{"id":824406,"url":"https://alion.io/job/solcoa-pilot-plant-operator","title":"Pilot Plant Operator","company":{"id":720862,"name":"Solcoa","domain":"solcoaindustries.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/solcoaindustries","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":84,"open_postings":14,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.643,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"}},"role":"Field & Service","role_family":"Field & Service","seniority":"middle","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Alameda, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":40,"max":50,"currency":"USD","period":"hour","gross":null,"usd_annual":100000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-02-18T18:37:03Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-02-18","last_verified_at":"2026-11-03T13:18:58Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":257,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":257},"description":"Making the Metals Powering the World\nSolcoa is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths - the metals of power and motion. We've developed a new chemistry that converts rare earth oxides into high-purity metals - the materials inside every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, and data center - cleaner, cheaper, and faster than any conventional process. Now we're scaling it to thousands of tonnes of annual production.\nThe Role\nWe’re looking for experienced Pilot Plant Operators to run our rare-earth oxide-to-metal production process. Reporting to our Pilot Manager, you’ll own production runs from feedstock preparation through finished metal, with a focus on safe execution, consistent product quality, throughput and equipment uptime. You’ll operate high-temperature reactors, vacuum systems and induction furnaces, maintain accurate batch records, and keep production moving reliably.\nWhat You’ll Do\nExecute production batches from oxide feedstock preparation and reactor charging through product recovery and packaging.\n\nOperate and monitor furnaces, vacuum systems, gloveboxes and associated production equipment.\n\nFollow operating procedures, track process parameters and maintain complete batch records.\n\nIdentify process deviations, make adjustments within approved operating limits and escalate issues to the Pilot Manager.\n\nPerform preventive maintenance and first-line troubleshooting to maintain equipment uptime.\n\nPrepare and track samples for quality testing.\n\nOperate cranes, forklifts and rigging equipment safely.\n\nCoordinate shift handovers and communicate equipment status, batch progress and outstanding issues.\n\nSupport commissioning and improvements that increase production consistency and throughput.\n\nWhat You Bring\nRequired\n3+ years operating pilot-scale or production-scale process equipment (chemical, metallurgical, semiconductor, glass, ceramics, or similar).\n\nCrane, rigging, and forklift operation experience; certifications preferred.\n\nStrong mechanical aptitude-comfortable with hand and power tools, basic fabrication, and equipment assembly.\n\nRigorous approach to SOPs, batch records, safety protocols, and data logging.\n\nAbility to work rotating or flexible shifts as production demands require.\n\nComfort working independently and making sound operational decisions in a fast-paced startup environment.\n\nAvailability to start soon.\n\nPreferred\nExperience in pyrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, or rare-earth/specialty metals processing.\n\nBackground operating vacuum induction melting furnaces.\n\nBasic welding skills (MIG/TIG) and familiarity with shop fabrication.\n\nOSHA 10/30 or HAZWOPER certification.\n\nCoursework or training in metallurgy, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field.\n\nSchedule\nThis is a full-time, on-site position in Alameda. Production needs may require rotating shifts, evening or weekend work, and overtime.\nCompensation & Benefits\n$40-$50 per hour, depending on relevant experience and equipment proficiency, plus overtime pay.\n\nComprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance.\n\nCompany-provided lunch daily.\n\nVisa sponsorship available if needed.","description_format":"text","description_chars":3164,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":3,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Rare Earth Metals"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-12T13:56:30Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":4,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.153,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":257,"expected_fill_days":30,"reasons":["conf:1","stale_co","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":100000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/solcoa-pilot-plant-operator","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/solcoa-pilot-plant-operator.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-03T14:48:20Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":20743,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-04T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":720862},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=720862"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fsolcoa-pilot-plant-operator"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fsolcoa-pilot-plant-operator"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fsolcoa-pilot-plant-operator"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/solcoa-pilot-plant-operator\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fsolcoa-pilot-plant-operator"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":824406}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"solcoaindustries.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":824406},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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