Phoenix Tailings · 7 hours ago
R&D & Pilot Production Manager
Burlington, MA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$110K/yr - $150K/yr
7+ 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 Production Engineering Manager to lead and evolve their pilot production facility, translating R&D breakthroughs into scalable processes while ensuring safety and efficiency.
Advanced MaterialsCleanTechIndustrialManufacturingMiningSustainabilityWaste Management
Responsibilities
Own day-to-day operation of Phoenix Tailings’ pilot production facility, including metallization and rare earth separation processes
Lead pilot-scale execution of new process flows developed by R&D, ensuring safe, repeatable operation
Translate laboratory and bench-scale work into pilot-ready operating procedures and equipment configurations
Drive continuous improvement of pilot processes to increase yield, throughput, and reliability
Manage pilot production schedules, material flows, and experimental campaigns
Partner directly with R&D to design, run, and analyze pilot trials that inform scale-up decisions
Establish and refine SOPs, process controls, and documentation for evolving pilot systems
Ensure safe operation of chemical, thermal, and metallurgical systems in a dynamic pilot environment
Qualification
Required
7+ years of experience in production engineering, process engineering, or pilot plant operations
Direct experience operating and scaling R&D or pilot production facilities (not just steady-state manufacturing)
Hands-on experience with metallurgical, chemical, or materials processing systems
Background in rare earth processing, metallization, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, or adjacent fields
Proven ability to run experimental production systems where processes are still evolving
Strong understanding of process safety, equipment commissioning, and pilot-scale operations
Ability to work cross-functionally with R&D, facilities, and leadership in a fast-moving startup environment
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