Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Chief Operating Officer

Oakland, CA

About Magrathea

Based in Oakland, California, Magrathea is a global category leader in critical mineral production technology. Our mission is to rebuild the magnesium metal supply base, delivering secure access to one of the most critical materials on Earth. Magnesium is essential to the aluminum, steel, titanium, nuclear, defense, and aerospace industries but 95% of global supply comes from China where large amounts of coal are used to make metal. This isn’t just an economic risk: it’s a national security threat, and Magrathea is fixing it. We’ve developed a next-generation electrolytic process to make magnesium metal from seawater and brines, unlocking a new path to industrial independence and to a cleaner environment for future generations. We’re backed by the earliest believers in Tesla and SpaceX, major European industrial families, and the U.S. Department of Defense. If you’re ready to make a lasting real-world impact, let's talk.

Is Magrathea For Me?

You’ll be joining a high-performance team of builders on a mission to stand up the first major electrolytic magnesium smelter this century. We’re doing it this decade. There are no pointless positions here, no layers of middle management, no meetings about meetings: just a hyper focus on execution. You’ll be hands-on from day one, shaping the core of a technology that will have major impacts on national security, clean technology, and industrial resilience. If you’re the kind of person who runs toward hard problems, thrives under pressure, and wants to build something history will remember you for, this role is for you.

Ideal Background

• BS, MS, or PhD in chemical, mechanical, industrial engineering, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience operating in a variety of industrial settings including engineering, design, chemical plant construction, and operations-focused roles
• Experience developing and communicating process design packages with engineering companies and other important project delivery partners
• Strong competence in inorganic chemistry, equipment fabrication, equipment maintenance, process development, vendor communication, industrial hygiene, and project execution

Compensation

• Salary range: $160,000-$280,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Equity, stock options, and/or milestone-based compensation
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401k from day 1 with pre-tax and post-tax investing options

Role Expectations

• Key thought partner to the CEO for how the company is run
• Own the execution of Magrathea’s commercial scale-up - translating ambition into concrete outcomes by orchestrating cross-functional engineering, fabrication, and construction teams
• Lead multidisciplinary project teams and external partners through aggressive design-build timelines to deliver the first major electrolytic magnesium plant in a generation
• Build, mentor, and hold accountable a team of A-players who can operate under pressure and take ownership of outcomes
• Manage relationships with EPC firms, engineering partners, vendors, and contractors - ensuring everyone is aligned, moving fast, and delivering to spec
• Coordinate the development of integrated process design packages (PFDs, P&IDs, plot plans, control systems, etc.) and drive them through fabrication, commissioning, and operation
• Oversee long-lead equipment planning, vendor negotiations, and installation sequencing to keep megaproject timelines on track
• Instill operational discipline across the company - standing up world-class systems for safety, quality, and throughput from day one
• Operate with urgency and decisiveness. We’re not optimizing: we’re building something that’s never existed, and you are the builder-in-chief
• You set the tone - decisive, high-integrity, low-ego. You take full responsibility for execution and you bring people with you
• Able to anticipate potential issues and make important decisions within ambiguity
• Thrive in fast-paced, high-accountability environments and take pride in being the person others rely on to get the job done
• You don't wait to be told what to do: you see problems, solve them, and move on to the next one

Location

• Full-time in-person at our Oakland, California facilities
• Magrathea sponsors visas for candidates from Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand