Chemical Development Engineer I

About the role

Pheonix Tailings is a startup focused on sustainable and economically viable critical metals production. We aim to be the world's first fully clean mining and metals production company. We are currently seeking a Junior Chemical Engineer to join our dynamic team.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute laboratory-scale experiments across the rare earth extraction and metallization process flowsheet
• Build and validate process models including comprehensive mass and energy balances
• Optimize chloride leaching, dissolution, and filtration operations to improve efficiency and product quality
• Support the development of advanced separation techniques for REE purification and concentration
• Develop robust precipitation processes for conversion of rare earth chlorides into high-purity oxides
• Contribute to early-stage metallization process R&D for converting oxides into individual rare earth metals
• Analyze experimental data and use findings to drive iterative improvements to the process
• Specify and evaluate equipment required for pilot and commercial-scale implementation
• Document all research procedures, findings, and recommendations with technical precision
• Ensure all experiments and development efforts align with EH&S and sustainability standards

Qualifications

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field
• 1–3 years of experience in chemical or metallurgical process development (internships and co-op experience welcome)
• Familiarity with mass and energy balances, process modeling, and basic process calculations
• Experience interpreting or developing PFDs and P&IDs
• Hands-on experience with laboratory or pilot-scale chemical equipment
• Comfortable using tools for data analysis and reporting (Excel, Python, or similar)
• Solid communication skills and ability to clearly document technical work
• Familiarity with rare earth chemistry or hydrometallurgy is a plus