Process Engineer at Careers at USA Rare Earth

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Process Engineer to support the development of innovative technologies for rare earth recovery and purification from both primary and secondary feedstocks. This role will contribute to research and development activities, pilot plant operations, and process scale-up efforts. The ideal candidate will combine strong technical expertise with hands-on experience in process design and implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments to develop new extraction and purification processes.
• Translate laboratory-scale findings into pilot and production-scale operations.
• Prepare and present technical progress reports to leadership and key stakeholders.
• Liaise with external partners, including EPCMs, equipment manufacturers, engineering consultants, and regulatory agencies.
• Mentor and guide technicians in process development and laboratory activities.
• Prepare technical documentation such as standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety assessments, and process design packages.
• Contribute to process hazard analyses (PHAs) and ensure compliance with environmental and safety regulations.
• Support design and commissioning of pilot- and commercial-scale process systems, including test plans and performance verification.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 2–5 years of experience in process engineering or R&D.
• Proficiency in experimental design, pilot plant construction and operation, steady-state mass balance modeling, and process flow diagram (PFD) and P&ID interpretation.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills related to extractive metallurgy and chemical processing.
• Knowledge of safety and quality standards for laboratory and pilot-scale operations.
• Experience implementing process improvements and maintaining equipment reliability in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with data acquisition systems (SCADA/DCS) or process automation.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills for communicating complex data to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a cross-functional, fast-paced startup environment. 

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, move, sit, carry, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, lift, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk and hear. May be required to lift and move boxes or packages not exceeding 20 pounds in weight. Some work stress inherent to the position and extended work hours may be required. 

Work Environment:
The work environment will be a mix of a typical office environment and laboratory space.

Noise level:

Exposure will vary and include normal office noise and typical laboratory sounds (e.g., ventilation systems, equipment operation).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills required of personnel so classified. The reporting relationship may not reflect the most recent changes to the corporate reporting structure.

USA Rare Earth proudly supports Equal Employment Opportunities

USA Rare Earth's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and will provide reasonable accommodations according to applicable federal, state, and/or local laws.

For assistance applying for employment through this site due to disability, please contact Human Resources, [email protected], to discuss reasonable accommodations.