7.5. Chemical Engineer - Leadership Development Program
Phoenix Tailings
Key Responsibilities:
- Design, optimize, and operate chemical processes across rare earth extraction, separation, and metallization systems
- Perform mass/energy balances, process modeling, and thermodynamic calculations to drive design decisions
- Conduct hands-on experimentation at lab and pilot scales to develop novel hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical systems
- Collaborate across disciplines — mechanical, electrical, materials, operations, and commercial — to ensure process requirements translate into real, reliable equipment
- Scale up unit operations to commercial scale while maintaining control over reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, and material compatibility
- Evaluate reagents, solvents, and alternative pathways to improve sustainability and reduce waste
- Troubleshoot chemical process issues with a hands-on, iterative approach
- Own and improve SOPs, safety protocols, and process documentation as systems evolve from lab to plant scale
- Support commissioning and troubleshooting of pilot and commercial systems, including system startups, test plans, and failure analysis
- Grow into a future leader by taking ownership, pushing through ambiguity, and helping shape the future of clean metals refining
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a related field
- Hands-on experience in a lab, pilot, or plant setting — including chemical handling, process monitoring, or bench-scale experiments
- Willingness to work long hours and contribute wherever needed to move the mission forward
- Strong problem-solving mindset with a bias for action and ownership
- Strong understanding of reaction engineering, phase equilibria, fluid flow, and thermodynamics
- Demonstrated ability to translate lab-scale results into scalable, hardware-integrated processes
- Experience in designing, executing, and analyzing experiments of complex chemical systems
- Familiarity with process simulation tools (e.g., SysCAD, COMSOL, etc.)
- Grit, humility, and curiosity — you own your outcomes and constantly seek to improv
We offer a competitive compensation package that is based on expertise. We also offer the following benefits:
- Healthcare, we care about you and your family: 100% Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Stock: Ownership in a fast-growing venture-backed company.
- Family Focus: Parental leave and flexibility for families.
- Time Off: Flexible vacation policy to encourage people to get out and see the world.
- Team Fun: Regularly scheduled events, and celebrations.
- Learning: Learning and development Opportunities to grow your skills and career.
- Great team: Working with fun, hard-working, kind people committed to making a difference!
- Flexible culture: We are results-focused. We don’t work at the office every day.