Phoenix Tailings · 4 days ago
Chemical Development Engineer II
Burlington, MA
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid Level
$90K/yr - $130K/yr
3+ years expPhoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup dedicated to sustainable and economic critical metals production. They are seeking a Junior Chemical Engineer to contribute to the design, development, and optimization of innovative critical metals production systems.
Advanced MaterialsCleanTechIndustrialManufacturingMiningSustainabilityWaste Management
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
Qualification
Required
B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline
3–6 years of hands-on experience in process development, hydrometallurgy, or chemical processing
Proficiency in designing experiments and interpreting data to solve complex technical challenges
Demonstrated expertise in solid-liquid separation, precipitation, and chemical extraction techniques
Strong foundation in process engineering including mass and energy balance modeling
Experience with laboratory instrumentation and analytical tools (e.g., ICP-OES, XRD, SEM)
Clear, structured technical writing skills for documentation and reporting
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, iterative R&D environment
Preferred
Familiarity with rare earth chemistry and metallurgical challenges
Experience with process simulation tools (e.g., HSC Chemistry, Aspen Plus)
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.
Company
Phoenix Tailings
Phoenix Tailings is a metals-refining company that transforms mining waste (“tailings”) into usable rare earth and critical metals.
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Phoenix Tailings has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (3)
2023 (1)
2022 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$104.24MKey Investors
ARPA-EEnvisioning PartnersMassVentures
2025-12-25Series B
2025-12-04Grant· $1.6M
2025-04-30Series B· $33M
Leadership Team
Nicholas Myers
CEO & Co-Founder
Anthony Balladon
Chief Commercial Officer & Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-12-30
2025-12-29
Company data provided by crunchbase