Rare Earth Elements SME

Based in the Washington, D.C. Metro area,
Pivot Path Solutions, LLC , is a government contracting and business solutions firm that offers enterprise IT solutions, strategic and acquisition planning, organizational development, and medical research and analytics services to help customers adapt and thrive in changing market conditions. Pivot Path Solutions is seeking a highly experienced Rare Earth Elements (REE) Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support our growing portfolio with our public sector clients.

This role provides high-level scientific, technical, and strategic expertise supporting federal R&D initiatives focused on critical minerals, rare earth extraction, processing, separation, recycling, and commercialization. The REE SME guides technology development, field demonstrations, and strategic program decisions across exploration, mineralogy, mining, beneficiation, hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, and materials applications.

This role ensures technical excellence, regulatory alignment, and scientific rigor for projects supporting U.S. rare earth supply chain resilience and domestic critical mineral independence. The REE SME also interfaces with Government stakeholders, research partners, and industry collaborators to validate technologies and de-risk emerging REE processes from TRL 2–7. This is a remote position.

Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Expertise & Scientific Leadership

• Serve as the primary authority on rare earth elements, critical minerals, and associated supply chains, including extraction, processing, separation, and end-use applications.

• Evaluate and guide advanced REE technologies across the full lifecycle:

  • Geological resource characterization

  • Mineral processing (crushing, grinding, flotation, gravity, magnetic separation)

  • Hydrometallurgical and solvent extraction systems

  • Ion exchange, membrane systems, electrowinning, precipitation

  • Purification and separation of individual REEs

  • Metallization and alloy production

  • REE recycling from e-waste, magnets, and industrial byproducts

• Provide scientific oversight for TRL 2–6 R&D projects, ensuring clear TRL advancement pathways.

• Develop and review technical deliverables, white papers, and DOE-required documentation.

Exploration, Resource Assessment & Geology

• Provide expertise on REE geological formations—including carbonatites, ion-adsorption clays, monazite, bastnaesite, phosphates, and coal byproducts.

• Support design, interpretation, and optimization of:

  • Geochemical assays

  • Geophysical surveys (EM, magnetics, radio metrics)

  • Borehole logging

  • Ore characterization and mineralogy studies

• Translate resource data into volumetric assessments, mine planning inputs, and processing flow sheets.

Process Flowsheet Development & Optimization

• Lead technical design and optimization of REE processing flow sheets, including material balances, mass/energy calculations, and separation efficiency modeling.

• Evaluate equipment selection, reagent chemistry, and process control strategies.

• Provide techno-economic analysis inputs (TEA), including CAPEX/OPEX assumptions for separation and refining steps.

Regulatory, Environmental & Sustainability Insights

• Ensure compliance with environmental standards related to REE mining and processing, including waste management, tailings, emissions, and radiation safety.

• Guide sustainability practices such as:

  • Reduced energy and reagent consumption

  • Waste minimization and co-product recovery

  • Water efficiency and treatment technologies

  • Environmental monitoring and permitting strategies

Technology Demonstration & Field Support

• Support pilot- and field-scale demonstrations of REE extraction, beneficiation, and processing technologies.

• Oversee sampling, pilot plant operations, and analytical validation activities.

• Assist in integration of automation, robotics, and real-time sensing technologies into REE operations.

Industry, Academic & Government Engagement

• Work with DOE, DoD, USGS, NIST, and other federal programs on critical mineral research and policy.

• Provide strategic input to project partners, industry operators, and academic institutions.

• Contribute to consortiums, workshops, technical forums, and stakeholder meetings.

Proposal Development & Strategic…