Phoenix Tailings · 14 hours ago
8.5. Principal Production Engineer -Burlington
Burlington, MA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$140K/yr - $180K/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 visionary Principal Production Engineer to lead the scale-up and technical leadership of pilot production systems, driving process development from lab-scale innovations to commercial-scale operations.
Advanced MaterialsCleanTechIndustrialManufacturingMiningSustainabilityWaste Management
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
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline
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
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
Preferred
Master's or PhD
Experience with critical metals, high-temperature systems, electrochemical, or chemical processing
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 Partners,Escape VelocityEnvisioning Partners
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