Mechanical Systems Engineer

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Integrity.
As our Mechanical Systems Engineer (water) will support the design, buildout, commissioning, and ongoing operation of cooling water and gas systems at our Benson, NC production facility. This role will be responsible for chilled water and industrial gas distribution, equipment connections, system performance, and reliability. Success in the first 6–12 months will include developing strong system ownership, support facility startup, and ensuring systems are capable of meeting production requirements safely and reliably.
This role is expected to be in the Benson, NC facility as construction and operations progress.
Responsibilities
Serve as the technical owner for facility cooling water and industrial gas systems
Support the design, specification, installation, commissioning, and startup of chillers, pumps, heat exchangers, piping, valves, controls, and associated equipment.
Develop and review distribution designs, equipment connections, piping layouts, flow requirements, and system operating parameters.
Coordinate cooling utility and gas requirements with process equipment suppliers, engineering partners, contractors, and internal stakeholders.
Review P&IDs, equipment drawings, specifications, submittals, calculations, and other technical documentation.
Support system sizing, hydraulic calculations, pressure drop analysis, equipment selection, and operating strategy development.
Provide field engineering support during construction, equipment installation, flushing, pressure testing, balancing, commissioning, and startup.
Troubleshoot cooling system performance, reliability, capacity, water quality, and equipment issues.
Identify and implement improvements that increase system reliability, efficiency, maintainability, and production capability.
Develop and maintain system documentation, operating requirements, equipment records, preventive maintenance recommendations, and engineering standards.
Support capital projects and facility modifications that impact cooling water systems and connected production equipment.
Track asset utilization and uptime, also including KPI helping ensure uninterrupted service for production teams
Own and manage operational costs for assigned systems, including utility consumption and lifecycle costs, while identifying opportunities to improve reliability and reduce total cost of ownership.
Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
Experience with cooling water, chilled water, and industrial gas systems in an industrial or manufacturing environment.
Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, mechanical drawings, specifications, and equipment documentation.
Working knowledge of pumps, piping systems, heat transfer, and fluid flow.
Ability to work onsite and support construction, commissioning, startup, and operational activities as business needs require.
Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
Desired Qualifications
Experience with industrial chilled water, process cooling water and industrial gas systems.
Experience with chillers, cooling systems, pumps, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, filtration, and associated controls.
Experience performing or reviewing hydraulic calculations, pipe sizing, pump sizing, heat load calculations, and equipment selection.
Experience with industrial gas distribution systems, bulk gas storage, pressure regulation, piping, and point-of-use connections.
Experience supporting greenfield manufacturing facility construction or major utility system installations.
Experience with commissioning activities such as flushing, hydrostatic testing, chemical cleaning, balancing, functional testing, and performance verification.
Familiarity with cooling water chemistry, treatment, filtration, corrosion control, and water quality management.
Experience troubleshooting system flow, pressure, temperature, capacity, fouling, and reliability issues.
Familiarity with mechanical codes, piping standards, industrial construction practices, and equipment installation requirements.
Experience reviewing P&IDs, equipment layouts, piping drawings, isometrics, vendor submittals, and control narratives.
Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional coordination skills.
Experience with AutoCAD, Bluebeam, hydraulic modeling software, or similar engineering tools.
PE, EIT, or other relevant professional certification a plus
Physical and Environmental Requirements
The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and work in environments that may be hot, humid, or noisy. The role also requires the use of personal protective equipment, including respirators, and adherence to all applicable safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Employees must be able to complete required fit testing, wear appropriate PPE for the duration of assigned tasks, and respond safely to changing conditions within the production environment.