Who We Are Looking For: Phoenix Tailings is looking for a
Lead Manufacturing Engineer to help build both the manufacturing systems and engineering team required to scale our rare earth metals production in Exeter.
This role will take ownership of some of the most important manufacturing challenges in the company, from translating developing metallurgical processes into production-ready systems to defining equipment architecture, process capability, throughput, reliability, and cost. You will also play a central role in building the manufacturing engineering function, establishing technical standards, developing engineers, and creating the systems and practices that allow the team to scale alongside production.
We are looking for an engineer who combines deep hands-on manufacturing experience with strong technical leadership and who is excited by the opportunity to help build an entirely new domestic rare earth metals industry.
Key Responsibilities:- Lead the development, scale-up, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes used to produce rare earth and critical metals, driving measurable improvements in throughput, yield, reliability, quality, safety, and cost.
- Own the manufacturing engineering strategy for major rare earth production systems, including equipment architecture, process flow, tooling, controls, maintainability, and scalability.
- Lead the specification, design review, installation, commissioning, qualification, and ramp-up of new production equipment required to expand Phoenix Tailings' rare earth manufacturing capacity.
- Build and develop the manufacturing engineering team, helping define roles, technical expectations, engineering standards, and the capabilities required to support rapidly scaling production.
- Drive root-cause investigations and resolution of complex process and equipment failures, implementing durable engineering solutions that improve long-term production stability.
- Define process requirements, operating windows, manufacturing standards, and technical acceptance criteria required to transition new rare earth processing technologies into reliable production.
- Lead engineering trials, process validation, scale-up studies, and capability assessments that reduce technical risk and establish production-ready manufacturing methods.
- Use production data, process capability, equipment performance, and capacity analysis to identify constraints and prioritize the highest-impact manufacturing investments and improvements.
- Serve as a technical leader for manufacturing engineering, developing best practices and guiding technical decisions across equipment design, process development, production scale-up, and manufacturing readiness.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's or Masters's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 8+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, production engineering, equipment engineering, metals manufacturing, chemical processing, or a related industrial environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading the development, scale-up, and improvement of complex manufacturing or process systems from development through sustained production.
- Experience building, developing, or technically leading manufacturing engineering teams in a rapidly growing production environment.
- Strong experience with equipment specification, commissioning, qualification, process validation, production ramp-up, and sustaining engineering.
- Deep experience with root-cause analysis, process optimization, equipment troubleshooting, and implementation of durable corrective and preventive solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to use production data, process capability, engineering experimentation, and structured problem-solving to drive significant manufacturing improvements.
- Strong working knowledge of engineering drawings, GD&T, CAD, equipment specifications, manufacturing documentation, and design-for-manufacturing principles.
- Abie to lift up to 50 lbs
- Able to wear a respirator for extended periods of time
We offer a competitive compensation package that is based on expertise. We also offer the following benefits:- Healthcare: 100% Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employee
- Stock Options: Ownership in a fast-growing venture-backed company.
- Time Off: Unlimited PTO.
- Learning: Learning and development opportunities to grow your skills and career.
- Great team: Working with fun, hard-working, kind people committed to making a difference!
At Phoenix Tailings, we have an open culture that values learning, and we are looking to grow the team with enthusiastic individuals who share our vision of sustainable mining.
