Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

As a Senior Process Engineer - you will be the owner’s side process engineering expert for a large industrial installation to convert rare earth oxides to metals. You will provide oversight, internal technical review, and project management support for the work product of external engineering firms related to process and plant systems engineering. This role will serve as the owner’s side technical authority on process documentation for metallization processes, transitioning to process engineering improvement as the plant is commissioned. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience taking complex, high-temperature, materials-intensive processes from definition through construction and into operation.

Responsibilities

• Own the process definition for production scale metallization, from raw material receipt through product handling to subsequent process steps.
• Manage and organize timelines and deliverables with external EPC, and ensure smooth interfaces with internal and external organizations.
• Maintain all core process documentation, including:
• Process flow diagrams (PFDs)
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs)
• Heat and mass balances
• Equipment lists and design bases
• Operating philosophies and control narratives
• Ensure systems meet operational, safety, and environmental performance requirements.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related field

8+ years of hands-on experience in industrial process engineering

Experience working with external engineering partners or EPCs

Demonstrated experience defining and documenting full production-scale processes, setting targets and limits, and optimizing performance

Proven ability to develop and own PFDs, P&IDs, and Design bases

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.  

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with high-temperature metallurgical or electrochemical plants

Direct involvement in permitted industrial facilities

Startup, scale-up, or first-of-kind plant experience

Familiarity with owner’s engineering standards and capital project execution

Experience supporting commissioning and early operations