Cocoon · 1 day ago
Technical Operations Lead
Charleston, SC
Contract
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$120K/yr - $140K/yr
4+ years expCocoon is driving the circular economy between steel and cement by turning steel slag into a low-carbon cement substitute. The Technical Operations Lead will manage pilot operations, execute technology trials, and ensure safety and operational discipline at multiple steel plants in the US.
Carbon CaptureEnvironmental ConsultingSustainabilityWaste Management
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain plans for trial campaigns, covering equipment, utilities, and resourcing
Anticipate operational risks and bottlenecks and proactively implement solutions
Ensure procedures, sampling plans, training, and operator coverage are in place ahead of each campaign
Communicate progress, risks, and mitigation strategies to the wider team and stakeholders
Supervise trial operators and technicians, ensuring operational discipline and performance are maintained to a high standard
Provide on-site support during construction, commissioning, and trial execution, and troubleshoot operational issues in real time - making sure contractors and the Cocoon team have what they need and know what they’re doing
Coordinate data collection, ensuring data is gathered in a rigorous and repeatable manner
Contribute to continuous improvement and operational optimisation on site
Coordinate equipment delivery, installation, utilities, troubleshooting, and vendor/contractor engagement
Lead development and execution of risk assessments and safe systems of work for all trial operations
Ensure compliance with internal policies and third-party site HSE requirements, alongside promoting a strong on-site safety culture
Subject to the successful execution of trials, this role could evolve to an operational leadership position at our upcoming demo plant
Qualification
Required
4+ years of hands-on operational experience in pilot plant, industrial, process, or technical site environments, including day-to-day execution and supervision
Bring a technical mindset to problem-solving, and have a track record of overcoming operational challenges
Are a self-starter, able to execute independently in challenging conditions
Can establish or improve operational processes (procedures, risk assessments, work coordination, basic systems) in early-stage, fast-changing environments
Show strong organisational, troubleshooting, and real-time problem-solving skills, responding quickly when operational issues arise
Communicate and collaborate effectively across multiple stakeholders in different time zones — including leading operators/technicians and working closely with a remote engineering team
Preferred
Experience in pilot or demo-plant operations, first-of-a-kind technology, or process scale-up environments
Familiarity with steel mill settings
Experience contributing to FMEA, SOP development, maintenance planning, training programmes, or control-of-work systems
Prior exposure to early-stage or growth-stage companies, especially in building operational processes or teams
Benefits
Stock options
401K
Generous health insurance package
Company
Cocoon
Cocoon provides environmental consulting services to businesses and develops solutions to analyze and eradicate industrial waste.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$5.4M2024-08-08Pre Seed· $5.4M
2023-10-30Seed
Leadership Team
Eliot Brooks
Co-Founder & CEO
Recent News
2025-12-01
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2025-11-06
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