lead - lithium battery recycling

Confidential Company

We are seeking an experienced Lead to build, run, and scale lithium-ion battery recycling operations. This role owns end-to-end plant execution—from feedstock intake and safe handling through mechanical/chemical processing, black mass recovery, quality control, and shipment.

You’ll combine process engineering mindset, safety leadership, and people management to deliver efficient, compliant, and scalable recycling operations.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Process Management

• Lead daily recycling operations including battery intake, discharging, dismantling, shredding, separation, and materials recovery

• Optimize throughput, yield, recovery rates, and plant uptime

• Implement SOPs for mechanical and hydrometallurgical processes

• Manage production planning, maintenance coordination, and inventory flow

Safety, Compliance & EHS

• Own EHS programs related to lithium-ion batteries (fire risk, thermal runaway, hazardous materials)

• Ensure compliance with local, national, and international environmental regulations

• Lead incident investigations, audits, and corrective actions

• Train teams on safe handling, storage, and processing of batteries

Team Leadership

• Build, train, and manage plant operators, technicians, and shift supervisors

• Set performance KPIs and drive a culture of accountability and continuous improvement

• Coordinate with engineering, R&D, and quality teams

Continuous Improvement & Scale-Up

• Identify process bottlenecks and implement lean manufacturing improvements

• Support commissioning of new equipment and scale-up of pilot to commercial operations

• Collaborate on process innovation to improve recovery efficiency and reduce costs

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with supply chain teams on feedstock sourcing and output logistics

• Coordinate with customers, regulators, and vendors as needed

• Provide regular reporting on operations, safety, and performance metrics

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

• 7+ years of experience in industrial operations, preferably in recycling, chemicals, mining, metals, or battery manufacturing

• Direct experience managing hazardous materials operations

• Proven people leadership in a plant or industrial environment

Preferred

• Experience with lithium-ion battery recycling, black mass processing, or hydrometallurgy

• Knowledge of fire suppression systems and battery safety standards

• Familiarity with ISO, OSHA, EPA, or equivalent regulatory frameworks

• Startup or scale-up environment experience

Skills & Competencies

• Strong operational execution and problem-solving skills

• Deep commitment to safety and compliance

• Data-driven decision making (KPIs, yield analysis, downtime tracking)

• Clear communicator with both technical and non-technical teams

• Comfortable working in fast-moving, ambiguous environments

What We Offer

• Opportunity to lead operations in a high-impact sustainability sector

• Competitive compensation and benefits

• Ownership and influence in building a next-generation recycling platform