Research Metallurgist - Hydrometallurgy

Hitachi, Ltd.; Canada; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Dental coverage

RRSP/401K contributions

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Cyclic Materials in Canada seeks a Research Metallurgist - Hydrometallurgy to design and execute research programs that improve the inhouse processing of rare earth elements and expand capabilities from lab to pilot and commercial operations. You will lead bench-scale and pilot-scale tests, analyze data, and translate results into practical improvements for production.

Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb chemistry and impurity handling are key areas.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, or related field; Master's or PhD preferred.
• 5+ years of hydrometallurgy, process development, mineral processing, chemical processing, or critical minerals recycling experience; rare earth experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of hydrometallurgical unit operations (leaching, precipitation, crystallization, filtration, etc.).
• Experience designing test programs, operating lab or pilot equipment, interpreting data, translating results into improvements.
• Knowledge of ICP-OES/ICP-MS, XRF, titration, ion chromatography, pH/ORP/conductivity, particle size, and moisture/solids analysis.
• Ability to perform mass balances, metallurgical accounting, recovery calculations, statistics, and structured data analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to convey complex chemistry to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, collaboration, and service-minded execution.

Responsibilities

• Hydrometallurgical process development: design, evaluate, and optimize metals recovery circuits including leaching, impurity removal, solid-liquid separation, precipitation/crystallization, solution purification, and reagent/water recycle.
• Research test programs: develop bench-scale and pilot-scale test plans with sound experimental design, sampling plans, mass balances, and clear success criteria.
• Rare earth chemistry: study extraction, dissolution, selectivity, impurity behavior, phase chemistry, product specs, and factors affecting recovery and purity for Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb, etc.
• Data analysis and metallurgical accounting: analyze parameters, yields, product quality, losses, bottlenecks, and variability; prepare technical memos and reports.
• Scale-up support: translate lab results into pilot/plant operating guidance, including envelopes, control strategies, troubleshooting, SOP updates.
• Operational collaboration: work with plant metallurgists, engineers, operators, maintenance, environmental teams, and partnerships.
• Technical communication: present results to stakeholders; document work in memos, reports, test procedures, and presentations.
• Safety and compliance: plan and conduct lab and plant work safely and in line with environmental expectations.
• Team contribution: support technicians and cross-functional teams in a startup environment.
• Travel: travel up to 30% for trials, commissioning, troubleshooting, and vendor/customer meetings.

Skills

Hydrometallurgy

Process development

Data analysis

Technical communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

ICP-OES/ICP-MS

XRF

Ion chromatography

pH/ORP/conductivity

Job description

Cyclic Materials™ is building a resilient circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical materials. Through our proprietary MagCycle℠ and REEPure℠ processes, we recover rare earths from end-of-life products and transform them into high purity materials used in the production of permanent magnets. These materials are critical to the modern economy, including the production of electric vehicles, electronics, AI infrastructure, wind turbines, defense, and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials has rapidly progressed from technology development to commercialization. We currently operate facilities in Ontario and Arizona, with a new expansion underway in South Carolina. Backed by US$75 million in Series C financing led by T. Rowe Price, alongside strategic investors including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures, and Fifth Wall, we are scaling to meet growing global demand for a secure and sustainable rare earth supply.

We have established commercial partnerships with global industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Lime, and VACUUMSCHMELZE, enabling the deployment of recycled rare earth materials into real world supply chains. In 2025, Cyclic Materials was named one of the Top 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch by MIT Technology Review.

We are growing quickly and building the industrial backbone required for a circular rare earth economy. Joining Cyclic Materials means working on complex and exciting challenges at scale, alongside a team committed to executing and delivering measurable impact. If you are motivated by building critical infrastructure and advancing the circular economy, join us and help accelerate the growth of rare earth recycling.

Position Overview

• The Research Metallurgist - Hydrometallurgy will design and execute research and process development programs that enhance the inhouse processing of rare earth elements and expand the technical capabilities.
• This role is ideal for a hands-on metallurgist who enjoys experimental design, laboratory and pilot-scale testing, data analysis, and translating results into practical improvements for commercial operations.

What You Will Be Doing

• Hydrometallurgical process development: Design, evaluate, and optimize metals recovery circuits including leaching, impurity removal, solid-liquid separation, precipitation/crystallization, solution purification, and reagent/water recycle.
• Research test programs: Develop bench-scale and pilot-scale test plans using sound experimental design, sampling plans, mass balances, and clear success criteria.
• Rare earth chemistry: Study extraction, dissolution, selectivity, impurity behavior, phase chemistry, product specifications, and factors affecting recovery and purity for Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb, and related elements.
• Data analysis and metallurgical accounting: Analyze process parameters, yields, product quality, losses, bottlenecks, and variability; prepare technical reports, dashboards, and recommendations.
• Scale-up support: Translate lab results into pilot and plant operating guidance, including operating envelopes, process control strategies, troubleshooting plans, and SOP updates.
• Operational collaboration: Work with plant metallurgists, process engineers, operators, maintenance, environmental teams, and strategic partnerships to support projects, commissioning, optimization, and customer/product requirements.
• Technical communication: Present results and recommendations to internal stakeholders; document work in high-quality technical memos, reports, test procedures, and presentations.
• Safety and compliance: Plan and conduct laboratory and plant-facing work in alignment with safe work practices, chemical hygiene, waste management, PPE requirements, and environmental expectations.
• Team contribution: Support technicians, interns, and cross-functional project teams; contribute outside narrowly defined responsibilities in a fast-moving startup environment.
• Travel: Travel up to 30% for business purposes to support trials, commissioning, plant troubleshooting, vendor/customer meetings, conferences, and partner engagements.

What You Need to Succeed

• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field; Master's or PhD preferred.
• 5+ years of hydrometallurgy, process development, mineral processing, chemical processing, or critical minerals recycling experience; rare earth experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of hydrometallurgical unit operations such as leaching, precipitation, crystallization, filtration, thickening, clarification, impurity control, and solution purification.
• Experience designing test programs, operating laboratory or pilot equipment, interpreting analytical data, and translating results into actionable process improvements.
• Working knowledge of analytical techniques and sample preparation such as ICP-OES/ICP-MS, XRF, titration, ion chromatography, pH/ORP/conductivity measurements, particle size, and moisture/solids analysis.
• Ability to perform mass balances, metallurgical accounting, recovery calculations, statistics, and structured data analysis
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex chemistry and process data to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, collaboration, respect, and service-minded execution.
• Ability to travel up to 30% for business purposes and to work effectively in office, laboratory, pilot plant, and industrial plant environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with rare earth element recycling, rare earth mineral processing, critical minerals hydrometallurgy, or magnet recycling.
• Experience supporting pilot plants, commissioning, process troubleshooting, or commercial plant optimization.
• Experience with DOE, process simulation, geochemical or aqueous chemistry modeling, or flowsheet development.

Pay Range

$90,000 - $120,000 CAD

Why You Will Love Cyclic Materials

• At Cyclic Materials, we're dedicated to supporting our workforce on their unique career journey
• We offer a competitive compensation package including Health and Dental coverage, RRSP (Canada)/ 401K (USA) contributions and a generous paid time off program that lets you recharge
• We value diversity and are committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone is respected and recognized for their contributions

The base compensation offered is determined based on the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills, and competencies and considers internal equity.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Cyclic Materials is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all individuals have an opportunity to succeed. If you require accommodation at any stage of the interview process, please email [e-mail] .Applicants for employment in the Canada and US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States or Canada and with Cyclic Materials (i.e., H1-B visa, F-1 visa (OPT), TN, L1-A visa or any other non-immigrant status).

To all applicants, your interest and effort are sincerely appreciated. While we thank everyone for their application, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.