Senior Process Engineer - Metallization

Vulcan Elements • Research Triangle Park, NC

5h • Onsite

About The Position

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future, serving critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive. As a Senior Process Engineer, you will be the owner’s side process engineering expert for a large industrial installation to convert rare earth oxides to metals. This role involves providing oversight, internal technical review, and project management support for the work product of external engineering firms related to process and plant systems engineering. You will serve as the owner’s side technical authority on process documentation for metallization processes, transitioning to process engineering improvement as the plant is commissioned. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience taking complex, high-temperature, materials-intensive processes from definition through construction and into operation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related field
• 8+ years of hands-on experience in industrial process engineering
• Experience working with external engineering partners or EPCs
• Demonstrated experience defining and documenting full production-scale processes, setting targets and limits, and optimizing performance
• Proven ability to develop and own PFDs, P&IDs, and Design bases
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with high-temperature metallurgical or electrochemical plants
• Direct involvement in permitted industrial facilities
• Startup, scale-up, or first-of-kind plant experience
• Familiarity with owner’s engineering standards and capital project execution
• Experience supporting commissioning and early operations

Responsibilities

• Own the process definition for production scale metallization, from raw material receipt through product handling to subsequent process steps.
• Manage and organize timelines and deliverables with external EPC, and ensure smooth interfaces with internal and external organizations.
• Maintain all core process documentation, including: Process flow diagrams (PFDs), Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), Heat and mass balances, Equipment lists and design bases, Operating philosophies and control narratives.
• Ensure systems meet operational, safety, and environmental performance requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior