Laboratory Operator

Who we are:

We are on a mission to become a leading supplier of critical materials that enable the green energy and technology revolution. Our materials and technologies are required for the electric vehicle, green energy, consumer electronics, and defense industries, and our battery grade lithium and tech metals are needed for chipsets, semiconductors, and 5G.

We have a substantial interest in the Round Top, Heavy Rare Earth, Lithium and Critical Minerals deposit in West Texas. We have also developed the United States’ first rare earth and critical minerals processing facility and we own the only scalable, sintered neo-magnet manufacturing system in the Western Hemisphere. By developing this fully integrated, US-based “mine-to-magnet” critical mineral supply chain, we are poised to become the leading domestic supplier to these industries.

What you can expect:

At USA Rare Earth, we are pioneers and problem solvers, technologists and team players. Together, we:

Build Solutions: If our task was a simple one, it would already be done. We are creative and solution-oriented, and we think outside the box to solve important problems. We know that a range of expertise and technologies is needed for success, and we work across sectors and alongside customers to deliver world-class solutions in sustainable ways.

Deliver Quality: When we do things, we do them well. We believe that top-tier quality leads to industry competitiveness and we hold ourselves to the highest quality standards. We move fast when executing, but safety, quality, and excellence always come first.

Lead responsibly: We have a responsibility to the planet, our consumers, our country, and each other. We put safety at the center of all we do, take accountability for our actions, incorporate sustainable practices in our processes and act with the financial best interest of our investors and consumers in mind.

Win Together: Establishing a rare earth magnet supply chain is a big undertaking – and getting there is a team effort. We communicate openly, work together and challenge each other in pursuit of our goals. With every step we take we learn and get better.

Position Overview:

The Laboratory Technician plays a crucial role in the chemical process, developing permanent rare earth magnets. This person is a motivated, self-starter who can work as a team, with detail-orientation, organization, and a desire for continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

- Follows laboratory safety procedures,

- Assists with and performs routine chemical and metallurgical analysis and reporting.

- Maintains laboratory process equipment.

- Proficiency with analytical techniques and instrumentation.

- Reviews analytical results, researches any discrepancies, and reports any anomalous results to the lab manager and magnet technology team.

- Performs routine and non-routine analysis, including chemical, and magnetic, and a wide variety of product, process, project, research and environmental samples from all areas of the operation.

- Maintains and troubleshoots laboratory instrumentation.

- Assists in tracking and maintaining the chemical reagent inventory.

- Cleans and maintains workstation(s) after use to help ensure laboratory instrumentation/equipment is in safe working order.

- Performance laboratory housekeeping and routine inspections.

- Prioritizes analytical work with magnet technology team.

- Actively participates in the safety management programs and adheres to all appropriate laboratory safety and operations procedures.

- Complies with all health, environmental, and safety regulations, company policies, processes, and procedures.

- Maintains safe work practices.

- Completes other tasks as needed.

Role Requirements:

- Associate or bachelor degree in chemistry, science, or electronics related area,

- Previous laboratory work experience

- Knowledge or experience related to experimental research and the scientific method.

- Knowledge of laboratory instruments used for materials chemical characterization.

- Knowledge of rare earth element chemical test methods, pulse-field magnetometry, and closed-loop magnetometry, is desired, but not required.

- Knowledge of sample preparation for microstructure analysis.

- Aptitude for hands-on projects.

- Aptitude for technical problem solving and critical thinking

- Computer skills for logging and organizing large data sets

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, move, sit, carry, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, lift, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk and hear. May be required to lift and move boxes or packages not exceeding 20 pounds in weight. Some work stress inherent to the position and extended work hours may be required.

Work Environment: Highlighted

The work environment will be a research laboratory within a manufacturing facility.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not indented to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills required of personnel so classified. The reporting relationship may not reflect the most recent changes to the corporate reporting structure.