Process Superintendent

About the role

Reporting to the Company's Financial Sr. Process Manager, an exciting opportunity exists for an Process Superintendent to join the Syrah team based in Vidalia, Louisiana. This role will lead the Process Engineering Team to help ensure the safe, reliable, efficient, and specification-driven operation of a natural graphite active anode material facility. This position will be responsible for developing and leading all aspects of process control philosophy across milling, purification, drying, coating, carbonization, packaging, and related utility systems, while ensuring continuous compliance with process standards, customer specifications, environmental requirements, and site operating procedures.

The successful candidate will possess a high energy, hands-on leadership style and excel in building employee engagement, technical discipline, and cross-functional alignment with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Safety, and Procurement teams.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following responsibilities do not represent the entire list and additional tasks will also be required:

• Manage Process Control activities across natural graphite active anode production, monitoring KPI performance for safety, quality, yield, throughput, reagent consumption, equipment availability, and customer specification compliance, and coordinating necessary adjustments with Operations and support functions.
• Identify deviations to standards for critical process variables including particle size distribution, tap density, specific surface area, moisture, carbon content, impurity levels, magnetic contamination, and final product performance indicators; coordinate Root Cause Analysis and implement actions to return the process to an In-Control condition.
• Implement and monitor Statistical Process Control for critical-to-quality and critical-to-process variables, sustaining In-Control condition with Cp and Cpk metrics in place for key unit operations and customer-facing product specifications.
• Conduct process analysis of main KPIs, identify gaps, and implement Continuous Improvement initiatives focused on stable milling performance, purification effectiveness, coating consistency, product yield, off-spec reduction, cycle-time reduction, and overall cost optimization.
• Coordinate the development, revision, deployment, and field verification of Process Standard Operating Procedures, control plans, start-up and shutdown procedures, abnormal condition responses, and training initiatives for operators.
• Support development of DCS screens, historian tags, alarms, interlocks, operating limits, dashboards, and automated reports; train Control Room operators on process response, escalation protocols, and product-quality impacts of operating decisions.
• Collect, validate, organize, and interpret process, laboratory, production, and equipment data to generate and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly process reports that support decision-making, customer qualification, and continuous improvement.
• Support plant commissioning, ramp-up, qualification runs, early operation, and transition to steady-state operations, including readiness reviews, punch-list closure, process validation, operating window confirmation, and stabilization of new or modified unit operations.
• Plan and execute mass balance, water balance, reagent balance, yield accounting, and loss analysis to enable reagent consumption optimization, impurity control, waste minimization, and product recovery improvement.
• Manage inventory visibility and process accountability for graphite feedstock, intermediate material, WIP, reagents, consumables, by-products, waste streams, and final active anode material, ensuring traceability and alignment with production planning and quality release requirements.
• Coordinate audit programs to ensure operating discipline, batch and lot traceability, recipe adherence, sampling compliance, calibration status, data integrity, and operation compliance to process standards.
• Ensure all tasks and activities are compliant with environmental permits and regulations, including controls related to air emissions, dust management, wastewater, chemical handling, solid waste, stormwater, and process-related environmental monitoring.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a continuous Process Audit Program for the site to assure compliance to standards, verify effectiveness of corrective actions, and drive sustained operating discipline across shifts and departments.
• Drive changes utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, visual management, standard work, problem-solving routines, and Continuous Improvement methodologies to improve process capability, reduce variation, and support reliable scale-up of active anode material production.
• Assures compliance with corporate Safety, Health & Environmental rules, policies, and procedures.
• Contribute to site EHS and ESG performance by engaging and working collaboratively at all levels.
• Drives daily management of the Process function and drives the development of action plans where needed.
• Partner with Quality and Marketing teams to translate customer specifications and qualification requirements into process control plans, sampling plans, operating limits, product release criteria, and corrective action systems.
• Lead technical troubleshooting for milling, purification, drying, coating, carbonization, packaging, pneumatic conveying, dust collection, utilities, and supporting process systems.
• Support Management of Change activities by assessing impacts to safety, quality, process capability, environmental compliance, training, documentation, control systems, and customer qualification status.
• Provide technical coaching and development for process engineers, production leaders, control room operators, and operators to strengthen problem-solving capability, process understanding, and ownership of standards.

EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Engineering.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in process control, process engineering, production support, or technical operations in chemical, mineral processing, battery materials, carbon materials, or advanced manufacturing industries.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in a team leadership and/or management role, preferably leading engineers, technical specialists, production support teams, or cross-functional improvement teams.
• Working knowledge of ISO, ASTM, customer-specific standards, battery material test methods, process capability requirements, and laboratory data interpretation for graphite active anode materials.
• Proficient in Statistical Process Control, Cp/Cpk metrics, process capability analysis, control charts, data visualization, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Systemic and standardized mindset, capable of developing objective/concise systems.
• Strong analytical skills, capable of translating data into useful information.
• Capable of translating Standards into simple Shop Floor systems.
• Knowledge of graphite materials for lithium-ion battery anodes, including natural graphite flake, spherical purified graphite, coated spherical purified graphite, active anode material specifications, and key product attributes such as purity, particle size distribution, tap density, surface area, moisture, carbon coating, and electrochemical performance indicators.
• Experience with milling, purification, drying, coating, carbonization, packaging, pneumatic conveying, reagent systems, wastewater treatment, or thermal processing equipment is preferred.
• Experience with DCS, PLC, historian systems, manufacturing execution systems, laboratory information systems, and dashboard/reporting tools is preferred.
• Strong understanding of process safety, chemical handling, environmental compliance, quality systems, Management of Change, and operational readiness practices.
• Lean and Continuous Improvement background desired. Experience working in a Lean Manufacturing environment is a plus.
• Must be able to handle sensitive related and proprietary information in a confidential manner.

If you would like to be part of a dynamic organisation and possess the skills and experience outlined above, please click Apply Now and attach your CV and Cover Letter.

Please note: a pre-employment medical and police clearance form part of our overall recruitment process. Third party applications will not be considered, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Further information about the company and its operations can be found on the Syrah website: https://www.syrahresources.com.au