Manufacturing Manager Electrode Production

Summary: 

Lead the manufacturing operations team responsible for producing electrochemical components of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) cell stacks including anode, cathode, and matrix. Ensure production output, quality, yield, and cost targets are met across a chemically intensive manufacturing environment that is growing in scale. The Electrode Production Manager is a critical position for FuelCell Energy as we scale our production capabilities to meet strong data-center demand.  Stack production & performance are key drivers of FuelCell Energy’s value proposition and have a measurable impact on the overall success of the business. The role will have high levels of both autonomy and visibility and will directly report to the executive team.                                                                                                                          

Essential Functions/Duties and Responsibilities:

Operations & Production

• Own daily production execution for electrode value streams (anode, cathode, matrix) 

• Drive output to schedule commitments tied to stack assembly and customer delivery milestones 

• Manage throughput, OEE, and process yields; identify and eliminate bottlenecks using VSM and lean methods 

• Maintain production floor discipline: 5S, standard work, visual management, and tier accountability meetings (lead tier 2, report in tier 3) 

 People Leadership

• Directly manage production supervisors, junior managers, and indirectly lead operators, technicians, and support personnel across a 24/7 operation 

• Develop team capability through structured cross-training; define and maintain skills matrices across the team 

• Lead hiring, performance management, and career development for the electrodes group 

• Ensure adequate staffing across all shifts, minimize overtime & unplanned OPEX 

• Lead through example and treat everyone with respect 

 Quality & Process Control

• Partner with quality engineering to maintain control plans, in-process inspection criteria, and monitoring systems for critical parameters (porosity, thickness, weight, etc) 
• Own non-conformance investigations and drive reduction in cost of poor quality (COPQ) 
• Work with engineering and technology development to drive process risk assessments; own corrective and preventive action (CAPA) closure 

Engineering Collaboration

• Serve as the manufacturing voice in new product introduction (NPI); conduct manufacturing assessments to support NPI and product change reviews affecting electrode department production 

• Coordinate with R&D on process development trials, materials qualification, and scale-up activities on the production floor 

• Support equipment procurement, specification, and commissioning for repeat component manufacturing cells 

 EHS & Compliance

• Ensure safe handling of metallic components and cell subassemblies in accordance with OSHA and site EHS standards
• Enforce PPE compliance and maintain a zero-incident safety culture

 Metrics & Reporting

Own key performance indicators: throughput rate, first-pass yield, scrap rate, cost per cell, equipment uptime, etc

Report weekly performance to senior leadership; drive accountability to targets with your team

Qualifications and Experience:

Required

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline 

• 7+ years of manufacturing or process engineering experience, including 3+ years in a supervisory or managerial role 

• Experience with chemical processing, ceramic/powder processing, electrode manufacturing, or similarly specialized manufacturing environments 

• Proficiency with lean manufacturing tools (VSM, Kaizen, 5S, PDCA) 

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, process specifications, and control plans 

Preferred 

• M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering or MBA  

• Experience with fuel cell component manufacturing (MCFC, PEM, PAFC, or SOFC) 

• Familiarity with nickel-based materials, ceramic matrix processing, or molten carbonate systems 

• Experience with PLM/ERP/MES systems and SPC software 

• Six Sigma Green Belt or higher 

• Prior experience successfully leading operations teams in a manufacturing environment that is transitioning from low to high volume production 

• Experience manufacturing components with tight dimensional and chemical tolerances 

All Employees Shall:

• Comply with the EH&S Policy and applicable regulatory and company EH&S rules and requirements.
• Report to supervision conditions or practices that are either unsafe or that may adversely impact the environment, to ensure prompt resolution of potential hazards.
• Attend scheduled EH&S training program.
• Actively support the organization’s efforts to meet or exceed EH&S goals and plans.
• Recommend improved EH&S practices.
• Must maintain regular and consistent attendance.

This Job Description is to serve as a guide. It is intended to be flexible and will continue to evolve over time with business needs and demands and may be updated periodically and at the Company’s discretion. Nothing in this position description changes or is intended to change the employment at-will relationship with the Company or the terms of any collective bargaining agreement. Employment at-will means that an employee or the Company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice.