Mineralogist – Rare Earth Elements | Burlington, MA

Mineral Processing and Metallurgy
Massachusetts, United States
June 8, 2026
$90,000 - $130,000 / year
Full-time
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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 Mineralogist – Rare Earth Elements to support the characterization, analysis, and optimization of rare earth element-bearing minerals and associated gangue materials.

This role focuses on mineralogical analysis, REE-bearing feedstock characterization, mineral separation, metallurgical flowsheet support, and technical guidance for clean and scalable rare earth recovery from unconventional sources such as industrial waste and tailings.

Key Responsibilities

  • Characterize REE-bearing minerals such as monazite, bastnäsite, xenotime, and associated mineral phases
  • Use analytical tools including XRD, SEM-EDS, optical microscopy, and QEMSCAN
  • Identify, quantify, and track rare earth mineral phases across feedstocks, intermediates, and residues
  • Develop mineralogical workflows to improve rare earth recovery, separation efficiency, and process economics
  • Design and conduct hands-on mineral separation experiments and sample preparation for downstream processing
  • Interpret complex mineral assemblages to support metallurgical flowsheet design for REE extraction
  • Provide technical recommendations to R&D and chemical engineering teams based on mineralogical data
  • Maintain and operate mineral characterization tools in a lab-scale environment
  • Translate complex mineralogical insights into actionable technical guidance
  • Support sustainable rare earth recovery from tailings, industrial waste, and other unconventional feedstocks

Qualifications

  • PhD or Master’s degree in Mineralogy, Geology, Earth Sciences, or a related field required
  • Academic or professional focus on rare earth or critical metal systems preferred
  • 2+ years of experience with mineralogical analysis of REE-bearing materials
  • Proficiency with analytical tools such as XRD, SEM-EDS, QEMSCAN, and optical microscopy
  • Strong understanding of rare earth mineral chemistry and associations with host rock or tailings matrices
  • Hands-on experience with mineral processing or separation techniques relevant to rare earth elements
  • Ability to translate mineralogical data into process insights and actionable recommendations
  • Familiarity with sustainable or unconventional feedstocks such as tailings or industrial waste is a plus
  • Strong communication skills
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment

Why This Role Matters
This role helps unlock cleaner and more scalable rare earth recovery pathways by connecting mineralogical insight with metallurgical process development, supporting critical materials supply for electrification, defense, and advanced manufacturing.

Apply
👉 Apply online: https://jobs.lever.co/PhoenixTailings/1c2fc88a-db9c-47e2-bc6e-582ee22b159c

⚠️ Disclaimer
This job is shared for informational purposes. WeMineUp is not affiliated with the hiring company. Please apply through the official company process.

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