Cyclic Materials is building a resilient circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical materials. Through our fully integrated proprietary technology platform, we recover rare earths from end-of-life products and transform them into high-purity materials used to produce new permanent magnets. These magnets are critical to the modern economy, underpinning AI, automotive, e-mobility, electronics, semiconductor, energy, defense, and other advanced manufacturing sectors.

Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials has rapidly become a category leader in rare earth recovery, achieving commercial operations in less than five years. We currently operate facilities in Ontario and Arizona, with further expansion underway in South Carolina. Backed by investment accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., alongside strategic investors including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures, and Fifth Wall, we are scaling quickly and building the industrial backbone required to meet growing global demand for a secure and sustainable supply of rare earths.

We have established an extensive and growing network of commercial partnerships with global industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Lime, and VACUUMSCHMELZE, enabling the rapid deployment of recycled rare earth materials into real-world supply chains. Joining Cyclic Materials means tackling complex and exciting challenges at scale alongside a team committed to strong execution and 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.

Position Overview

The R&D Project Manager - Solvent Extraction Metallurgy is a project-management role responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering technical R&D projects that support rare earth recycling, hydrometallurgical process development, scale-up, and commercialization. The role is expected to spend approximately 60-70% of its time on project management, project controls, stakeholder alignment, governance, risk management, and delivery of R&D milestones. The remaining 30-40% of the role provides technical expertise, such as solvent extraction and rare earth metallurgy to ensure projects are technically robust, practical, safe, and ready for scale-up or implementation.

This position is ideal for a metallurgist or chemical/process engineer who has moved beyond purely technical execution and can lead multidisciplinary R&D workstreams with clear scope, schedule, budget, decision-making, and accountability.

Role Focus and Time Allocation

Project Management and R&D Delivery: Own project planning, execution rhythm, controls, reporting, risk management, cross-functional coordination, stage-gate readiness, and delivery of agreed outcomes.
Solvent Extraction and Metallurgical Expertise: Provide hands-on technical judgment for REE hydrometallurgy and solvent extraction test plans, data interpretation, flowsheet decisions, scale-up risks, and troubleshooting.
Business Travel: Support project reviews, pilot campaigns, plant trials, vendor/customer engagements, strategic partner meetings, conferences, and technical troubleshooting.

What You Will Be Doing

Project Management

Project ownership: Lead multiple R&D projects from intake and scope definition through execution, reporting, stage-gate review, handover, and close-out.
Scope, schedule, and budget: Develop project charters, work breakdown structures, schedules, budgets, resourcing plans, procurement inputs, milestone plans, and change-control processes.
Project controls: Track schedule, cost, resources, technical progress, risks, issues, dependencies, action items, decisions, and deliverables using clear and disciplined project management tools.
Governance and stage gates: Prepare decision packages, readiness reviews, test campaign plans, technical summaries, risk assessments, and stage-gate materials for leadership and project sponsors.