Project Engineer

ElementUSA; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ElementUSA is seeking a Project Engineer to bridge process development with engineering execution, translating lab and pilot-scale data into executable deliverables. You will collaborate with scientists, Process Development Engineers, and external partners to drive from process definition through startup while ensuring definable, safe design.

The role emphasizes hands-on engineering over management and requires strong technical problem-solving and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or closely related field.
• Experience translating process-development data into engineering design requirements.
• Familiarity with the owner/engineer interface and deliverable reviews.
• Ability to work with evolving technical information and convert it into actionable engineering packages.

Responsibilities

• Translate laboratory and pilot-scale results into engineering requirements for scale-up and project execution.
• Identify gaps in technical data and collaborate with Process Development to close them.
• Develop and maintain process design documentation (BFDs, PFDs, mass and energy balances).
• Review and validate engineering-deliverables from external partners to ensure design intent, operability, and safety.
• Coordinate across disciplines and align technical scope with project schedule and costs.
• Support commissioning and startup activities to ensure smooth transition to operations.

Skills

Hydrometallurgical processing

Pyrometallurgical processing

Process engineering fundamentals

PFDs & P&IDs interpretation

Pilot plant scale-up

Engineering deliverables

Technical interface with partners

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Metallurgical Engineering

Job description

ElementUSA is seeking a Project Engineer to bridge the critical gap between process and technology development and commercial engineering execution. This role will work closely with scientists, Process Development Engineers, technical experts, project leadership, and external engineering partners to translate laboratory, pilot-scale, and process-development data into clear, executable engineering deliverables.

The successful candidate will have practical experience with hydrometallurgical and/or pyrometallurgical processes, strong process-engineering fundamentals, and an understanding of how industrial projects progress from process definition through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and startup.

This is a hands-on engineering role, not a traditional project-management position. The individual must be comfortable working with evolving technical information, developing engineering deliverables, identifying missing design information, and converting developing technology into engineering packages that external engineering firms can execute and detail.

Key Responsibilities

Process Development to Engineering Translation

• Work directly with scientists and Process Development Engineers to understand laboratory and pilot-scale results, process assumptions, operating conditions, and technical requirements.
• Translate process-development data into engineering requirements suitable for scale-up and project execution.
• Identify gaps in technical data required to advance engineering and work with Process Development teams to close those gaps.
• Challenge assumptions and ensure process-development information is sufficiently defined before incorporation into engineering design.
• Maintain clear interfaces between Process Development, Engineering, Operations, and external engineering partners.

Pilot Plant & Process Familiarization

• Work alongside and shadow scientists and Process Development Engineers in laboratory and pilot-plant activities to develop a practical understanding of the technology, process chemistry, equipment, operating conditions, and material behavior.
• Support pilot-plant activities where appropriate to understand process performance, operating challenges, equipment limitations, and scale-up considerations.
• Translate observations and learnings from laboratory and pilot operations into process design criteria, equipment duty requirements, design-basis documentation, and engineering packages.
• Identify gaps in process-development data required for engineering scale-up and work with scientists and Process Development Engineers to define additional testing or information required.
• Capture practical operability, maintainability, safety, and process-control considerations as the technology progresses toward commercial design.

Process Engineering & Design Packages

• Develop and maintain block flow diagrams (BFDs), process flow diagrams (PFDs), process descriptions, mass and energy balances, and design-basis documentation.
• Support development and review of P&IDs, equipment lists, line lists, utility requirements, control philosophies, and other process-engineering deliverables.
• Develop Process Design Packages / Process Engineering Packages suitable for transfer to external engineering and EPC/EPCM partners.
• Develop process equipment requirements, preliminary equipment sizing, operating envelopes, duty requirements, and technical specifications.
• Define process inputs, outputs, utilities, interfaces, battery limits, and design assumptions.
• Ensure engineering packages clearly document known information, assumptions, open items, and areas requiring further technical validation.
• Serve as a key technical interface between ElementUSA and external engineering, EPC, and EPCM partners.
• Translate ElementUSA's process intent and design basis into clear technical requirements for engineering partners.
• Review, challenge, and validate engineering-partner technical deliverables to ensure they meet process intent, design basis, operability, safety, and project requirements.
• Identify technical gaps, inconsistencies, assumptions, and scope omissions in engineering deliverables and drive them to resolution.
• Work closely with Project Managers and Technical Program Managers to align technical scope with project schedule, cost, risk, procurement, and execution priorities.
• Participate in and support technical decision-making, ensuring decisions are documented and incorporated into the engineering basis.
• Participate in design reviews, PFD/P&ID reviews, HAZOPs, constructability reviews, equipment reviews, and other engineering activities.
• Coordinate across mechanical, electrical, controls, civil/structural, process, and other engineering disciplines as designs mature.
• Support equipment and vendor technical evaluations, bid reviews, and selection.
• Ensure technical changes originating from Process Development are controlled, documented, and appropriately incorporated into engineering deliverables.

Scale-Up, Commissioning & Operations

• Support scale-up from laboratory and pilot operations to demonstration and commercial-scale facilities.
• Work with commissioning and operations personnel to ensure process intent is carried through design, construction, startup, and operation.
• Support development of commissioning requirements, operating procedures, process-control requirements, and startup plans.
• Capture lessons learned from pilot and early commercial operations and incorporate them into future designs.

Technical Experience

The ideal candidate will have experience in some combination of:

• Hydrometallurgical processing
• Pyrometallurgical processing
• Mineral processing
• Leaching and solution chemistry
• Filtration and solid-liquid separation
• Crystallization
• Drying and thermal processing
• Crushing, grinding, and particle-size reduction
• Magnetic or physical separation
• Pilot plant scale-up
• Process utilities and balance-of-plant systems

Experience across both hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy is strongly preferred, but deep experience in one with demonstrated ability to work across adjacent process technologies will be considered.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Relevant industrial experience in process engineering, project engineering, metallurgical processing, minerals processing, chemicals, metals, or related process industries.
• Demonstrated experience developing and interpreting PFDs, P&IDs, mass balances, process design criteria, equipment requirements, and engineering documentation.
• Experience translating process-development or pilot data into engineering design requirements.
• Understanding of the engineering project lifecycle from conceptual/process development through detailed engineering, construction, commissioning, and startup.
• Demonstrated experience working at the owner/engineering-partner interface, including technically reviewing, challenging, and providing direction on engineering deliverables. Direct employment by an EPC/EPCM organization is not required.
• Demonstrated ability to work alongside Project Managers or Technical Program Managers, providing technical ownership while project leadership manages schedule, cost, risk, and overall execution.
• Ability to work effectively where technology and engineering requirements are still evolving.
• Strong technical problem-solving and written/verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work directly with scientists and technical specialists while maintaining an engineering-execution mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Combined operations and project engineering experience is strongly preferred, particularly experience translating operating and process requirements into equipment duty specifications and engineering design requirements.
• Experience supporting operating facilities, commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, or plant improvements, with an understanding of how process duty requirements drive mechanical equipment specifications and operability.
• Experience with both hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical systems.
• Experience scaling processes from laboratory or pilot scale to demonstration or commercial operation.
• Experience developing Process Design Packages / Process Engineering Packages for transfer to engineering organizations.
• Experience with FEL / stage-gate project development.
• Experience participating in HAZOPs, design reviews, commissioning, and startup.
• Experience in critical minerals, rare earths, metals refining, mineral processing, chemicals, or related industries.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration is beneficial but not required.

Join Us

If you’re excited by the idea of advancing sustainable mineral science and want your analytical work to make a measurable impact, we’d love to hear from you.

ElementUSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these characteristics.