Production Operations Director @ Charm Industrial

About Charm

Our mission is to reverse climate change and return the atmosphere to 280 ppm CO₂, profitably. We convert waste biomass into carbon-rich bio-oil and inject it into permanent, underground storage as carbon removal, or reform the bio-oil to produce syngas for fossil-free steel.

Our carbon removal pathway took off in 2020 with initial purchases from customers like Stripe, Shopify & Microsoft. In 2021 and 2022 we delivered thousands of tons of carbon removal via off-the-shelf pathways, and also deployed our first R&D prototype pyrolyzer of our own. In the next 18 months, we’ll build and deploy the next pyrolyzer revision, demonstrate our fossil-free ironmaking pilot, substantially expand our operations in Colorado and put thousands of tonnes of CO₂e underground.

We’re looking to expand our team of ambitious creative and hands-on engineers, fabricators, operators, and forward-thinking humans. We value psychological safety and collaboration. We take calculated risks and don’t sweep mistakes under the rug; instead, we pin them to the wall and learn from them. We value that everyone’s unique backgrounds and perspectives shape their work. We encourage you to read our company values.

Come help us reverse climate change. Gigatons or bust!

About the Role

Charm Industrial is looking for a Production Operations Director to join our team. In this position, you will be responsible for safely building pyrolyzer operations at a critical moment in Charm’s growth.

You will be responsible for managing and building a 50+ person team that sustains 24/7 operations. The ideal candidate is an exceptional people manager and team builder who is capable of enforcing safe work practices and is able to blend strategic thinking with technical know-how. We are building this operation as we are growing and are looking for candidates who have excelled in similar, fast-paced environments.

This role will be expected to spend time being hands-on and is best suited for someone who is excited to both be in the field and take ownership over the growth and long term direction of the team. This role will create training and development opportunities that enable the operators to maximize bio-oil production.

You will be responsible for providing input on expansion of our fleet of mobile pyrolyzers, including hiring strategies in new geographies, and fleet deployments. This role will be critical in safely and successfully scaling to gigatons of carbon removal!

Responsibilities

Build a 50+ person team of supervisors, operators and technicians to support the continuous operation and growth of the pyrolyzer fleet, including building a footprint in CO, other new geographies (e.g. KS, OK, CA, LA) and supporting mobile deployments.
Partner with sustaining engineering in order to develop and scale robust operating and maintenance procedures and to train operators and technicians.
Work with teammates in Operations, Sales and Policy to schedule unit deployments based on biomass availability and supplier priorities. Work directly with third parties to determine details like pad layout, utility availability (e.g. power, personnel facilities), safe operational requirements, and community engagement, as needed.
Work collaboratively to build a data collection program to support carbon accounting, and be responsible for analyzing operating data on a regular basis in order to determine maintenance solutions and to support decisions about how to grow the fleet.

Requirements

Familiarity building safe work practices and comfortable enforcing stop work authority on job sites
Experience building and managing a team of 50+ people to support 24/7 operations
10+ years of experience in a relevant field or industry
Experience with developing written and on-the-job training programs
Able to travel 25% of the time
An ability to wrangle complex interdependencies, be they human, chemical, mechanical and/or electrical
Ability to collaborate with individuals with a wide range of experience and knowledge
Have a proactive, professional and “can do” attitude
A demonstrated passion for contributing to our mission

Bonus (but not required):

Experience with thermal, electrical and/or mechanical processes and hardware such as work experience in oil & gas, aerospace, automotive or chemicals manufacturing
While not a requirement, experience working around hazardous gasses, combustibles, and/or high energy systems would be considered an asset
While not a requirement, experience standing up a large scale (100+ employees) manufacturing plant or facility would be a plus

What We Offer

· Stock options

· Health benefits (medical, dental, vision)

· Traditional and Roth 401(k)

· Paid time off, including parental leave

- A yearly professional development stipend

· Healthy snacks and lunches at a sweet workplace with lots of space inside and out

· A chance to pivot into a role in climate!

Visa Sponsorship Policy

Since we are a small startup, certain accommodations for visa sponsorship may not be within our capability. At this time, Charm Industrial is only sponsoring E3 and TN visas.

Our Commitment

Charm Industrial is an equal opportunity employer with a firm commitment to growing our team in an inclusive way, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, medical condition, age, or veteran status. The consequences of climate change inherently affect some more than others, and we need a diverse team to help us save our little planet most effectively & justly. We are excited about all of those who choose to apply, and for those who end up joining us, to see how you better us as a team and company. We are more than the sum of our parts.

Responsibilities

Requirements

Bonus (but not required):

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth