---
title: 'Senior Industrial Engineer at Vulcan Elements'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-industrial-engineer-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-07anw4r6e6nd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Senior Industrial Engineer at Vulcan Elements

- **Company:** Vulcan Elements
- **Location:** Research Triangle Park, NC
- **Posted:** 2026-04-07
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vulcanelements/jobs/5176348008

## 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 Senior Industrial Engineer, you will contribute to the full lifecycle of a massive 1.1 million square foot manufacturing facility expansion—focusing on the master layout, capacity planning, and total factory flow. You will be the primary thread connecting all departments, understanding their technical needs to optimize the physical and operational footprint. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role requiring deep analytical expertise and a proven history of setting up greenfield factories.

## Responsibilities

- Own the complete facility layout and space allocation across the 1.1M sqft footprint. Optimize the placement of production lines, raw material storage, shipping/receiving, and support infrastructure for optimal workflow.
- Conduct deep-dive capacity analyses and equipment cycle time studies to identify bottlenecks, calculate overall factory throughput, and ensure the site meets its aggressive scaling targets.
- Design the overall Plan for Every Part (PFEP) and internal material logistics. Run discrete-event simulations to model material movement, AGV traffic, forklift operations, and operator walk paths across the factory.
- Create and maintain Yamazumi charts (operator workload balancing), line balance tables, and value stream maps to eliminate non-value-added time and optimize human-machine interactions.
- Develop data-driven headcount models for various production volumes, calculating both direct labor and indirect support staff requirements as the plant scales.
- Act as the central industrial engineering hub for the company—partnering directly with Process, Equipment, Quality, and Operations teams to understand and incorporate their specific spatial and utility needs into the master plan.
- Lay the groundwork for 5S, visual management, and continuous improvement (Kaizen) frameworks before mass production begins.

You will also be responsible for developing, reviewing, or managing the following deliverables:

- Line Layouts (AutoCAD/FactoryCAD), Bill of Process (BOP), Station Cycle Times, Yamazumi Charts, and Material Flow Simulations.
- Ergonomic Assessments, Egress/Aisle Safety planning, and workflow PFMEA inputs.
- Input on standard work combinations, quality check visual management, and station checklists.
- Staffing plans, work measurement standards, operator standard work instructions, and space allocation matrices.

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

## Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline with 5+ years of experience OR a Master’s degree with 3+ years of experience.
- Proven, hands-on experience actively setting up a new, large-scale manufacturing facility from the ground up from an Industrial Engineering standpoint. Must be able to share high-level examples of successful scaling projects.
- Expert capability in developing Yamazumi charts, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), line balancing, and calculating takt times vs. cycle times.
- Direct experience using advanced discrete-event simulation software (e.g., FlexSim, Arena, Simio) to model complex factory flows, alongside proficiency in AutoCAD for massive spatial layouts.
- Strong background using statistical analysis to calculate machine standard minutes, operator efficiency, and equipment utilization rates.

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

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience specifically in massive-scale facilities, heavy industrial manufacturing, or automotive/aerospace gigafactories.
- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or heavy lean manufacturing training.
- Familiarity with racking systems, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), and specialized chemical or hazardous material storage regulations.
- Experience in highly regulated industries such as Defense (DoD), Aerospace (AS9100), or Automotive (IATF 16949).

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.

## 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

- [Payroll Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/payroll-specialist-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-cgnbgwqzqqss) — Research Triangle Park
- [Senior Materials Scientist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-materials-scientist-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-53n83a0hj1yh) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Sr. Manager, Operational Excellence](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-manager-operational-excellence-vulcan-elements-benson-y4aw80sbt401) — Benson, NC
- [Staff Process Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-process-engineer-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-jfs5jqwjdteq) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [R&D Materials & Process Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/r-d-materials-process-engineer-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-ksmm3yh6bxmy) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Controls Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-engineer-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-m1m7tkg7thr1) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Safety Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/safety-specialist-vulcan-elements-benson-d58ksk27rxgj) — Benson, NC
- [Machinist](https://feeny.ai/job/machinist-vulcan-elements-benson-z2y1p4qcfny9) — Benson, NC
- [Manufacturing Engineering Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineering-manager-vulcan-elements-research-triangle-park-56h2n366x0pb) — Research Triangle Park, NC
- [Machining Site Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/machining-site-lead-vulcan-elements-benson-m7fnfqdmxg27) — Benson, NC