Kathryn McAtamney

About Kathryn McAtamney

I build systems that turn unbuildable ideas into scalable infrastructure.Over the last decade, I’ve delivered $2.55B+ in capital programs, covering site selection, diligence, and early-phase development through design execution, construction administration, and commissioning for large-scale manufacturing and data-center-scale facilities.What drives me isn’t just hitting budgets or timelines, it’s creating frameworks that let teams do the impossible responsibly. Whether re-architecting billion-dollar factories or building governance from scratch, I focus on making execution repeatable, measurable, and safe. I love taking massive, ambiguous problems and boiling them down into roadmaps people can rally behind- At Tesla, I helped redefine how factories are scoped and built, proving that fast, compliant, and sustainable can coexist- At Sila, I transformed a high-risk start-up build into an industrial-grade delivery engine- At Apple, I compressed qualification cycles by months through creative reuse- Each program left behind stronger systems, better teams, and clearer ways to move from concept to construction.I lead with clarity and candor, challenging assumptions while giving my teams structure, safety, and credit. I’ve mentored more than a dozen engineers and program managers into leadership roles by showing how technical excellence and communication go hand in hand. I’ve also learned that great engineering is as much about storytelling as it is about design - sharing ideas upward to executives, laterally to peers, and downward to teams so everyone believes in the “why” behind the work.Key Results-Re-architected the Tesla Semi Factory design to eliminate $3B in scope, reduce remaining cost by ~$2B, and accelerate delivery by more than 12 months-Designed and secured regulatory approval for a zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) wastewater system at Giga Berlin, achieving ~99% process-water recycling within a groundwater protection zone-Implemented Autodesk Construction Cloud in RFI\'s, avoiding more than $10M in potential overruns.Core Competencies: site selection and feasibility • development diligence • utilities planning • design execution • construction administration • quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) • commissioning • project controls • sustainability and water reuse • risk mitigation • stakeholder alignment • cross-functional leadership • executive storytelling • influencing without authority

Experience

1. Director of Capital Projects

   Molten Industries

   Nov 2025 — Present · Reno, NV, US

   Leading site selection, design, and execution for Molten\'s first-of-kind clean battery-grade graphite mass production facility. Investing in US manufacturing capabilities and critical minerals supply chains.

Education

• University of Virginia

  B.S., Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering Concentration

  2011 — 2015