Chemical Development Engineer II | Burlington, MA

June 8, 2026
$90,000 - $130,000 / year
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Job Description

Company: Phoenix Tailings
Location: Burlington, Massachusetts, United States
Category: Mineral Processing and Metallurgy
Job Type: Full-time
Work Arrangement: On-site
Experience Level: Mid-Level
Salary: $90,000.00 – $130,000.00 annually

Job Summary
Phoenix Tailings is seeking a Chemical Development Engineer II to support the scale-up and refinement of rare earth element extraction and metallization technologies.

This role supports R&D, laboratory-scale experimentation, process modeling, hydrometallurgical development, and technical innovation for clean and economically viable critical metals production.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design and execute laboratory-scale experiments across rare earth extraction and metallization process flowsheets
  • Build and validate process models, including mass and energy balances
  • Optimize chloride leaching, dissolution, and filtration operations to improve efficiency and product quality
  • Support development of advanced separation techniques for rare earth purification and concentration
  • Develop precipitation processes for converting rare earth chlorides into high-purity oxides
  • Contribute to early-stage metallization R&D for converting oxides into individual rare earth metals
  • Analyze experimental data and use findings to improve process performance
  • Specify and evaluate equipment for pilot and commercial-scale implementation
  • Document research procedures, findings, and technical recommendations with precision
  • Ensure experiments and development activities align with EH&S and sustainability standards

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline required
  • 3-6 years of hands-on experience in process development, hydrometallurgy, or chemical processing
  • Experience designing experiments and interpreting data to solve technical challenges
  • 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 such as ICP-OES, XRD, or SEM
  • Clear and structured technical writing skills for documentation and reporting
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, iterative R&D environment
  • Familiarity with rare earth chemistry and metallurgical challenges preferred
  • Experience with process simulation tools such as HSC Chemistry or Aspen Plus is a plus

Why This Role Matters
This role helps advance clean critical metals infrastructure by supporting the development, optimization, and scale-up of rare earth extraction and metallization technologies.

Apply
👉 Apply online: https://jobs.lever.co/PhoenixTailings/7435779d-7052-40b6-93a0-fa6a701e31ad

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