Hydrometallurgist

ChemFinity Technologies, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity options

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Flexible PTO

Wellness stipend

Job summary

ChemFinity Technologies in New York City is seeking an industry-experienced hydrometallurgist to develop, optimize, and scale our hydrometallurgical processes used in proprietary sorbent filter systems. You will collaborate closely with chemists, engineers, co-founders, and external partners as we move from lab to industrial scale.

Responsibilities include designing and testing leaching operations, optimizing extraction of precious metals and rare earths, and integrating processes into refining

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in metallurgy, mining engineering, geochemistry, or related field.
• Minimum 3+ years of industry experience in mineral processing, metal leaching and recovery or related developments.
• Expertise in hydrometallurgical techniques (leaching, purification) and optimizing reagent chemistry.
• Strong commitment to safety and compliant operations.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and test leaching and hydrometallurgical unit operations.
• Optimize extraction conditions for minerals from various feedstocks.
• Collaborate with chemistry to optimize sorbent processing under hydrometallurgical conditions.
• Work with engineering to scale processes from lab to pilot demo.
• Prepare and manage documentation (flowsheets, design criteria, reports, SOPs).
• Perform hands-on on-site work at Brooklyn facility.

Skills

Hydrometallurgy

Leaching optimization

Process design

Safety culture

Education

Bachelor's degree in metallurgy/mining/geochemistry

PhD preferred

Job description

ChemFinity Technologiesis building critical mineral recovery systems to produce over 30 minerals from waste and mining feedstocks at low cost, using our proprietary, high-performance, high-durability sorbent filters. Our team's mission is to produce these minerals in ways that are cheaper, cleaner, and more accessible than existing methods such as high-temperature smelting.

Spun out of UC Berkeley in late 2022 and based in New York City, ChemFinity is backed by top-tier investor firms and over 10 top government and grant agencies, such as Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the U.S. Department of Energy, ARPA-E, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ChemFinity has been recognized as top innovators in the critical minerals sector by the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and Conservation X Labs.

What you will do:

ChemFinity seeks an industry-experienced hydrometallurgist to develop, optimize, and scale our hydrometallurgical processes (e.g., leaching) that are used in our proprietary sorbent filter systems. In this role, you will work collaboratively and hands‑on with our team of chemists and engineers, co-founders, and external partners as we build new pilots, process new customer feedstocks, and grow from the lab to industrial scale. Key responsibilities include:

• Design, develop, and test leaching and hydrometallurgical unit operations in our mineral processing systems.
• Optimize the extraction conditions of various minerals of interest (e.g., platinum-group metals, gold, rare earth elements, metalloids) from various customer and partner waste and mining feedstocks (e.g., catalytic converters, e-waste, mine tailings).
• Collaborate with our chemistry team to optimize sorbent processing in hydrometallurgical conditions.
• Work with our engineering team to integrate and scale the processes you develop into our refining systems from lab to pilot to demo scale.
• Prepare and manage documentation such as flowsheets, equipment and process design criteria, technical reports, and standard operating procedures.
• Perform full-time hands‑on work on-site at our Brooklyn facility.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in metallurgy, mining engineering, geochemistry, or other closely related field. A Ph.D. is a plus.
• We are considering a range of experience levels for this role but are targeting at least 3+ years of industry experience in mineral processing, metal leaching and recovery, and/or other closely related technical developments or operations.
• Expertise in industry-standard hydrometallurgical techniques (e.g., leaching, purification processes), with hands‑on experience optimizing process variables (e.g., reagent chemistry) for complex sources (e.g., e‑waste, mine tailings).
• Practical understanding of industrial capabilities, constraints, and trade‑offs to ensure technical and commercial viability of hydrometallurgical designs.
• An unwavering commitment to high safety standards and supportive work behavior.

Other preferred qualifications:

• Experience with precious metal leaching, processing, and refining.
• Experience in startups or scaling technology from R&D to full‑scale commercialization.
• Experience in developing pilot plant flowsheets, models, and unit operation designs.
• Experience in implementing the highest safety standards into scale‑up operations.
• The desire to be in a dynamic startup environment and proactively use critical thinking to solve difficult but impactful challenges.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range for this position is expected to be $80K-$155K. For this role, we are considering candidates from a range of experience levels and highly value fit with our team. Compensation and title will be commensurate with experience level.

• Competitive compensation including equity options
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
• 401(k) benefits with company matching
• Flexible paid time off and holidays
• Health/fitness stipend
• Open, supportive, and diverse team focused on creating major impact

ChemFinity Technologies is an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace as a core value. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, nationality, color, sexual orientation, ancestry, religion, gender identity, age, marital status, disability status, or veteran status. We know the right candidate may not meet every criterion listed in this job description.