ABOUT COLD STEPPE

Cold Steppe converts agricultural waste - rice hulls, sawdust, and other overlooked biomass - into biochar and renewable energy. Our mission is simple: To find what is left behind and turn it into something that moves us forward. Our first facility, AR-1, is coming online in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and the people who join now will help set the standard for every site that follows. Cold Steppe is a certified service-disabled veteran-owned business, and veterans, tradespeople, and anyone ready to learn are welcome here.

Steward What Matters • Speak Up Stand Together • Safe Space No Exceptions • Stack the Impact • Set the Standard

At a Glance

About Cold Steppe

Cold Steppe converts agricultural waste - rice hulls, sawdust, and other overlooked biomass - into biochar and renewable energy. Our mission is simple: To find what is left behind and turn it into something that moves us forward. Our first facility, AR-1, is up and running in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and the people who join now will help set the standard for every site that follows. Cold Steppe is a certified service-disabled veteran-owned business, and veterans, tradespeople, and anyone ready to learn are welcome here.

Steward What Matters • Speak Up Stand Together • Safe Environment No Exceptions • Stack the Impact • Set the Standard

The Role

The Maintenance & Operations Technician keeps AR-1 running. You'll own the hands-on care of our processing equipment - including our rotary kiln, feedstock handling, conveying, and related biomass-to-biochar and energy systems - through preventive maintenance, fast troubleshooting, and solid repairs. When something goes down, you're the one who figures out why and gets it back up safely. As AR-1's first dedicated maintenance hire, you'll help build the maintenance program itself: the PM schedules, the parts inventory, and the habits every future Cold Steppe site will run on.

What You'll Do

• Perform scheduled preventive and predictive maintenance on plant equipment, including the rotary kiln, augers, conveyors, hoppers, bucket elevators, blowers, dust collection, and heat-recovery systems.

• Troubleshoot and repair mechanical, electrical controls, hydraulic, and pneumatic issues, and know when to repair in place versus when to escalate or bring in a specialist.

• Respond to breakdowns and callouts quickly, working closely with Floor Technicians and Shift Supervision to minimize downtime.

• Weld, fabricate, and modify parts, guards, and supports as needed to keep equipment running and safe.

• Help build and maintain AR-1's preventive maintenance program, including PM schedules, equipment histories, and work order records (CMMS or equivalent).

• Track and manage critical spare parts and maintenance supplies so the right parts are on hand when we need them.

• Lead and follow lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space, hot work, and other safety procedures on every job.

• Partner with the Engineering team on equipment improvements, installs, and root-cause analysis on recurring failures.

• Coordinate with outside vendors and contractors during repairs, installs, and planned shutdowns.

• Train Floor Technicians on basic equipment care and first-line checks.

What You Bring

• 3+ years of hands-on industrial maintenance experience in a manufacturing, processing, agricultural, or heavy-equipment setting.

• An eagerness to learn new systems and processes - a willingness to improve what we do on a daily basis. 

• A firm understanding of PPE uses and requirements.

• Multi-craft skills across mechanical systems (bearings, gearboxes, chains, belts, pumps) and industrial electrical equipment (motors, controls, troubleshooting up to 480V).

• Ability to read and work from schematics, mechanical drawings, and equipment manuals.

• Working welding and fabrication skills (MIG/stick).

• A safety-first mindset and working knowledge of LOTO and OSHA safety practices.

• A valid driver's license, and reliable transportation.

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, climb ladders, work at heights and in tight spaces, and work around heat, dust, and outdoor/semi-outdoor conditions.

• A team-first attitude, AR-1's first crew sets the tone for every site that follows.

Nice to Have

• Trade certification or journeyman card (industrial maintenance, electrical, millwright, HVAC, or diesel/heavy equipment).

• Experience in a rice mill, grain elevator, feed mill, sawmill, or similar ag or biomass processing operation.

• Experience with rotary kilns, dryers, boilers, or other thermal processing equipment.

• Familiarity with PLCs, VFDs, and basic instrumentation.

• Military maintenance experience - veterans and transitioning service members are strongly encouraged to apply.
  

Make It Safe

Safe Environment, No Exceptions is one of our five core values, and nobody lives it more directly than the person working inside our equipment. Every job starts with lockout/tagout and the right PPE, you'll get full training on our systems before working independently, and you're expected to stop any job if something doesn't look right, no exceptions.

Growth at Cold Steppe

Degrees aren't required for hire or advancement here, we look for talent, dedication, willingness to learn, and skill in what you know. As AR-1 scales and future facilities come online, we're building structured paths from Maintenance Technician into lead technician, maintenance supervisor, and reliability or engineering support roles, along with SkillsBridge-aligned training and apprenticeship programs to help you grow with us.