Chemical 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 creative and results-oriented Chemical Engineer I to help us scale and optimize our revolutionary metal production systems. In this role, you’ll design, test, and refine core chemical processes that extract, refine, and recycle critical materials. You’ll work across multiple stages of our rare earth and metal recovery technologies—from lab-scale experiments to pilot and production implementation. Your work will be essential to our mission of producing critical materials with no emissions, no waste, and no compromises.

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 experiments to evaluate and optimize chemical processes for metal extraction and purification.

- Analyze reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, and mass transfer phenomena to inform process improvements.

- Develop and scale chemical unit operations including leaching, solvent extraction, and precipitation.

- Support the transition of processes from lab-scale to pilot-scale and ultimately full-scale production.

- Work with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot systems, gather process data, and continuously improve performance.

- Conduct rigorous chemical and materials analysis to assess purity, yields, and byproduct profiles.

- Collaborate with R&D and engineering to develop safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible chemistries.

- Document procedures, results, and design learnings to support IP generation and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

- B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related discipline.

- 2–5 years of experience in chemical process development, preferably in hydrometallurgy, critical minerals, metals, mining, or advanced materials.

- Strong foundation in chemical reaction engineering, thermodynamics, and separation technologies.

- Experience designing and running lab-scale chemical experiments and analyzing data.

- Familiarity with tools such as HSC Chemistry, Aspen, or similar simulation software is a plus.

- Passion for sustainability and interest in solving real-world environmental and resource challenges.

- A proactive, curious mindset with a desire to work in a fast-paced, high-impact startup environment.

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.