1.6. Lead Separation Engineer

1.6. Lead Separation Engineer

About Phoenix Tailings

Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup dedicated to sustainable and economic critical metals production. Our mission is to be the world's first fully clean mining and metals production company, producing the resources needed for the next generation of our economy.

Why Phoenix Tailings

At Phoenix, we believe that nothing great is ever accomplished alone or without the passion of people who push and motivate one another. If you are someone who shares our relentless pursuit of a better future, passion for innovation, and are excited about working with some of the top innovators in the world, then this is the place for you.

Our Values

You are only crazy if you are wrong, its ok to be wrong

Lead with Compassion

Be Resourceful

Listen

Hustle

Who We Are Looking For

Phoenix Tailings is looking for a Lead Chemical Process Engineer Separation with deep expertise in solvent extraction and process development to own the scale-up of rare earth separation systems from bench to pilot to commercial-scale production. This role will be instrumental in building the technical foundation of our separation technologies and will take a leadership role in developing both the process and the team that will bring it to life. You will help define how clean rare earth separations are designed, built, and scaled in the U.S.and directly shape the future of sustainable critical materials.

Key Responsibilities :

• Lead the full lifecycle of solvent extraction process development : from bench-scale R&D through pilot and into full-scale commercial deployment
• Design, operate, and optimize bench-scale experiments to evaluate separation performance and extractant chemistry
• Develop and operate pilot-scale solvent extraction systems, collecting real-time data and translating findings into scalable design improvements
• Define scale-up strategy, equipment selection, and process control logic for transition to production-scale systems
• Create and maintain detailed process documentation, including mass balances, PFDs, SOPs, and operational guidelines
• Build and mentor a growing separation process team, including chemical engineers and technicians
• Identify critical process bottlenecks and propose engineering solutions using both experimental and modeling approaches
• Ensure safety, reliability, and process integrity across all phases of development
• Contribute to broader separation technology roadmaps and help set technical direction for future rare earth and critical metal systems

Qualifications :

We offer a competitive compensation package that is based on expertise. We also offer the following benefits :

At Phoenix Tailings, we have an open culture that values learning, and we are looking to grow the team with enthusiastic individuals who share our vision of sustainable mining.

Phoenix Tailings, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at all levels. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information, or any other applicable protected characteristics, and these characteristics will not be a factor for consideration of any work-related decisions (including but not limited to hiring, firing, compensation, and discipline).

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