The posting
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.
This role has end-to-end responsibility for developing the Benson laboratory into a fully operational commercial capability, including laboratory commissioning, analytical instrumentation and metrology, SOPs and controlled test methods, LIMS configuration, staffing and technician qualification, calibration systems, quality controls, capacity planning, and laboratory productivity. The manager will serve as the technical and operational leader for analytical testing, materials characterization, and product measurement at the Benson facility.
Working closely with Vulcan's R&D and pilot laboratory leadership, this individual will implement and optimize analytical methodologies for reliable, repeatable, and efficient use in commercial manufacturing. The ideal candidate combines advanced expertise in analytical chemistry and inorganic materials characterization with demonstrated experience establishing and operating a disciplined, high-performing industrial laboratory.
Responsibilities
Laboratory Establishment and Commissioning
- Lead the establishment and commissioning of the Benson analytical laboratory, defining the capabilities required to support raw materials, in-process testing, product characterization, qualification, and final product release.
- Lead technical specification, procurement, installation, commissioning, qualification, and calibration of analytical and metrology equipment; work directly with OEMs and internal engineering teams to ensure equipment is capable and production-ready.
- Develop and execute laboratory readiness plans covering instrumentation, standards and consumables, procedures, LIMS workflows, staffing, training, calibration, maintenance, and contingency capability in alignment with the manufacturing startup schedule.
Analytical Methods, Metrology and Technical Leadership
- Serve as the technical authority for analytical testing, materials characterization, and product metrology within the Benson laboratory, establishing standards for analytical quality, measurement integrity, and technical execution.
- Partner closely with R&D and pilot laboratory leadership on analytical methodology and specialized technical issues; implement methods at Benson with the SOPs, sample-preparation practices, standards, controls, training, and equipment configurations required for consistent commercial execution.
- Ensure methods are fit for their intended use with appropriate controls for accuracy, precision, repeatability, reproducibility, robustness, detection capability, and measurement uncertainty; maintain methods through controlled change and periodic review.
- Own the laboratory calibration and measurement-management system, including equipment qualification, calibration and verification requirements, reference standards, metrological traceability, equipment status, and response to out-of-tolerance conditions.
- Establish and maintain appropriate Measurement System Analysis practices, including Gage R&R, bias, linearity, stability, and other capability studies required to demonstrate reliable measurement relative to product and process requirements.
LIMS, Laboratory Systems and Data Integrity
- Lead the configuration and implementation of the laboratory LIMS, including sample workflows, test plans, specifications, approval paths, result reporting, equipment interfaces, traceability, and retention requirements.
- Establish controlled laboratory procedures for sample receipt, identification, prioritization, preparation, testing, review, disposition, and reporting, aligned with ISO-based laboratory and quality-system practices.
- Drive appropriate instrument integration and automation to improve data integrity, reduce manual transcription, increase throughput, and connect laboratory information effectively with plant quality and manufacturing systems.
Laboratory Operations, Team and Productivity
- Build and lead the Benson laboratory organization, including workforce planning, recruiting, training, technician qualification, competency assessment, work standards, and technical development.
- Own day-to-day laboratory performance, including sample prioritization, technician scheduling, equipment loading, testing queues, turnaround time, and escalation of constraints that could affect production or product release.
- Develop laboratory capacity and staffing models based on sample demand, testing frequency, method cycle time, equipment availability, technician loading, and future production growth; use these models to identify resource and capital requirements.
- Optimize technician productivity, instrument utilization, sample throughput, and testing cost through workflow design, standard work, automation, and elimination of unnecessary handling, waiting, repeat testing, and manual data entry.
- Own the laboratory operating budget and key performance indicators, including labor, consumables, calibration, service contracts, external testing, equipment lifecycle costs, turnaround time, equipment availability, backlog, right-first-time testing, and cost per test.
Manufacturing and Quality Support
- Provide analytical and metrology expertise for incoming material acceptance, manufacturing process control, product qualification, PPAP, finished-product release, nonconformance investigations, root-cause analysis, CAPA, and customer issues.
- Interpret analytical and characterization data to identify material trends, process variation, abnormal results, and measurement-system concerns, and translate findings into clear actions with Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, and R&D.
Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.
Qualifications
- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Materials Science, Materials Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
- 7+ of experience in analytical chemistry, materials characterization, metrology, or laboratory leadership within an industrial, manufacturing, or commercial laboratory environment.
- Strong professional background as an analytical chemist working with inorganic materials such as metals, alloys, powders, ceramics, minerals, or other advanced materials.
- Demonstrated experience establishing, commissioning, expanding, or significantly advancing analytical laboratory capabilities, including instrument selection, qualification, calibration, and method implementation.
- Hands-on expertise with multiple inorganic characterization techniques such as ICP-OES/ICP-MS, SEM/EDS, XRF, particle characterization, microscopy, gas analysis, thermal analysis, or comparable methods.
- Strong knowledge of analytical method control, metrological traceability, measurement uncertainty, MSA, calibration systems, reference standards, and laboratory quality practices.
- Demonstrated ability to lead laboratory personnel, manage budgets and suppliers, balance competing testing priorities, and improve laboratory throughput, utilization, turnaround time, and cost.
Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience establishing or commissioning a new commercial or industrial analytical laboratory.
- Experience implementing or configuring a LIMS and integrating laboratory instruments or data workflows with manufacturing quality systems.
- Experience with rare earth materials, specialty metals, powder metallurgy, permanent magnets, magnetic property characterization, or related advanced inorganic materials.
- Experience supporting automotive or similarly controlled manufacturing environments, including IATF 16949, PPAP, MSA, SPC, and control plans; familiarity with ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 10012 principles.
Laboratory Safety and PPE Requirements
This role requires strict adherence to all laboratory safety protocols and regulatory guidelines. Employees must consistently wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including lab coats, safety glasses, gloves, and any additional gear required for specific materials or processes. The position involves working around equipment and procedures that present cut hazards and other physical risks associated with slicing, grinding, and tumbling operations. Team members must follow all established safety rules, use tools and machinery only as trained, and maintain awareness of mechanical pinch points, sharp components, and moving parts.
Employees are expected to maintain a clean and compliant work area, promptly report any unsafe conditions, and complete all required safety training. A strong commitment to maintaining a safe and compliant laboratory environment is essential for success in this role.
