Site Director

About the role

ATP is building a core team to stand up the autonomous skidded production systems that will redefine how energetics are manufactured. As our Site Director, you are the single point of accountability for everything that happens at our pilot site. You will partner with the engineering and chemistry teams to plan and approve test and production campaigns, weighing safety, logistics, materials, equipment, and shared resources across teams, and you will own the site's safety and security posture end to end. No test, build, or material movement happens on site without your knowledge and sign-off. The ideal candidate has run a regulated energetics, chemical, or defense manufacturing site, is fluent in the relevant ATF and DoD frameworks, and is comfortable being the final authority on what does and does not proceed.

Responsibilities

• Own overall site operations, safety, and security as the single accountable authority for the pilot site; nothing proceeds on site without your knowledge and approval
• Work with the engineering and chemistry teams to develop, review, and approve test and production plans, balancing technical objectives against safety, logistics, material availability, equipment readiness, and resource sharing between teams
• Serve as final go/no-go authority for test events, production campaigns, and energetic material operations, with unambiguous authority to halt or defer any activity
• Establish, maintain, and enforce site policies, SOPs, and controls, and hold all personnel and visitors accountable to them
• Ensure and document regulatory compliance across the applicable frameworks: ATF (27 CFR 555), DoD explosives safety and physical security standards, DDESB quantity-distance/siting, EPA/RCRA, ITAR, and Maine state and local requirements
• Own the site’s physical security program, including access control, magazine/bunker security, and DoD contractor security requirements
• Sequence and coordinate campaigns, load-ins, commissioning, and acceptance testing so that people, materials, equipment, and shared infrastructure are aligned and deconflicted
• Own site readiness: infrastructure, utilities, storage, PPE, exclusion zones, and safety controls are in place and verified before operations begin
• Lead emergency response planning and serve as incident commander for events involving energetic materials; coordinate with local first responders and authorities
• Prepare the site for and host regulatory inspections and audits (ATF, DDESB, state, and customer), and close out findings
• Manage relationships with regulators, customers, subcontractors, and the local community and jurisdiction
• Build, direct, and develop the site team (EOD, ground operations, technicians), setting expectations and enforcing a strong safety culture
• Own site budget, procurement priorities, and capital planning in coordination with company leadership
• Maintain accurate build, test, safety, security, and compliance records, and keep as-built/as-run documentation current

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry, a related technical field, or equivalent experience
• 7+ years in operations, production, or facility management in a regulated environment (energetics, chemical, defense, aerospace, or comparable), including 3+ years in a site leadership or management role
• Demonstrated working knowledge of ATF explosives regulations (27 CFR 555) and/or DoD explosives safety standards, including storage, recordkeeping, and quantity-distance principles
• Experience owning site safety and/or security programs, including SOP development and enforcement
• Proven ability to serve as final safety authority, including the willingness and authority to stop or defer any activity when conditions warrant
• Strong planning and coordination skills across engineering, operations, and support functions
• Excellent judgment, attention to detail, and recordkeeping discipline
• Ability to be on-site in laboratory, fabrication, and plant environments, work outdoors in all weather, and travel as needed
• Ability to lift 50 lbs
• U.S. Person and ability to obtain a security clearance
• This position requires access to information and technology protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including ITAR and EAR. Applicants must be a "U.S. Person" as defined by 22 CFR 120.62 (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees)

Preferred Qualifications

• Military background, particularly in energetics, ordnance, EOD, engineering, or operations leadership
• Experience as a Responsible Person under an ATF explosives license or permit (Type 20/21 FEL), or as a Magazine Manager
• Familiarity with DoD contractor physical security standards (e.g., DoDM 5100.76) and DFARS/ITAR compliance obligations
• Experience standing up or commissioning a new site, pilot plant, or production facility
• Experience managing regulatory inspections and audits and interfacing directly with regulatory authorities
• Familiarity with skidded/modular process equipment and reading P&IDs and site layout drawings