Chemical & Process EngineerCharleston, South Carolina
The RoleWe are hiring a Chemical & Process Engineer to design, build, and operate our first copper processing and refining systems.
This is not a support role. You will take processes from first principles through design, commissioning, and production, and you will own performance, reliability, and output.
What You'll Do
- Lead process areas or systems, with the opportunity for team leadership as we scale
- Design copper processing flowsheets from feedstock through finished product
- Build mass and energy balances, process models, and size key equipment
- Select and integrate unit operations in a coherent, scalable system
- Work side by side with mechanical and controls engineers to build a functioning plant
- Lead commissioning, including hands-on troubleshooting on the plant floor
- Define operating procedures, control strategies, and process KPIs
- Analyze process data and drive improvements in yield, quality, and throughput
- Own metallurgical performance, including impurity management and product quality
- Work directly with vendors and contractors to execute quickly
- Contribute to controls and automation systems, using process data and AI to improve stability and continuously optimize
Red Metals Non-Negotiables- Bias for Action
We move fast. Speed beats polish. We use every tool, especially AI, to accelerate decisions, execution, and learning. - Grit
We do hard things because they matter. We keep pushing when others quit. - Ownership
We own outcomes, not tasks. We see problems, fix them, and follow through across functions. - Signal
We cut through noise. We communicate clearly and directly so decisions are fast and execution stays sharp. - Craft
We take pride in our work. Quality, care, and precision are the standard.
What We're Looking For- Degree in Chemical Engineering or related field, or equivalent hands-on experience demonstrating process engineering capability
- 3-8+ years process engineering experience, ideally in metals, mining, refining, or heavy industry
- Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and separations, developed through education or practical experience
- Experience taking processes from design through commissioning into operation
- Comfortable working on the plant floor in an industrial environment
- Ability to operate with incomplete information and make sound decisions quickly
- Demonstrated ability or potential to lead projects or teams in a fast-moving environment
Strong Pluses:
- Experience with pyrometallurgy or processing of mined or secondary materials
- Experience with copper or other non-ferrous metals
- Experience commissioning industrial equipment
- Familiarity with process control systems and instrumentation
- Startup or early-stage experience
Why Red Metals- Build a company from zero, not optimize an existing system
- Direct ownership of critical process and operational decisions
- Work on a problem that matters: rebuilding U.S. industrial capacity
- Small team, high trust, no bureaucracy
LocationThis role is based in Charleston, South Carolina and requires on-site work.
