The Role
Lead scale-up, design, deployment, and optimization of pilot-scale production processes for critical metals. Own process performance, eliminate bottlenecks, translate data into engineering decisions, mentor engineers, and support capital and facility planning while ensuring safety, quality, and environmental compliance.
Summary Generated by Built In
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 Tailings, 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 seeking a visionary Principal Production Engineer to take ownership of the scale-up and technical leadership of our pilot production systems. In this strategic role, you will serve as the technical authority on clean metals production systems, lead critical process development efforts, and directly influence how lab-scale innovations are transformed into commercial-scale operations. You will work cross-functionally with R&D, Engineering, and Operations, and have significant influence on the buildout of Phoenix Tailings’ next-generation critical metals infrastructure. Your contributions will directly accelerate our path toward a scalable, fully clean metals production platform.
This pay range reflects the expected compensation for this role and may vary based on experience and qualifications.
Salary Range: $140,000-$180,000
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the design, deployment, and optimization of pilot-scale production processes for rare earth and critical metals
- Drive process scale-up strategies from R&D proof-of-concept through full pilot validation and production integration
- Serve as the primary technical owner of high-impact production systems, with deep understanding of process inputs, outputs, and constraints
- Identify and eliminate bottlenecks in throughput, quality, reliability, and equipment performance
- Apply advanced mechanical or chemical engineering principles to optimize process efficiency, safety, and scalability
- Translate experimental data into actionable engineering decisions and long-term production solutions
- Develop and maintain high-quality technical documentation, including process flow diagrams, equipment specs, and SOPs
- Provide technical mentorship to other engineers and foster a culture of excellence in production and process engineering
- Partner with leadership to define capital plans, facility upgrades, and infrastructure expansion based on process needs
- Ensure strict adherence to safety, quality, and environmental standards as systems scale
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline (Master’s or PhD preferred)
- 7–10+ years of experience in process engineering, pilot-scale production, or advanced manufacturing
- Proven track record leading the scale-up of complex mechanical or chemical processes from benchtop to pilot and beyond
- Deep knowledge of production system design, operations, and process optimization in high-complexity environments
- Experience with critical metals, high-temperature systems, electrochemical, or chemical processing preferred
- Hands-on expertise with industrial equipment, instrumentation, process controls, and safety systems
- Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence at all levels
- Passion for clean technology, sustainable manufacturing, and solving big industrial challenges
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.
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).
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline
- Master's or PhD in relevant field
- 7-10+ years of experience in process engineering, pilot-scale production, or advanced manufacturing
- Proven track record leading scale-up of mechanical or chemical processes from benchtop to pilot and beyond
- Deep knowledge of production system design, operations, and process optimization in high-complexity environments
- Experience with critical metals, high-temperature systems, electrochemical, or chemical processing
- Hands-on expertise with industrial equipment, instrumentation, process controls, and safety systems
- Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills with ability to influence at all levels
- Passion for clean technology and sustainable manufacturing
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The Company
What We Do
Phoenix Tailings is a rare earth metals production company dedicated to restoring U.S. industrial independence by building domestic refining capacity. The company aims to redefine the industry as the first fully clean mining and metals producer, using sustainable, net-zero technology to transform mining waste (tailings) into critical rare earth metals and alloys essential for modern technology, defense, and green energy infrastructure.
