Lead Operator
ABOUT MARIANA MINERALS
Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making.
Position Summary
We are looking for an Operator Lead to oversee shift-level plant operations at our Joaquin, TX facility, directing a small crew of operators through daily production activities while monitoring and controlling process equipment to meet quality, safety, and production targets. Our Operator Lead will serve as the primary point of contact between the shift crew and the Director of Operations / Process Engineering team, ensuring operations run efficiently, safely, and in compliance with standard operating procedures. This professional must be able to work in all areas of the plant, direct others under variable conditions, and exercise sound judgment with minimum supervision.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate the shift crew, assigning tasks and priorities across production areas at the start of and throughout each shift.
- Conduct shift-start safety stand-downs and communicate priorities, hazards, and operational status to the crew.
- Monitor and control process equipment (tanks, pumps, filter presses, reactors, dryers, and packaging equipment) via HMI and manual checks to maintain plant parameters within target ranges.
- Direct loading/unloading of trucks, cleaning of filter presses, and packaging of products.
- Respond to process upsets and abnormal conditions, escalating to the Maintenance team or Process Engineer as needed and authorizing lockout/tagout for repairs.
- Review shift logs, production data, and quality results; ensure accurate and timely documentation of plant activity in log sheets and the CMMS/plant systems.
- Coordinate with Maintenance to prioritize and...