---
title: 'Safety Manager at Vulcan Elements'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/safety-manager-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-pt78qasw38w5'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Safety Manager at Vulcan Elements

- **Company:** Vulcan Elements
- **Location:** Research Triangle Park, NC
- **Posted:** 2026-10-15
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vulcanelements/jobs/5436237008

## 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 Transparency.

As a Safety Manager you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the organization’s safety programs to ensure safe, compliant, and reliable operations. This role leads cross-functional efforts to identify and control hazards, reduce operational risk, and promote a strong safety culture throughout the facility.

## Responsibilities

- Lead the development and implementation of the site’s safety program in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.
- Contribute to the development of and support the effective implementation of safety policies and procedures and safe working instructions.
- Drive critical OH&S programs such as incident reporting and investigation, respiratory protection, control of hazardous energy, PPE, hot work, fire prevention, etc. to reduce risks and company costs.
- Perform and oversee all field checks related to inspections, PPE, etc.
- Provide technical guidance to engineering and operations teams regarding safety requirements, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Maintain accurate EHS documentation, records, corrective actions, and regulatory reporting requirements.
- Create and lead permit-to-work programs including but not limited to hot work, roof access permits, confined space entry permits, working at height permits, etc.
- Lead and support safety audits (internal and ISO 45001), inspections, and regulatory reviews; develop improvement plans based on findings.
- Create and own the Blood Borne Pathogen Program.
- Serve as a trusted advisor during significant operational changes, capital projects, investigations, audits, and regulatory interactions.
- Mentor EHS professionals to strengthen technical depth, leadership capability, and succession planning.
- Strengthen and influence a proactive safety culture at all organizational levels.
- Champion a strong safety culture through communication, coaching, and visible engagement in the field.

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

## Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in engineering (chemical, mechanical, industrial, or related field preferred) or equivalent experience.
- 8+ years of experience in managing a safety program in an industrial manufacturing environment.
- Strong knowledge of OSHA, NFPA, state and local regulations and other relevant industry standards.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

## Preferred Skills

- Experience working in a powdered metal facility.
- Bilingual
- Certified internal auditor

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

## 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

- [Laboratory Technician – Materials Characterization](https://feeny.ai/job/laboratory-technician-materials-characterization-vulcan-elements-research-dyjdvhdanh07) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Maintenance Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/maintenance-manager-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-16xbaat3zj0e) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Operator - R&D / Pilot Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/operator-r-d-pilot-operations-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-35krxp35k1yr) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Capital Projects Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/capital-projects-analyst-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-r89w58fw2m94) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Controls Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-technician-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-44dpx717q56q) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Mechanical Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-systems-engineer-vulcan-elements-benson-th27p71e149r) — Benson, NC
- [Capital Projects Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/capital-projects-engineer-vulcan-elements-benson-snfcd58ssmqm) — Benson, NC
- [Electrical Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-systems-engineer-vulcan-elements-benson-t95hqdykgzfk) — Benson, NC
- [Senior Laboratory Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-laboratory-technician-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-mc2ps4vvd8jj) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-vulcan-elements-benson-bztp80dghrxt) — Benson, NC