Making the Metals Powering the World Solcoa is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths — the metals of power and motion. We've developed a new chemistry that converts rare earth oxides into high-purity metals — the materials inside every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, and data center — cleaner, cheaper, and faster than any conventional process. Now we're scaling it to thousands of tonnes of annual production.
The Role — Machinist (CNC & Manual) Own the machine shop. You'll turn prints and sketches from our engineers into finished parts—same-day when it matters—machining components for reactors, furnaces, fixtures, and prototype hardware that goes straight onto the plant floor. You'll set the standard for precision, throughput, and shop discipline as we scale from pilot plant to production.
What You'll Do Machine parts from prints and CAD models on CNC and manual mills and lathes—stainless, carbon steel, aluminum, copper, graphite, and specialty alloys. Program, set up, and run CNC jobs (Fusion 360 / Mastercam or similar CAM); select tooling, speeds, and feeds for one-offs and small batches. Hold tight tolerances and verify dimensions with calipers, micrometers, gauges, and indicators; document inspection results. Turn around quick-turn prototype and repair work for R&D and plant operations—often same day. Design and build fixtures, jigs, and tooling that make the whole shop faster. Work with engineers on design-for-manufacturability; mark up drawings and feed back improvements. Maintain the shop: machine upkeep, tooling inventory, organization, and safety practices for hot work and rotating equipment. What You Bring Required 3+ years machining experience with proven skill on both CNC and manual mills and lathes. Ability to program CNC toolpaths (conversational or CAM) and to read and interpret GD&T on mechanical drawings. Experience machining stainless and specialty alloys to tight tolerances. Disciplined, reliable execution—on spec, on time, with excellent documentation. Comfort working independently in a fast-paced, hardware-first environment. Availability to start soon. Preferred Experience supporting R&D or prototype shops where
requirements change daily. TIG welding and general fabrication ability. Experience with graphite, refractory metals, or vacuum/furnace components. CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Fusion 360) for simple part and fixture design.
Compensation &
Benefits Competitive base salary Equity (stock options) Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance Company-provided lunch daily Visa sponsorship available if needed
Solcoa Industries is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths — the metals that power all electrified motion. Every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, MRI machine, and data center relies on rare earths, yet virtually all production of these critical metals has been shipped to China, where they're produced using incredibly destructive legacy processes that are illegal in the rest of the world.
Mission: To reshore critical metal production to the West with new, better, cleaner technologies — enabling the world to control its electrified future without relying on destructive legacy processes.
Culture: Solcoa is a lean, output-driven team where every person is essential. The environment is fast-paced, ambitious, and deeply technical, with everything from reactors to furnaces built in-house using their own fabrication shop. No one does busy work.
Salary
$90,000 - $145,000
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, Alameda
Experience
3+ years
Total raised
$200K
Last stage
Pre-seed
Investors
No applications, no recruiter spam. Just the intro.
A few questions to make sure this role is the right shape for you. Two minutes.
I write the intro, send it to the founder, and handle the back-and-forth.
If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.