requires on-site work. ## About Red Metals ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Red Metals is building a new domestic supply chain for finished copper products by converting copper feedstocks directly into high-conductivity copper rod through an integrated refining and manufacturing process. - **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage – $10M raised) - **Headquarters**: Waterbury, Connecticut, United States / First production facility in Charleston, South Carolina - **Founded**: Not publicly available (recent startup, announced seed round in June 2026) - **Founders**: Jackson Switzer ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Copper refining and manufacturing (metals, advanced manufacturing) - **Target customers**: B2B – data centers, grid modernization, electrification, defense, wire & cable manufacturers - **Mission or purpose statement**: “Reshoring American copper – building the supply chain for what’s next.” – delivering high-conductivity copper rod domestically with dramatically shorter lead times and lower environmental impact. ## Products & Services - **High-Conductivity Copper Rod**: The company’s first commercial product – the industry-standard input used in wire, magnet wire, and other electrical applications. Produced via a single continuous operation from domestic copper feedstocks (initially scrap), reducing the typical multi-step, multi-country refining chain to days instead of months. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding of $10 million (Seed round, announced June 4, 2026) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Gigascale Capital (lead), Future Ventures, MCJ, and JB Straubel (founder and CEO of Redwood Materials, co-founder of Tesla). Also secured economic incentives from South Carolina and Charleston County. - **Growth Signals**: Building a $70 million facility in Charleston, SC (42,000 sq ft), expected to create at least 45 jobs with operations online in Q4 2026. Tackling a U.S. refined copper supply gap projected to exceed 2.5M metric tons annually by 2035. ## Competitive Advantages - **Integrated single-continuous process** that turns feedstocks directly into finished products, eliminating intermediate steps (concentrate, matte, anode, cathode, rod) – reducing lead times, working capital, energy intensity, and emissions. - **Feedstock-flexible** – initially focused on domestic copper scrap, making the process commercially viable without subsidies. - **Domestic supply chain security** – no port delays, no year-long lead times; built for reliability, speed, and control. - **Backed by top-tier deep-tech and industrial investors** with a rare combination of process innovation, operational execution, and supply chain expertise. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priority**: Launch the first production facility in Charleston, SC, scale the integrated refining process, and prove the economics at commercial scale. - **Medium‑term direction**: Expand capacity to support accelerating U.S. demand from data centers, grid modernization, electrification, and defense – aiming to capture a meaningful share of the domestic market ($45B+ by 2035). ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Technical, execution-oriented team with backgrounds from Redwood Materials, Boeing, Albemarle, BASF, and other industrial leaders. The company values hands-on work, speed, and staying close to the product. - **Location**: First facility in North Charleston, SC; company HQ in Waterbury, CT. The team is small (3 employees according to LinkedIn), so early hires will have outsized impact. - **Notable perks/culture**: Opportunity to help rebuild America’s industrial base and work on a mission-critical supply chain problem. The company is actively hiring engineers, operators, and “entrepreneurial builders” – see [jobs.ashbyhq.com/redmetals](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/redmetals). ## Sources 1. [redmetals.com](https://www.redmetals.com/) – Company homepage 2. [redmetals.com/announcement](https://redmetals.com/announcement) – Seed funding press release 3. [linkedin.com/company/redmetals](https://www.linkedin.com/company/redmetals) – Company LinkedIn profile 4. [governor.sc.gov](https://governor.sc.gov/news/2026-06/red-metals-establishes-first-copper-manufacturing-operation-charleston-county) – South Carolina governor’s announcement of Charleston facility 5. [miningweekly.com](https://www.miningweekly.com/article/tesla-co-founder-backed-copper-maker-red-metals-secures-seed-funding-for-us-refining-plant-2026-06-05) – Mining Weekly article on seed round ## Other roles at Red Metals - [Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-red-metals-charleston-ex2crnadsc07) — Charleston, SC - [Other Builders & Innovators](https://feeny.ai/job/other-builders-innovators-red-metals-charleston-bk53dvgw5mqg) — Charleston, SC - [Chemical and Process Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/chemical-and-process-engineer-red-metals-charleston-0hwqejbnd49b) — Charleston, SC - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-poseidon-aerospace-alameda-pr6p7816nv70) — Alameda - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-1x-san-carlos-y9p7cxq0shp5) — San Carlos, CA - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-rainmaker-technology-corporation-el-segundo-nsq16bvdmr0e) — El Segundo, CA - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-cowboy-space-corp-san-carlos-r1m55405ss58) — San Carlos, CA - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-str-arlington-g8afqh36khgr) — Arlington, VA - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-dv7an46y7ypw) — San Francisco, CA - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-hermeus-los-angeles-pkyp6b2k964g) — Los Angeles, CA