Chief Engineer, Lithium Processing & Scale-Up

General Atomics; Tupelo (MS); On-site; USD 144,000 - 251,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) is seeking a Chief Engineer to lead the end-to-end lithium purification processing capability for a national security mission. You will own process architecture from bench-scale demonstration through full-scale production, reporting to the Manager, Concept Formulation, and coordinating with program managers and customers.

You will guide a team of engineers and subcontractors, drive process safety, performance guarantees, and compliance with DOE,

Qualifications

• Experience owning a chemical or metallurgical process from lab to full-scale production.
• Demonstrated ability to scale-up and guarantee process performance.
• Hands-on expertise with hydride production, electrolysis, crystallization, or related operations.
• Familiarity with process safety documentation and hazard analysis.
• Experience with quality systems and regulatory compliance (NQA-1, ISO 9001, AS9100).
• Proven ability to manage subcontractors and partner with national labs.
• DOE, NNSA, or DoD program experience is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical authority for lithium purification process line and related facilities.
• Own process drawings, mass/energy balances, and equipment specs; defend scale-up basis.
• Lead process demonstration campaigns and document performance against specs.
• Direct sampling/analysis strategy and interpret results across multiple methods.
• Coordinate with national labs and government sites on validation and acceptance criteria.
• Guide design/construction partners to meet safety and regulatory requirements.
• Mentor engineers and lead technical responses to RFIs/RFPs.

Skills

Process ownership

Chemical processing

Leadership

Analytical chemistry

DOE/NNSA experience

Communication skills

Education

Engineering degree (Bachelors or higher)

Job description

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) is seeking a Chief Engineer to lead the end-to-end lithium purification processing capability for a national security mission. You will own process architecture from bench-scale demonstration through full-scale production, reporting to the Manager, Concept Formulation, and coordinating with program managers and customers.

You will guide a team of engineers and subcontractors, drive process safety, performance guarantees, and compliance with DOE,