Key responsibilities ● Technical Leadership: Serve as the technical lead for the REE Business Unit, guiding process evaluation, technology selection, technical strategy, and development initiatives. ● Process Evaluation: Evaluate metallurgical processes and technologies for the extraction, processing, separation, purification, and recovery of rare earth elements. ● Separation & Recovery Routes: Assess and recommend suitable separation and recovery methods, including hydrometallurgical processing, solvent extraction, ion exchange, precipitation, and other relevant technologies. ● Technical Due Diligence: Conduct technical assessments of potential technology partners, manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and processing partners, evaluating process maturity, operational capabilities, scalability, and technical risks. ● Technology & Partner Assessment: Review process flowsheets, technical reports, mass balances, material recovery rates, process yields, impurity profiles, and equipment requirements to support partner selection and investment decisions. ● Product Specifications: Define and validate product specifications, purity requirements, impurity limits, testing protocols, and quality standards for rare earth products and intermediates. ● Process Optimization: Identify opportunities to improve recovery rates, product purity, process efficiency, resource utilization, and overall operational performance. ● Technical Feasibility: Assess the technical feasibility and scalability of proposed processes, from laboratory and pilot-scale operations to commercial production. ● Supplier & Raw Material Evaluation: Evaluate rare earth-bearing feedstocks, concentrates, intermediates, and other raw materials based on composition, processability, recovery potential, and commercial suitability. ● Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with Business Development, Sourcing, Operations, Quality, and leadership teams to assess opportunities and support commercial decision-making. ● Technical Documentation: Develop and review technical reports, process evaluation documents, specifications, feasibility assessments, and recommendations for management. ● External Collaboration: Engage with research institutions, technology providers, industry experts, and processing partners to identify emerging technologies and strengthen the REE technical ecosystem.
Required qualifications ● Ph.D. or M.Tech in Metallurgy, Extractive Metallurgy, Chemical Metallurgy, Hydrometallurgy, or a closely related discipline. ● 10+ years of relevant experience in metallurgy, mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, extractive metallurgy, or rare earth processing. ● Hands-on experience in rare earth elements (REE), extractive metallurgy, or hydrometallurgical processes is strongly preferred. ● Strong understanding of separation, extraction, purification, and recovery technologies. ● Experience evaluating metallurgical processes, technical flowsheets, process yields, recovery rates, and product purity. ● Proven ability to conduct technical due diligence on technology providers, suppliers, and processing or manufacturing partners. ● Experience defining product specifications, quality parameters, and technical acceptance criteria. ● Strong analytical, problem-solving, technical evaluation, and report-writing skills. ● Ability to work across technical and commercial teams and translate technical findings into actionable business recommendations.
