Process Engineer

R3 Lithium Inc.; Covington (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

R3 Lithium Inc. Covington, Georgia, United States is seeking a Process Engineer to support the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of our battery recycling and hydrometallurgical manufacturing processes.

You will focus on process scale-up, technology transfer from R&D, batch data analysis, and continuous improvement within an operating production environment. The role requires collaboration with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to achieve plant output, quality, cost,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related field or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5+ years of process engineering experience in chemical manufacturing, hydrometallurgy, or related environments.
• Experience supporting operating plants including start-up, production support, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day process engineering activities for lithium-ion battery recycling and hydrometallurgical operations.
• Assist scale-up and handover of new processes from R&D or pilot facilities into production.
• Monitor and interpret batch and process data to identify trends and improvements.
• Lead or support troubleshooting using structured problem-solving (RCA, CAPA).
• Develop and maintain process documentation (SOPs, control plans, operating envelopes).
• Support continuous improvement focusing on safety, yield, throughput, cost, and quality.
• Monitor process capability metrics and data systems.

Skills

Chemical processing knowledge

Analytical skills

Troubleshooting

Process safety mindset

Cross-functional collaboration

Written and verbal communication

Plant data systems & dashboards

Education

Bachelors in Chemical Engineering or related field

Tools

Data historians

Dashboards

Job description

Process Engineer

R3 Lithium Inc. Covington, Georgia, United States

About this position

In 2025, a facility in Covington, Georgia, became the first in U.S. history to produce commercial-scale, technical-grade lithium entirely from recycled battery materials. R3 Lithium acquired the facility in 2026 and retained the leadership team responsible for achieving that milestone.

Today, we are investing to advance the facility into continuous commercial operation, with a clear mandate: to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate domestically, at scale, using recycled feedstock.

Job Description

The Process Engineer supports the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of R3 Lithium' battery recycling and advanced battery materials manufacturing processes. This role focuses on process scale-up, technology transfer from R&D, batch data analysis, and continuous improvement within an operating production environment. The Process Engineer partners closely with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to achieve plant output, quality, cost, and safety objectives.

Essential Job Functions

• Support day-to-day process engineering activities for lithium-ion battery recycling and hydrometallurgical processing operations.
• Support process scale-up activities and handover of new processes from R&D or pilot facilities into commercial manufacturing.
• Monitor, analyze, and interpret batch and process data to identify trends, deviations, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead or support troubleshooting efforts using structured problem-solving tools (RCA, CAPA).
• Develop and maintain process documentation including SOPs, control plans, and operating envelopes.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, yield, throughput, cost, and quality.
• Monitor and improve process capability metrics.
• Support process data systems including data collection and reporting tools.
• Participate in process safety, hazard reviews, and change management activities.
• Communicate process performance and risks to plant and engineering leadership.

Decision-Making Responsibility

Operates with moderate independence in diagnosing process performance issues and recommending improvements within established operating and change management standards. Escalates high-risk or non-standard changes to engineering and operations leadership as required.

Supervisory Responsibility

No direct supervisory responsibility. May provide technical guidance and informal support to junior engineers, technicians, or operators.

Competencies / Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of chemical and hydrometallurgical processing in an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret batch and process data.
• Hands-on troubleshooting and structured problem-solving capability.
• Process safety mindset and familiarity with hazard identification practices.
• Ability to translate R&D and process development requirements into stable plant operations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfort working with plant data systems, historians, and dashboards.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5+ years of process engineering experience in chemical manufacturing, hydrometallurgy, battery materials, or related environments.
• Experience supporting operating plants including start-up, production support, and continuous improvement.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, and Maintenance teams.

Working Conditions / Travel

Role is primarily plant-based. Occasional travel to other R3 Lithium sites, pilot facilities, or partners may be required (typically up to 20%).

Additional Information

Additional requirements may apply based on site-specific needs, including physical demands, shift or on-call expectations, and specific software tools or training.