Lead Hydrometallurgist

About us:

ChemFinity Technologies is building critical mineral recovery systems to produce over 20 minerals from waste and mining feedstocks at low cost, using our proprietary, high-performance, high-durability sorbent filters. Our team’s mission is to produce these minerals in ways that are cheaper, cleaner, and more accessible than existing methods such as high-temperature smelting, starting with precious metals like platinum.

Spun out of UC Berkeley in late 2022 and based in New York City, ChemFinity is backed by top-tier investor firms and over 10 top government and grant agencies, such as Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the U.S. Department of Energy, ARPA-E, and the U.S. EPA. ChemFinity has been recognized as top innovators in the critical minerals sector by the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and Conservation X Labs.

What you will do:

ChemFinity seeks an industry-experienced hydrometallurgist who will lead the development, optimization, and scale-up of hydrometallurgical processes that are used in tandem with our sorbent filter systems. In this role you will work creatively and hands-on with our research team of chemists and engineers, co-founders, and external partners as we build early pilots and grow from the lab to industrial scale. Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the hands-on design, development, and construction of leaching and hydrometallurgical unit operations in our mineral processing systems.

• Optimize the extraction conditions of various minerals of interest (e.g., platinum-group metals, gold, rare earth elements, base metals) from various waste and mining feedstocks (e.g., catalytic converters, e-waste, mine tailings).

• Scale the hydrometallurgical and leaching processes from the lab to pilot scale and beyond.

• Collaborate closely with our chemistry team to optimize sorbent performance in hydrometallurgical conditions.

• Work with our engineering team to integrate the processes you lead into our refining systems and with external partners (e.g., EPCs) to design, construct, and deploy larger-scale systems.

• Prepare and manage comprehensive documentation, including flowsheets, equipment and process design criteria, technical reports, and standard operating procedures.

• Perform full-time hands-on work on-site at our Brooklyn facility.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in metallurgy, chemical engineering, mining engineering, chemistry, or other closely related field.

• 5+ years of industry experience in mineral processing, metal leaching and recovery, and/or other closely related technical developments or operations. (Note: We are considering a range of experience levels for this role.)

• Expertise in industry-standard hydrometallurgical techniques (e.g., leaching, purification processes), with hands-on experience optimizing process variables (e.g., reagent chemistry) for complex sources (e.g., e-waste, mine tailings).

• Proven experience developing and piloting hydrometallurgical processes, from flowsheet design through pilot plant operation and evaluation for industrial implementation.

• Practical understanding of industrial capabilities, constraints, and trade-offs to ensure technical and commercial viability of your hydrometallurgical designs.

• An unwavering commitment to high safety standards and supportive work behavior.

Other preferred qualifications:

• Experience with precious metal leaching, processing, and refining.

• Experience in startups or scaling technology from R&D to full-scale commercialization.

• Experience in developing pilot plant flowsheets, models, and unit operation designs.

• Experience in implementing the highest safety standards into scale-up operations.

• The desire to be in a dynamic startup environment and proactively use critical thinking to solve difficult but impactful challenges.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range for this position is expected to be $100K-$180K. Compensation will be commensurate with experience level. For this role, we are considering candidates from a range of experience levels and highly value fit with our team.

• Competitive compensation including equity options

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits

• 401(k) benefits with company matching

• Flexible paid time off and holidays

• Health/fitness stipend

• Open, supportive, and diverse team focused on creating major impact

Please reach out to recruiting@chemfinitytech.com if you have questions. ChemFinity Technologies is an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace as a core value. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, nationality, color, sexual orientation, ancestry, religion, gender identity, age, marital status, disability status, or veteran status. We know the right candidate may not meet every criterion listed in this job description. If you believe you are a great candidate for this role and possess relevant skills not listed above, we encourage you to apply and tell us why you are a great fit!