Process Engineer

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

As a Chemical Process Engineer, you will be responsible for the process definition, continuous improvement, documentation, and scale‑up of processes relating to the production of rare earth metals and feed stocks.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on subject matter expert in the scaling of chemical reactions, with experience translating fundamentals to repeatable, documented, and operable industrial processes.

• Lead the development of chemical process routes.
• Continuous, data‑driven process improvements, and translation of pilot‑scale improvements to full production, prioritizing documentation and management of change.
• Optimization of salt chemistry, process conditions, and reactor geometry.
• Design experimental programs to establish reactor kinetics, optimise residence time, and maximise throughput.
• Present results regularly to peers and leadership.
• Generate PFDs and contribute to P&IDs.
• Lead HAZOP and FMEA processes.
• Author and maintain formal process documentation suitable for training and execution by operations teams.
• Partner with R&D, operations, quality, and EHS teams to ensure chemical processes are:
  • Safe
  • Scalable
  • Cost‑effective
  • Environmentally compliant
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and technicians.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

• Master’s Degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry or a related field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in electrochemical process development or production.
• Strong working knowledge of:
  • Chemical reaction scale‑up, reactor engineering and transport phenomena
  • Oxide and salt chemistry
  • Molten salt chemistry
• Proven experience creating clear, auditable, and operator‑ready process documentation.
• Experience supporting pilot plant or early commercial operations.
• Ability to independently design and execute experiments.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills.

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities.

• Experience in startup or scale‑up environments.
• Knowledge of quality systems (ISO, internal technical governance).
• Ability to operate as a technical authority without excessive oversight.