Experienced Production Plant Operator

**Your mission**:
Join a pioneering team in their scale-up phase. As Production Plant Operator, you’ll be a key operational member of the team running our first commercial production plant. This is not a traditional plant operator role — it's a rare opportunity to shape, commission, and optimize a first-of-its-kind production system for carbon-negative materials.

You’ll be responsible for the daily production activities, troubleshooting, and maintenance of mechanical systems, working closely with our engineering and production teams. We’re looking for someone with deep hands-on experience, strong technical know-how, and a problem-solver mindset who thrives in an evolving, early-stage environment. The role requires a strong commitment to safety, precision, and teamwork.

**What You'll Do**
- ** Operate and monitor production systems**: Manage mechanical processes including sieving and milling units, mixers, pumps, conveyors, and dosing systems; ensure stable operation of all key equipment
- ** Material handling**: Safely load, unload, store, and track raw materials and finished products; manage material flow and ensure proper waste handling
- ** Preventive maintenance & repair**: Conduct regular inspections, mechanical adjustments, basic electrical checks, and support repair work when needed
- ** Ensure quality & safety**: Follow safety protocols and standard operating procedures; uphold high product quality standards through consistent process checks
- ** Support plant commissioning**: Collaborate with engineering to fine-tune and ramp up new equipment and systems during startup and scaling phases
- ** Foster teamwork & knowledge-sharing**: Partner closely with other plant operators and cross-functional teams to coordinate shifts, share best practices, and support each other in meeting production and safety goals
- ** Document and improve**: Keep clear operational logs and incident reports; actively suggest improvements to plant processes and safety

**Your profile**:
**What You Bring**
- You are fluent in English and have a valid work permit for Germany
- You are based in or near Berlin or Bernau bei Berlin, or you’re ready to relocate
- You have completed vocational training or hold a qualification as an industrial mechanic/mechanical technician, machine and plant operator, or process engineering
- You bring 5+ years of hands-on industrial experience, particularly in machine operation, quality control, inventory and stock management and ideally including forklift operation and handling
- Skilled with the use of mechanical and electrical tools (e.g. drills, torque wrenches etc)
- You work independently and proactively, take ownership of your area, and consistently drive progress
- You’re detail-oriented and maintain high standards of quality in your work
- Above all, you're a builder. Someone who thrives in early-stage operational environments, solving real-world problems, and helping shape systems from the ground up

**Nice-to-haves**
- Welding experience (MIG/TIG) or fabrication skills
- Experience in commissioning new plants or ramping up pilot-scale production
- Electrical technician training, experience operating as an electrician
- Experience in statistical process control (SPC)
- Forklift and/or crane operation license

**Details and Benefits**:
**Duration**:Permanent full-time position

**Start date**:01.10.2025

**Place of work**:Bernau bei Berlin (easy to reach from Berlin with the S2)

**Salary**:Competitive salary

**Vacation**:30 days per year

**Benefits**:

- Join an international team - work with passionate experts from 16+ countries and learn & grow every day.
- Flat hierarchies - your ideas matter here. Make a real impact.
- Feedback & growth - regular constructive feedback & individual development budget to sharpen your skills.
- Unlimited transport - free pass for trains, trams and busses within Germany (Deutschlandticket).
- Engaging team events - from outings to celebrations, enjoy bonding with the team every quarter.

**About us**:
ecoLocked is a climate tech startup that focuses on carbon removal and innovations in the materials sector. We develop sustainable building materials based on biochar, a scalable carbon-negative material. Our goal is to enable the transition to a green construction sector and turn buildings into true carbon sinks - and ultimately enable a positive climate impact in the range of gigatons

We strive for a nurturing, inclusive and motivating work environment where each team member is enabled to grow and can directly contribute to ecoLocked’s growth trajectory. Together, our vision is to grow a world class, leading climate tech company that delivers long-lasting positive climate impact for our society and planet