About the Role
The Senior Process Development Engineer will support the development and commercialization of Cyclic’s Hub and Spoke process technologies, bridging R&D, process technology, pilot work, and process engineering. This role is crucial for building process understanding, organizing technical data, supporting process design, and enhancing knowledge capture and application across projects.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of new process technologies from laboratory through pilot and commercial implementation.
- Develop a deep understanding of core unit operations using first-principles engineering, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, process modelling, and experimental data.
- Identify technology gaps, technical risks, and opportunities for process innovation.
- Design, support, and interpret laboratory and pilot test programs.
- Analyze laboratory, pilot, and operating plant data to support process development and engineering decisions.
- Translate laboratory and pilot testwork into commercial process designs.
- Develop scale-up strategies and evaluate scale-up risks.
- Participate in commissioning, startup, process validation, and performance testing of pilot and commercial facilities.
- Support process optimization during early commercial operation.
- Support technology transfer to Engineering, Operations, and Capital Projects.
- Develop process models, mass and energy balances, design basis documents, and other technical documentation to support technology development and commercialization.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineral Processing, or related discipline.
- 4–8 years of experience in process development, hydrometallurgy, mineral processing, process engineering, or commercialization of new technologies.
- Strong background in hydrometallurgical process development and scale-up.
- Demonstrated experience leading metallurgical testwork and pilot plant programs.
- Experience supporting pilot plant operations, commissioning, startup, or commercial plant performance validation.
- Extensive experience developing commercial process designs from laboratory and pilot data.
- Strong understanding of chemical engineering fundamentals, reaction engineering, thermodynamics, mass transfer, transport phenomena, and process modelling.
- Experience developing Process Design Criteria and other core process engineering deliverables.
- Experience with process simulation software such as SysCAD, Aspen Plus, METSIM, IDEAS, or equivalent.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary technical teams and mentor junior engineers.
- Experience with metallurgical testwork, pilot plant operations, or process development programs.
- Exposure to hydrometallurgical or mineral processing unit operations.
- Experience with SysCAD or similar process modelling tools.
- Experience with rare earths or other critical materials is an asset.
- Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation or eligibility in Ontario.
- Passionate about developing new technologies and bringing them to commercial reality.
- Comfortable leading ambiguous technical problems through structured engineering analysis.
- Naturally curious and driven to understand processes from first principles.
- Collaborative and able to influence across R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Project teams.
- Organized and committed to building lasting technical knowledge within the organization.
- Motivated by mentoring others and raising technical capability across the team.
Skills
- Process development
- Hydrometallurgy
- Mineral processing
- Process engineering
- Commercialization of new technologies
- Hydrometallurgical process development
- Scale-up
- Metallurgical testwork
- Pilot plant programs
- Pilot plant operations
- Commissioning
- Startup
- Commercial plant performance validation
- Chemical engineering fundamentals
- Reaction engineering
- Thermodynamics
- Mass transfer
- Transport phenomena
- Process modelling
- Process Design Criteria
- Process simulation software
- SysCAD
- Aspen Plus
- METSIM
- IDEAS
- Analytical skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Written communication skills
- Verbal communication skills
- Leadership
- Mentoring
- Technical problem-solving
- Structured engineering analysis
- Collaboration
- Influence
- Organization
- Technical knowledge building
- Rare earths
- Critical materials
Location
- Ontario
- Arizona
- South Carolina
Work Type
- Full-time
Experience Level
- Senior
- 4–8 years of experience
Education Level
- Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineral Processing, or related discipline.
Salary/Compensations
- $115,000—$145,000 CAD
Benefits
- Health and Dental coverage
- RRSP (Canada)/ 401K (USA) contributions
- Generous paid time off program
About the Company
- Cyclic Materials™ is building a resilient circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical materials.
- Through our proprietary MagCycle℠ and REEPure℠ processes, we recover rare earths from end-of-life products and transform them into high purity materials used in the production of permanent magnets.
- These materials are critical to the modern economy, including the production of electric vehicles, electronics, AI infrastructure, wind turbines, defense, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
- Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials has rapidly progressed from technology development to commercialization.
- We currently operate facilities in Ontario and Arizona, with a new expansion underway in South Carolina.
- Backed by US$75 million in Series C financing led by T. Rowe Price, alongside strategic investors including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures, and Fifth Wall, we are scaling to meet growing global demand for a secure and sustainable rare earth supply.
- We have established commercial partnerships with global industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Lime, and VACUUMSCHMELZE, enabling the deployment of recycled rare earth materials into real world supply chains.
- In 2025, Cyclic Materials was named one of the Top 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch by MIT Technology Review.
- We are growing quickly and building the industrial backbone required for a circular rare earth economy.
- Joining Cyclic Materials means working on complex and exciting challenges at scale, alongside a team committed to executing and delivering measurable impact.
- If you are motivated by building critical infrastructure and advancing the circular economy, join us and help accelerate the growth of rare earth recycling.
Equal Opportunity
- As an Equal Opportunity employer, Cyclic Materials is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all individuals have an opportunity to succeed.
- If you require accommodation at any stage of the interview process, please email HumanResources@cyclicmaterials.earth.
- Applicants for employment in the Canada and US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States or Canada and with Cyclic Materials (i.e., H1-B visa, F-1 visa (OPT), TN, L1-A visa or any other non-immigrant status).
