Senior Thermal Processing Engineer | Mountain Pass, CA

Job Description

Company: MP Materials
Location: Mountain Pass, California, United States
Category: Mineral Processing and Metallurgy
Job Type: Full-time
Work Arrangement: On-site
Experience Level: Senior-Level
Salary: $140,000.00 – $170,000.00 annually

Job Summary
MP Materials is seeking a Senior Thermal Processing Engineer to support the operation, optimization, reliability, and design of industrial thermal processing equipment at its Mountain Pass operation. This role focuses on kilns, calciners, coolers, dryers, rotating equipment, conveyance systems, dust handling systems, process optimization, troubleshooting, capital projects, and continuous improvement within a rare earth processing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical support for the operation, optimization, and reliability of kilns, calciners, coolers, dryers, and associated rotating equipment.
• Support conveyance systems and dust handling systems used in thermal processing operations.
• Lead projects involving process optimization, debottlenecking, equipment modifications, capacity improvements, and design upgrades.
• Analyze equipment performance, including temperature, material flow, refractory performance, residence time, draft, combustion, heat transfer, vibration, motor load, and product quality.
• Troubleshoot buildup, plugging, refractory damage, overheating, vibration, misalignment, air leakage, and mechanical failures.
• Collaborate with Process Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Electrical, and Process Controls teams.
• Develop engineering calculations, equipment specifications, scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules, and technical evaluations.
• Support capital projects through detailed engineering, design reviews, procurement, construction, commissioning, and startup.
• Review and update PFDs, P&IDs, equipment layouts, datasheets, and engineering drawings.
• Coordinate vendors, contractors, equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, and performance testing.
• Manage projects from concept and design through execution, startup, and closeout.
• Present equipment performance, project status, risks, and recommendations to plant and senior management.
• Ensure engineering changes comply with safety requirements, engineering standards, and Management of Change processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with industrial kilns, rotary kilns, calciners, dryers, furnaces, or similar high-temperature equipment.
• Experience with solids conveyance systems, baghouses, and associated process equipment.
• Experience with rotating equipment such as gearboxes, bearings, drives, couplings, fans, blowers, and lubrication systems.
• Experience in mining, metallurgical processing, cement, chemical processing, petroleum, or another heavy industrial environment.
• Strong troubleshooting, equipment optimization, and project execution experience.
• Understanding of heat transfer, combustion, material flow, draft, thermal expansion, refractory systems, and mechanical reliability.
• Ability to read and develop PFDs, P&IDs, equipment drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Ability to perform heat and mass balances, equipment sizing, throughput calculations, and technical evaluations.
• Familiarity with plant control systems, PI Vision, SAP, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ten or more years of related engineering or operations support experience preferred.
• Valid driver’s license required.

Physical Requirements

• Work is performed at an open pit mine or manufacturing and chemical plant environment at approximately 4,700 feet elevation.
• May be exposed to extreme weather conditions, including heat, cold, and wind.
• Work environments may include moving mechanical equipment, chemicals, electrical hazards, explosives, fumes, and airborne particles.
• Personal Protective Equipment is required in mine, manufacturing, outdoor, and plant environments.
• Must be able to pass a full-face respirator fit test and work in PPE Level C.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Role may require standing, walking, reaching, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.

Why This Role Matters
This role supports the thermal processing systems that are critical to MP Materials’ rare earth processing operations at Mountain Pass. The Senior Thermal Processing Engineer helps improve equipment reliability, process efficiency, capacity, product quality, and plant performance while advancing capital projects and the domestic rare earth supply chain.

Apply
👉 Apply online: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=2025028d-7acd-4c20-b3da-c49a0d760dac&ccId=19000101_000001&selectedMenuKey=CareerCenter&jobId=552023

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