Chemical Development Engineer I

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. We are seeking a Junior Chemical Engineer to join our dynamic team and contribute to the design, development, and optimization of innovative critical metals production systems.

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, it’s ok to be wrong

- Lead with Compassion

- Be Resourceful

- Listen

- Hustle

Who We Are Looking For

Phoenix Tailings is looking for a Development Engineer I with a strong technical foundation and a desire to apply their knowledge to solving real-world process challenges in critical metals recovery. In this role, you’ll support the design, execution, and analysis of rare earth element processing technologies and contribute to building out the technical infrastructure that enables the future of clean manufacturing. This position is ideal for someone with early-career experience or a strong academic background in chemical process engineering, including working with mass and energy balances, PFDs, and P&IDs.

This pay range reflects the expected compensation for this role and may vary based on experience and qualifications.

Salary Range: $70,000/year- $100,000/year

Key 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

- Driven by curiosity, mission, and a desire to help solve one of the most important resource challenges of our time

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.

We offer a competitive compensation package based on expertise, including healthcare coverage (100% medical, dental, and vision), stock ownership, parental leave, flexible vacation policy, learning and development opportunities, and a great team culture that values making a difference and encourages results-focused work. At Phoenix Tailings, we have an open culture that values learning and growth, and we are looking for 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, genetic information, or any other applicable protected characteristics. These characteristics will not be a factor for consideration of any work-related decisions, including but not limited to hiring, firing, compensation, and discipline.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.