Careers

Still Bright is looking for the brightest talent to help us power a faster, cleaner, and more abundant and economic copper supply. 
With support from globally recognized partners and advisors, we’re building a team capable of revolutionizing the global metals supply chain.

Open Positions

  • Job Title: Grans Manager / Grants Director
    Reports to: Vice President (VP) of Commercialization
    Location: Newark, NJ
    Salary Range: 
    For Manager level: $122,000-$133,000
    For Director level: $143,500-$159,000
    Competitive company-sponsored benefits, Unlimited PTO

    Role Description

    We are seeking a Grants Manager or Grants Director (depending on experience and ability to operate independently) to join the Still Bright team. The Grants Manager / Director will be responsible for identifying relevant grant opportunities, crafting and submitting grant proposals, and managing negotiations and operations for active awards. They will work directly with the VP of Commercialization to develop a government-focused non-dilutive funding strategy and engage with relevant external government stakeholders and commercial partners. The Grants Manager / Director will also be responsible for coordinating with the technical and operations teams to develop proposals, coordinate work, and report progress for active awards. The ideal candidate has experience in grant application, reporting, and contracting, and is familiar with relevant government agencies, in particular the Department of Energy and the Department of War. 


    What You’ll Do

    Grants Execution & Pipeline Maintenance

    • Execute grant strategy developed by Still Bright leadership to secure non-dilutive funding.
      Director level: Work with C-Suite and VP of Commercialization to craft grant strategy using your expertise and familiarity with opportunities.

    • Source state, federal and philanthropic funding opportunities, prioritize them based on grant strategy, and recommend next steps for execution on a timely basis.

    • Secondarily, complete identified incentives to and grants to fulfill operational needs, including lab space buildout.

    • Lead the development of high-quality applications that align with Still Bright’s trajectory and maximize award potential, relying on other team expertise as needed. Craft application scopes, project objectives, and milestones with minimal support from the technical and commercial teams. 

    • Coordinate content contributors and ensure proposals are clear, compelling, and submitted on time.

    Award Management & Compliance

    • Manage grant award negotiations, ensuring timely completion and buy-in for the Statement of Project Objectives, Budget, and other required documentation to ensure timely Assistance Agreement completion.

    • Manage conversations with government program managers pre- and post-award, along with the principal investigator of the award.

    • Manage active award reporting (oral and written), on-time billing and time-tracking for non-dilutive funds.

    • Build scalable reporting and compliance systems that reduce friction and ensure accuracy across Still Bright. Continuously improve internal systems related to grant tracking and compliance.

    • Engage with government agencies and stakeholders, supported by advisers, to build relationships and increase awareness of our mission and technology.

    Director Level ONLY Strategic Support & Partnerships

    • Identify awards, competitions, events and accelerators, evaluate pros and cons of applying, provide near term recommendations and future opportunity tracking

    • Stay on top of policy trends and regulatory landscape, regularly quantifying how incentives impact Still Bright’s business strategy and value proposition.

    • Support efforts around government affairs and policy advocacy to shape the regulatory framework and create funding opportunities for Still Bright.

    What We Hope You’ll Bring 

    • Master’s degree or proven experience with technical writing in engineering, science, energy, policy, economics, or a related field.

    • At least 1-2 years of experience at the “manager” level (or 3-4 years at the “senior” level) in technical funding, grant writing, government contracting, or strategic program operations.
      Director level: At least 1-2 years of experience at the “director” level (or 3-4 years at the “manager” level) in technical funding, grant writing, government contracting, or strategic program operations. Must have experience leading and managing winning grant applications. 

    • Solution-oriented mindset with ability to learn complex technical concepts quickly.

    • Excellent technical writing skills and ability to craft compelling narratives for highly technical projects. 

    • Comfortable working independently and across multiple project teams.

    • Ability to lead projects, stay organized, manage timelines, and self-direct.


    This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of the duties and responsibilities of the position. 

  • Job Title: Vice President (VP) of Operations / Chief Operating Officer (COO)
    Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
    Location: Newark, NJ
    Salary range:
    VP: $166,000 - $191,000;
    COO: $186,500 - $214,500 
    Competitive company-sponsored benefits, Unlimited PTO

    Role Description

    Still Bright is seeking a seasoned, execution-focused executive to lead our technical and operational functions as either VP of Operations or Chief Operating Officer (COO), commensurate with experience. This is the pivotal leadership role responsible for scaling our breakthrough technology from its current pilot stage to a commercially viable, globally-deployed business.

    This position requires a leader with deep knowledge of the operations of a growing startup, having experienced and overcome all of the growing pains associated with rapid growth. Ideally, this experience overlaps with the mining, chemical, or heavy-industrial landscape. The position requires the ability to build and execute a multi-year operational plan from the ground up.

    • As the VP of Operations, you will be the primary creator of the departmental plan, taking a company-wide lens to build the team, processes, and partnerships necessary to de-risk and deploy our technology.

    • As the Chief Operating Officer (COO), you will take on a broader, C-suite scope, thinking beyond current needs to realize the company's full long-term vision. You will be responsible for "seeing around corners," developing comprehensive mitigation plans, and acting as the final decision-maker for the entire operational domain.

    In either capacity, you will be accountable for our technical and project execution, the efficiency of that execution, management of our most critical external relationships, and building the world-class team that will change how copper is produced.


    What You’ll Do

    Strategic Operational Roadmap & Execution:

    • VP Level: Act as the main creator of the departmental plan, working alongside CEO to translate company strategy into actionable short-term (pilot optimization, partner testing) and long-term (first demo and commercial deployments) operational goals, timelines, and budgets.

    • COO Level: In addition to operational planning, think beyond the current plan to realize the full company vision. Anticipate future technical, market, and execution-related challenges and set mitigation plans in place.

    Accountability & Project Leadership:

    • Take accountability for all departmental objectives, budgets, and timelines, "taking the heat" and ensuring your teams deliver.

    • Serve as the executive project leader within a RASCI model for some major initiatives, from advanced piloting and demonstration to our first commercial builds.

    • COO Level: Hold ultimate accountability for the entire department, with a key responsibility to track all objectives, accurately forecast delays, and have mitigation plans in place if any problem manifests.

    Team & Organizational Scaling:

    • Build, lead, and mentor a high-performance, multi-disciplinary team, including future Directors, engineers, and project managers.

    • Design and implement the equitable advancement and compensation systems, operational systems, safety protocols, and company-wide processes required for a high-growth, capital-intensive mining technology company.

    Commercial & External Leadership:

    • Craft new business directions and unlock new commercial strategies in partnership with the C-suite.

    • Represent Still Bright externally in high-pressure encounters with mining partners, strategic investors, engineering firms, and regulators.

    • COO Level: Serve as a key public "face" of the company (both good and bad) for all operational matters.

    Supply Chain, Vendor & Partner Management:

    • Source, select, and manage all critical consultant and vendor relationships, including engineering partners, fabrication shops, and technical advisors.

    • Act as the primary decision-maker for key departmental objectives and, at the COO level, the final approver for all significant department decisions.

    What We Hope You’ll Bring 

    We will align the final title (VP or COO) and compensation to your experience, based on the following two tracks:

    Core Competencies (Required for Both Levels):

    • A deep understanding of what it takes to succeed as a mining (or related) hardware technology startup.

    • Proven track record of scaling complex industrial processes from pilot/demonstration to commercial reality.

    • Experience in relevant industries: hydrometallurgy, mineral processing, chemical engineering, manufacturing, or heavy industrial project management.

    • Demonstrable experience managing large, multi-million dollar capital projects and leading EPC relationships.

    • Ability to translate experience into operational frameworks designed for Still Bright’s potential operational challenges considering Still Bright’s values

    • An entrepreneurial mindset, willing to engage in direct execution to build the initial plan while managing and delegating as the team grows.

    • Exceptional leadership and communication skills, able to manage the Operations team while gathering and collating the needed information from relevant parties both internally and externally to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.

    • Self-driven as the position reports directly to the CEO with minimal management.

    Experience Track 1: VP of Operations

    • 1-2 years of experience at a VP level in operations, projects, or engineering.

    • Or 3-4 years of experience at a Director level (or equivalent senior leadership).

    Experience Track 2: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

    • 1-2 years of experience at a C-suite (COO) or equivalent executive level.

    • Or 3-4 years of experience at a VP level.


    This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of the duties and responsibilities of the position. 

Apply Now

Fair hiring practices

Still Bright prioritizes the well-being of our employees, customers, and communities, and works to create a positive impact on the world through our business practices. We especially encourage applicants from historically marginalized communities to join our mission of sustainable metals extraction.

Still Bright maintains blind applicant screening processes and provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Still Bright complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Still Bright expressly prohibits and will never tolerate any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.