Research Metallurgist - Hydrometallurgy

Cyclic Materials™ is building a resilient circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical materials. Through our proprietary Mag Cycle℠ and REEPure℠ processes, we recover rare earths from end-of-life products and transform them into high purity materials used in the production of permanent magnets. These materials are critical to the modern economy, including the production of electric vehicles, electronics, AI infrastructure, wind turbines, defense, and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials has rapidly progressed from technology development to commercialization. We currently operate facilities in Ontario and Arizona, with a new expansion underway in South Carolina. Backed by US $75 million in Series C financing led by T. Rowe Price, alongside strategic investors including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, Arc Tern Ventures, and Fifth Wall, we are scaling to meet growing global demand for a secure and sustainable rare earth supply.

We have established commercial partnerships with global industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Lime, and VACUUMSCHMELZE, enabling the deployment of recycled rare earth materials into real world supply chains. In 2025, Cyclic Materials was named one of the Top 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch by MIT Technology Review.

We are growing quickly and building the industrial backbone required for a circular rare earth economy. Joining Cyclic Materials means working on complex and exciting challenges at scale, alongside a team committed to executing and delivering measurable impact. If you are motivated by building critical infrastructure and advancing the circular economy, join us and help accelerate the growth of rare earth recycling.

• The Research Metallurgist - Hydrometallurgy will design and execute research and process development programs that enhance the inhouse processing of rare earth elements and expand the technical capabilities.
• This role is ideal for a hands-on metallurgist who enjoys experimental design, laboratory and pilot-scale testing, data analysis, and translating results into practical improvements for commercial operations.

• Hydrometallurgical process development:
  Design, evaluate, and optimize metals recovery circuits including leaching, impurity removal, solid-liquid separation, precipitation/crystallization, solution purification, and reagent/water recycle.
• Research test programs:
  Develop bench-scale and pilot-scale test plans using sound experimental design, sampling plans, mass balances, and clear success criteria.
• Rare earth chemistry:
  Study extraction, dissolution, selectivity, impurity behavior, phase chemistry, product specifications, and factors affecting recovery and purity for Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb, and related elements.
• Data analysis and metallurgical accounting:
  Analyze process parameters, yields, product quality, losses, bottlenecks, and variability; prepare technical reports, dashboards, and recommendations.
• Scale-up support:
  Translate lab results into pilot and plant operating guidance, including operating envelopes, process control strategies, troubleshooting plans, and SOP updates.
• Operational collaboration:
  Work with plant metallurgists, process engineers, operators, maintenance, environmental teams, and strategic partnerships to support projects, commissioning, optimization, and customer/product requirements.
• Technical communication:
  Present results and recommendations to internal stakeholders; document work in high-quality technical memos, reports, test procedures, and presentations.
• Safety and compliance:
  Plan and conduct laboratory and plant-facing work in alignment with safe work practices, chemical hygiene, waste management, PPE requirements, and environmental expectations.
• Team contribution:
  Support technicians, interns, and cross-functional project teams; contribute outside narrowly defined responsibilities in a fast-moving startup environment.
• Travel:
  Travel up to 30% for business purposes to support trials, commissioning, plant troubleshooting, vendor/customer…