2.3. Mineralogist – Rare Earth Elements

Phoenix Tailings•Burlington, MA

14h•$90,000 - $130,000

About The Position

About Phoenix Tailings Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup dedicated to sustainable and economic critical metals production. Our mission is to be the world’s first fully clean mining and metals production company—delivering the resources essential to power the technology of today and tomorrow. Why Phoenix Tailings 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're driven by the urgency of securing domestic rare earth supply chains and excited to help redefine how the world sources these critical materials—this is the place for you. Our Values: ● You are only crazy if you are wrong, it’s ok to be wrong ● Lead with Compassion ● Be Resourceful ● Listen ● Hustle Who We Are Looking For: Phoenix Tailings is looking for a Mineralogist with hands on experience in rare earth element-bearing minerals and their associated gangue. You’ll play a pivotal role in helping us unlock and optimize REE extraction pathways from unconventional sources like industrial waste and tailings. Your mineralogical insights will directly shape our clean, scalable recovery technologies and accelerate the availability of REEs vital to electrification, defense, and advanced manufacturing. This pay range reflects the expected compensation for this role and may vary based on experience and qualifications.

Requirements

PhD or Master’s in Mineralogy, Geology, Earth Sciences, or related field, with a focus on rare earth or critical metal systems
2+ years of experience (academic or industry) with mineralogical analysis of REE-bearing materials
Proficiency in analytical tools for rare earth mineral identification and quantification: XRD, SEM-EDS, QEMSCAN, and optical microscopy
Strong understanding of REE mineral chemistry and associations with host rock or tailings matrices
Hands-on experience with mineral processing or separation techniques relevant to REEs
Ability to translate mineralogical data into process insights and actionable recommendations
Strong communication skills and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment
Translate complex mineralogical insights into actionable technical guidance

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with sustainable or unconventional feedstocks (e.g., tailings, industrial waste) is a plus

Responsibilities

Characterize REE-bearing minerals (e.g., monazite, bastnäsite, xenotime) and associated phases using tools such as XRD, SEM-EDS, optical microscopy, and QEMSCAN
Identify, quantify, and track rare earth mineral phases across feedstocks, intermediates, and residues to inform extraction pathways
Develop mineralogical workflows that improve rare earth recovery, separation efficiency, and overall process economics
Design and conduct hands-on mineral separation experiments and sample prep for downstream processing
Interpret complex mineral assemblages to assist in designing metallurgical flowsheets for REE extraction
Provide technical recommendations to R&D and chemical engineering teams based on real-time mineralogical data
Maintain and operate mineral characterization tools in a lab-scale environment with a high degree of autonomy
Translate complex mineralogical insights into actionable technical guidance

Benefits

Healthcare, we care about you and your family: 100% Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Stock: Ownership in a fast-growing venture-backed company.
Family Focus: Parental leave and flexibility for families.
Time Off: Flexible vacation policy to encourage people to get out and see the world.
Team Fun: Regularly scheduled events, and celebrations.
Learning: Learning and development Opportunities to grow your skills and career.
Great team: Working with fun, hard-working, kind people committed to making a difference!
Flexible culture: We are results-focused. We don’t work at the office every day.
At Phoenix Tailings, we have an open culture that values learning, and we are looking to grow the team with enthusiastic individuals who share our vision of sustainable mining.
Phoenix Tailings, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at all levels. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information, or any other applicable protected characteristics, and these characteristics will not be a factor for consideration of any work-related decisions (including but not limited to hiring, firing, compensation, and discipline).
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.