Process Engineer

Lithium Americas

23d•Onsite

About The Position

Lithium Americas is a North American resource and materials company focused on developing, building and operating lithium deposits and chemical processing facilities. The company’s flagship asset, Thacker Pass, is located in Humboldt County in northern Nevada and is the world’s largest known measured lithium source and reserve. We are focused on safely and responsibly developing Thacker Pass to production to help strengthen national security and enable cleaner energy sources. We are committed to minimizing environmental impact, creating family-supporting jobs and maximizing sustainable value for our stakeholders. We are seeking a Process Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for supporting Lithium Americas’ efforts in safely and effectively building, commissioning, and operating the sulfuric acid plant and lithium processing facilities at Thacker Pass. This position plays a key role in providing technical process engineering support to plant operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient performance across chemical processing systems and unit operations associated with sulfuric acid production and lithium processing. The Process Engineer will serve as a technical resource to the Thacker Pass processing facility, supporting operations, troubleshooting process issues, and driving continuous improvement initiatives. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong communication and leadership skills, a proven track record of problem solving, and familiarity with sulfuric acid production and chemical processing equipment. This role will help maintain and continuously improve operating practices that support stewardship, safety, quality, and overall plant performance. The role is based at our Winnemucca, NV office and reports to the Site Engineering Manager. Occasional travel to other Lithium Americas offices, business units, engineering partners, or vendor locations may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related field
3-10 years’ experience as a Process Engineer in a chemical processing facility
Strong understanding of chemical process engineering principles and unit operations
Demonstrated commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, and teamwork
Personal commitment to Lithium Americas’ core Purpose, Vision and Values
Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to motivate teams toward common goals
Proven ability to manage several projects in parallel, while prioritizing and pursuing critical-path tasks on an accelerated schedule
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively across
Ability to critically challenge assumptions, “think outside the box”, and deliver creative solutions
Be a self-starter: highly motivated, able to work independently, with high energy
Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Project, Teams, etc.)

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) or MSHA regulations, preferred
Familiarity with DCS control systems and data historian platforms

Responsibilities

Support pre-commissioning, commissioning, and start-up activities for the Thacker Pass Sulfuric Acid Plant and Lithium Processing Facility in coordination with the Commissioning and Start-Up team
Provide day-to-day process engineering support to Operations, assisting with troubleshooting and optimization of equipment and processes
Investigate operational issues using process data and trends from the DCS historian
Develop and manage capital projects that improve safety, throughput, and efficiency in the processing plant
Oversee contractors performing maintenance and sustaining projects on-site, ensuring work is completed safely and efficiently
Provide advice and technical guidance to contractors, employees, and consultants to ensure Company and corporate standards are applied and maintained
Review, create, and implement a positive safety and environmentally sound culture with the right procedures and programs for the Thacker Pass Processing facility
Develop systems and processes that track and optimize productivity and standards, metrics, and performance targets to ensure effective return on assets.
Builds and maintains trusted relationships across all teams while championing a culture that reflects and supports our Purpose, Vision, and Values.
Other duties as assigned