Pilot Plant Engineering Director - Scale-Up Leader

Ring Inc; Burlington (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Stock options

Unlimited PTO

Learning and development

Job summary

Phoenix Tailings is seeking a Director of Pilot Plant Engineering to lead pilot-scale development for rare earth separation and metallization in Burlington. Drive projects from R&D to production handoff, setting priorities and schedules while coordinating across disciplines.

You will build a disciplined pilot organization that translates lab breakthroughs into scalable production plans, with strong focus on documentation, procedures, and risk management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, Process Engineering, or a related technical discipline; an advanced degree is a plus.
• 8+ years of experience in pilot plant engineering, process development, scale-up, manufacturing engineering, chemical processing, metals production, minerals processing, or a similarly complex industrial environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading pilot, demonstration, scale-up, or first-of-a-kind engineering projects from planning through execution and operational handoff.
• Strong project management skills, including experience managing schedules, priorities, resources, technical risks, vendors, and multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Experience working with complex process equipment and translating developing technology into reliable, repeatable operating systems.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical teams across R&D, engineering, manufacturing, and operations to achieve defined project and scale-up objectives.
• Experience developing structured operating procedures, engineering documentation, project plans, and technical requirements that support successful technology transfer.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to build teams, create accountability, and drive execution in a fast-moving development environment.
• Experience in rare earths, chemical separations, metals refining, metallurgy, or related process industries is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead pilot-scale engineering programs for Phoenix Tailings' rare earth separation and metallization technologies, driving projects from early development through production handoff.
• Establish project plans, priorities, schedules, milestones, and resource requirements for pilot initiatives, ensuring teams remain focused on the most critical technical and business objectives.
• Coordinate work across R&D, engineering, operations, manufacturing, vendors, and external partners to keep pilot programs aligned and moving forward.
• Systematize pilot plant operations by establishing clear operating procedures, documentation, data collection practices, maintenance standards, and project execution processes.
• Oversee the design, modification, commissioning, and improvement of pilot equipment and systems required to evaluate and scale new rare earth processes.
• Plan and lead pilot campaigns that generate the technical and operational information required to make confident scale-up and commercialization decisions.
• Identify project risks, equipment limitations, schedule constraints, and resource gaps, and drive timely solutions to keep pilot programs on track.
• Translate pilot results into clear engineering recommendations, operating requirements, and scale-up plans for manufacturing and future capital projects.
• Build and develop a high-performing pilot engineering team capable of executing multiple complex programs while maintaining strong technical standards and operational discipline.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Cross-functional teamwork

Pilot plant engineering

Process equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Phoenix Tailings is seeking a Director of Pilot Plant Engineering to lead pilot-scale development for rare earth separation and metallization in Burlington. Drive projects from R&D to production handoff, setting priorities and schedules while coordinating across disciplines.

You will build a disciplined pilot organization that translates lab breakthroughs into scalable production plans, with strong focus on documentation, procedures, and risk management.