What are the responsibilities and job description for the 9.2. Senior R&D Chemist position at Phoenix Tailings?
About Phoenix Tailings
Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup dedicated to sustainable and economic critical metals production. Our mission is to be the world’s first fully clean mining and metals production company—unlocking the materials required for aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing while eliminating waste and emissions from mining.
Why Phoenix Tailings
At Phoenix, we believe nothing great is ever accomplished alone—or without the passion of people who push and motivate one another. You’ll be joining a team building the foundational infrastructure for the modern world, developing entirely new ways to produce rare earth and critical metals domestically, cleanly, and at scale.
Our Values:
● You are only crazy if you are wrong, it’s ok to be wrong
● Lead with Compassion
● Be Resourceful
● Listen
● Hustle
Who We Are Looking For:
Phoenix Tailings is looking for a Senior R&D Chemist to develop and optimize hydrometallurgical and extraction processes that improve the recovery, separation, and purification of critical metals. This role is for a hands-on chemist who can design experiments, interpret complex chemical systems, and turn lab-scale results into process improvements that strengthen Phoenix Tailings’ clean metals production platform. You will help build the chemistry that makes critical metals more accessible, sustainable, and ready to power the technologies of today and tomorrow.
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- Design and execute hydrometallurgical experiments focused on leaching, extraction, separation, purification, and recovery of critical metals and rare earth elements.
- Develop and optimize solvent extraction, precipitation, crystallization, ion exchange, and related separation processes for complex feedstocks and process streams.
- Evaluate the effects of pH, temperature, reagent concentration, residence time, redox conditions, phase ratios, and impurity profiles on metals recovery and selectivity.
- Analyze aqueous, organic, solid, and intermediate process samples to understand extraction efficiency, metal loading, impurity behavior, and product quality.
- Build process-performance relationships that connect chemistry, operating conditions, recovery, purity, reagent use, and scalability.
- Identify chemical failure modes, side reactions, losses, and impurity pathways, then develop practical solutions to improve process reliability and efficiency.
- Support the translation of bench-scale chemistry into larger experimental systems that advance Phoenix Tailings’ clean metals production technology.
- Prepare clear experimental plans, technical reports, data summaries, and recommendations that guide R&D priorities and process development decisions.
- PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, Hydrometallurgy, or a related field.
- 2–3 years of experience in hydrometallurgy, solvent extraction, separations chemistry, critical metals recovery, rare earth processing, extractive metallurgy, or related applied chemical R&D.
- Hands-on experience designing and running leaching, extraction, precipitation, crystallization, ion exchange, or purification experiments.
- Strong understanding of aqueous chemistry, metal speciation, pH control, redox chemistry, complexation, phase behavior, and separation selectivity.
- Experience analyzing process samples and interpreting chemical data to improve recovery, purity, reagent efficiency, and process stability.
- Familiarity with analytical techniques such as ICP-OES/MS, XRF, XRD, IC, HPLC, UV-Vis, titration, or related characterization tools.
- Healthcare: 100% Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employee.
- Stock Options: Ownership in a fast-growing venture-backed company.
- Time Off: Unlimited PTO.
- Learning: Learning and development opportunities to grow your skills and career.
At Phoenix Tailings, we have an open culture that values learning, and we are looking to grow the team with enthusiastic individuals who share our vision of sustainable mining.
Phoenix Tailings, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at all levels. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information, or any other applicable protected characteristics, and these characteristics will not be a factor for consideration of any work-related decisions (including but not limited to hiring, firing, compensation, and discipline).
Salary : $130,000 - $170,000