Analytical Chemist

Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup focused on building a domestic supply of critical materials.

Our Freedom Facility in Rochester, New York will be a commercial-scale rare earth separation facility designed to expand U.S. capacity to process and separate rare earth materials.

Rare earths are essential inputs for many of the technologies that power modern life. They are used in high-performance permanent magnets found in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, advanced electronics, aerospace systems, and defense applications.

Today, much of the world's rare earth processing and separation capacity is concentrated overseas. Building more of this capability in the United States is important for strengthening domestic supply chains, reducing reliance on foreign processing, and supporting the advanced manufacturing, energy, technology, and national-security industries that depend on these materials.

The Freedom Facility will be designed to produce thousands of tons of separated rare earth oxides annually, making Rochester an important part of Phoenix Tailings' expansion of domestic rare earth processing capacity.

At Phoenix, we believe that nothing great is ever accomplished alone or without the passion of people who push and motivate one another. If you are someone who shares our relentless pursuit of a better future, passion for innovation, and are excited about working with some of the top innovators in the world, then this is the place for you.

• You are only crazy if you are wrong, it's ok to be wrong - Say what you think even when it’s uncomfortable
• Lead with Compassion - Show up for your teammates, make the people around you better.
• Be Resourceful - Find a way with what you have, don't wait for more.
• Listen - Understand before you act, ask good questions before deciding.
• Hustle - Put your heart into every interaction, no matter how small.

As we build toward operations in 2027 and 2028, we are beginning to meet with individuals who may be interested in joining Phoenix Tailings.

Phoenix Tailings is looking for analytical chemistry professionals interested in future opportunities at our Rochester Freedom Facility.

Analytical Chemists will provide the chemistry data needed to control rare earth recovery, process stability, and product quality. The work includes running or coordinating inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), maintaining analytical methods and calibration, and reporting results.

This is an opportunity to support a new operating team with reliable chemistry data that helps operations and engineering understand process performance.

• Prepare and analyze process and product samples to assess rare earth recovery, separation performance, and oxide quality
• Operate or coordinate ICP-OES and XRF testing, selecting established methods appropriate to the sample and the operating question
• Maintain analytical methods, reference standards, calibration, and quality-control checks so results are consistent and suitable for operating decisions
• Review sample inconsistencies and unexpected results, checking preparation, instrument performance, and test records before reporting findings
• Report analytical results clearly to operations and engineering while maintaining traceable laboratory records and safe reagent and sample-handling practices

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field
• Hands-on analytical laboratory experience through academic or industrial work, including sample preparation and ICP-OES, XRF, or related…