Lead Process Engineer

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Base pay range

$/yr – $/yr

About Mariana Minerals

Mariana Minerals is a software‑first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We are reimagining how minerals are sourced, refined, and optimized by combining deep industrial expertise with software, automation, and data‑driven decision‑making. Join us as we build the future of responsible mineral sourcing and supply.

Role Overview

Mariana Minerals is looking for a highly motivated Lead Process Engineer to develop and deploy first‑of‑its‑kind chemical refining processes while also contributing to software for capital project execution and automated plant optimization. The role involves leading equipment scopes from concept through design, installation, commissioning, ramp, and handover to operations, evaluating new project opportunities for North American mineral refining, and building and leading an in‑house process engineering team.

What You’ll Do

• Lead equipment scopes from concept and modeling validation through procurement, engineering, fabrication, installation, commissioning, and ramp

• Manage external equipment providers, technology licensors, and engineering companies to deliver fully integrated and functional mineral refining scopes

• Drive cross‑functional teams of lab technicians, pilot plant engineers, process engineers, and project engineers to scale technical equipment and de‑risk commercialization of novel mineral refining processes

• Support the hiring, mentorship, and day‑to‑day management of junior process engineers

• Develop techno‑economic models of new project opportunities, acquisition targets, and new technologies to inform business development

• Prepare and present bankable engineering deliverables to support project financing partners’ due diligence reviews

• Identify, evaluate, and implement engineering solutions to optimize extraction, purification, and recovery processes under varying chemistry, feedstock qualities, and operating conditions

• Collaborate with R&D, lab staff, pilot‑plant engineers, and operations teams to translate bench‑scale insights into robust and scalable flow sheets

• Identify, evaluate, and implement process engineering and project management software tools

• Identify and support opportunities for the software and machine learning teams to automate capital project execution workflows and develop advanced plant control algorithms

What You’ll Bring

• 10+ years of engineering experience in industrial, chemical, mineral processing, or similar process‑intensive environments

• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and demonstrated ability to leverage the understanding to solve challenging problems

• Strong foundation in chemical engineering, metallurgical engineering, or process engineering, with demonstrated ability to apply engineering fundamentals to complex hydrometallurgical systems

• Experience with equipment engineering and design, including brownfield modifications and upgrades of process equipment, greenfield design of hydrometallurgical unit operations, troubleshooting, evaluation, and optimization of operating equipment

• Experience in hydrometallurgical mineral processing or metal refining, lithium processing and refining, large‑scale mining or critical‑minerals processing, industrial chemical manufacturing, or EPC/EPCM support for mining projects

• Experience with direct or indirect leadership of engineers and technicians

Why This Role

Mining is one of the most operationally complex industries on earth—and one of the least digitized. Most mines run on disconnected systems, tribal knowledge, and gut‑based decisions. At Mariana, you’ll build the software that changes this, working on autonomous haul trucks, integrated mine planning, and optimization systems that treat the entire mine as a single coordinated operation. If you want to work on hard problems with real‑world stakes, this is the role for you.

What It’s Like to Work Here

• Extreme Ownership – We take full responsibility for outcomes and drive relentlessly toward solutions.

• Engineer Out, Then Automate – We simplify and optimize before we scale.

• Share Your Legos – We collaborate openly, share knowledge freely, and help each other build better solutions.

Mariana is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.

Compensation Range: $150K – $210K

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