Process Engineer

Alta Resource Technologies, Inc.; Colorado; On-site; USD 85,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Time Off

Company Holidays

Job summary

Alta Resource Technologies, Inc. in Boulder, CO is seeking a Process Engineer to lead operation, maintenance and improvement of the Demonstration Facility. You will contribute to technology improvements and support design work for semiworks facilities on-site.

The role requires experience in Chemical/Petrochemical or Mining processes and collaboration with chemistry, biology, and engineering teams. Full-time, on-site position at the Boulder Facility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemical Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering.
• At least 2 years in Chemical/Petrochemical, Mining.
• Experience with processing plants and/or Demo/Pilot scale facilities.
• Knowledge of hydraulics, mass transfer, heat transfer and reaction engineering.
• Process Safety Management knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement Process Safety, Environmental and SHE procedures.
• Develop and implement Operations, Maintenance and Reliability systems/strategies.
• Create a knowledge base for Alta’s mineral separation process to inform commercial scale facilities design/operation.
• Lead the development of the plant training plan.
• Lead the Operations and Maintenance activities of the plant.
• Lead and support all Process Safety related activities (deviation management, MOC, Risk Assessments, PHAs).
• Monitor performance of process equipment.
• Provide technical support to Operations for day-to-day and long-term troubleshooting.
• Identify and implement process and equipment improvements.
• Produce reports for safety management, production, and technology improvements.
• Liaise with supply chain and facilities for raw materials and spare parts.
• Liaise with supply chain to ship products.
• Support hiring for the plant.
• Contribute to technology improvement and optimization studies/projects.
• Work with R&D to design experiments at various scales.
• Interface with licensors and vendors to improve key equipment design.
• Support design work for semiworks facilities.
• Support development of Engineering Standards
• Participation in conferences and events
• Become SME in Alta’s rare earth element process technology

Skills

Process Safety

Operations Leadership

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemical Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering

Tools

PLC/DCS programming

Demo/Pilot facilities operation

Job description

Alta Resource Technologies (Alta) is a next generation mining company that uses synthetic biology to separate critical minerals from conventional and unconventional resources, including e-waste. Founded in 2023, the company is expanding its team in Boulder, CO. The exponential growth of new tech industries, as well as the information technology sector, are driving historic growth in mineral demand and stressing existing supply streams. Meeting new demand, diversifying the supply chain, and producing minerals in a more sustainable manner requires the rapid development, deployment and scaling of new technologies. This mineral challenge represents a historic opportunity for technology development and value creation. Alta is proud to be at the vanguard of this mega trend.

Role Summary

Alta is seeking a talented Process Engineer to join our growing Engineering and Operations team. This role will lead the operation, maintenance and improvement of our Demonstration Facility, contribute to technology improvement and support design work for the semiworks facilities. This role will be a key contributor to our innovation pipeline.

A successful candidate should have Operational experience in the Chemicals, Petrochemicals, Oil & Gas, and/or Mining Process Industries. There should be a strong desire to collaborate across disciplines including chemistry, biology, and engineering. The role requires full-time, on-site presence at our Boulder Facility.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement Process Safety, Environmental and relevant SHE procedures
• Develop and implement Operations, Maintenance and Reliability systems/strategies
• Create a body of knowledge for the Operation of Alta’s mineral separation process that will inform the design and operation of commercial scale facilities
• Lead the development of the plant training plan
• Lead the Operations and Maintenance activities of the plant
• Lead and support all Process Safety related activities (including managing of the deviation process, MOC, Risk Assessments, PHAs, etc)
• Monitor performance of process equipment
• Provide technical support to the Operations team for day-to-day and long-term troubleshooting
• Identify and implement process and equipment improvement opportunities
• Produce necessary reports for safety management, production, and technology improvements
• Liaison with supply chain and facilities department to maintain raw materials and spare parts
• Liaison with supply chain to ship products
• Support hiring activities for the plant
• Contribute to technology improvement and optimization studies/projects
• Work with the R&D team to create Design of Experiments to be executed at various scales
• Interface with licensors and vendors to improve design of key equipment
• Support design work for the semiworks facilities

Other Responsibilities:

• Support development of Engineering Standards
• Participation in conferences and events
• Become the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Alta’s rare earth element process technology

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemical Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering
• At least 2 years of experience in a similar position in a Chemical/Petrochemical, Mining
• Processing plants and/or Demo/Pilot scale facilities
• Sound working knowledge of hydraulics, mass transfer, heat transfer and reaction engineering
• Process Safety Management knowledge
• Ability to create and implement systems
• Ability to lead Operators
• Mechanically inclined and can troubleshoot and fix equipmentPreferred Qualifications
• Operational experience with unit operations such as adsorption, column separation, chromatography, solid/liquid separation, solids handling, rotary kilns/calciners and other hydrometallurgy-related unit operations would be an asset
• PLC/DCS programming and troubleshooting knowledge would be an asset
• Hands-on experience working on scaling-up technology from pilot to commercial scale

What We Offer

• The opportunity to lead a breakthrough program redefining U.S. supply chain resilience in critical materials.
• A mission-driven, high-trust team operating at the intersection of innovation, national security, and sustainability.
• High Impact & Visibility: direct interaction and reporting to executive leadership.
• The starting pay range for this position is $85,000 - $140,000 and is commensurate with educational background and work experience. Benefits include:
• Flexible Time Off
• Company Holidays

EOE

Alta Resource Technologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds strengthen our team and drive better outcomes for our clients and partners.

We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and the needs of the business. Alta participates in e-Verify for all positions.

If you require accommodations at any point in the hiring process, please let your recruiter know.