Ascend Elements is revolutionizing the production of lithium-ion battery materials by establishing a clean and sustainable supply chain using recycled feedstock. Its patented Hydro-to-Cathode™ technology directly synthesizes new cathode materials from spent lithium-ion cells more efficiently than traditional methods, resulting in reduced cost, improved performance, and lowered GHG emissions. The results are lower cost, better performance batteries with fewer discarded in landfill, a cleaner manufacturing process, and a truly sustainable closed-loop circular battery economy. Ascend Elements is taking the lithium-ion battery industry to a higher level.

Ascend Elements is seeking an OT Manager to deliver and support plant-level automation and control systems across manufacturing sites. This role partners closely with Engineering, Plant Operations, and IT to maintain reliable OT systems (e.g., SCADA, PLC, DCS, MES) and to implement improvements that increase uptime, safety, and visibility. This is a hands-on role that balances project execution with operational support, working with third-party vendors and system integrators as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

OT Systems Delivery & Support

• Implement, configure, and support plant-level OT systems, including SCADA, PLC, DCS, and MES platforms.
• Execute OT projects from requirements gathering through commissioning, documentation, and steady-state support.
• Support standardization of OT configurations, naming conventions, and basic architecture patterns across sites (in alignment with engineering direction).
• Coordinate day-to-day deliverables with system integrators and hardware vendors (scope, schedule, site readiness, punch lists).

OT/IT Connectivity & Security (Execution-Focused)

• Support Purdue Levels 1–3 asset connectivity and basic site-level data aggregation in partnership with IT and Engineering.
• Follow OT cybersecurity best practices (segmentation, access controls, patch/firmware processes) and help implement IT recommendations for OT environments.
• Maintain OT asset inventory details and backups (hardware/software/firmware versions, configurations, restore points).

Incident Support & Operational Continuity

• Serve as a key OT escalation point during incidents; coordinate triage, root cause analysis, and recovery with IT and plant teams.
• Maintain troubleshooting documentation and recovery procedures; participate in periodic recovery testing where applicable.
• Support monitoring and alerting implementation for critical OT systems (working with IT/operations tools and processes).

Data Integration & Visibility

• Support reliable real-time data collection from OT systems for dashboards, analytics, and operational decision-making.
• Partner with IT/Engineering teams to support data flow to enterprise systems (e.g., ERP/BI), while helping protect data integrity and access controls.

Plant Enablement

• Provide guidance to plant engineers and technicians on OT tools, standard workflows, and routine system use.
• Create and maintain practical documentation (SOPs, quick reference guides) and support training delivery as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Automation, Computer Engineering, or related field (or equivalent relevant experience).
• 5+ years experience in OT/industrial automation within manufacturing or industrial environments (project leadership experience a plus).
• Hands-on experience with at least two of the following: SCADA, PLC, DCS, MES (design, implementation, commissioning, or support).
• Working knowledge of industrial networking concepts and OT cybersecurity fundamentals (segmentation, access controls; familiarity with ISA/IEC 62443 or NIST is a plus).
• Experience coordinating with vendors/system integrators to deliver OT solutions.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills; able to work effectively with Engineering, IT, and Operations.
• Ability to travel to plant sites as needed.

Ascend Elements is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.