R&D Project Manager

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.

Cross-functional leadership: Coordinate metallurgists, scientists, engineers, technicians, operations, EHS, procurement, finance, and other key stakeholders as required.

Stakeholder communication: Provide concise project updates, executive summaries, dashboards, presentations, meeting minutes, and escalation notes that make technical and business decisions easier.

Risk and issue management: Build and maintain risk registers, mitigation plans, issue logs, contingency plans, decision records, and lessons learned for R&D, pilot, and plant-facing activities.

Commercialization readiness: Translate R&D outcomes into practical implementation plans, operating envelopes, design inputs, SOP requirements, commissioning inputs, and plant trial plans.

Safety and compliance: Ensure R&D projects are planned and executed with appropriate EHS reviews, chemical hygiene controls, waste management practices, management of change, and safe work practices.

2. Solvent Extraction and Metallurgical Expertise

Technical direction: Provide metallurgy input during project scoping, experimental planning, test campaign design, data review, and decision-making.

REE solvent extraction: Guide work involving extraction, scrubbing, stripping, phase separation, impurity rejection, recycle streams, reagent systems, organic/aqueous ratios, acidity, pH, loading capacity, and product quality.

Process performance: Optimize REE recovery, selectivity, purity, yield, throughput, reagent consumption, impurity control, phase disengagement, crud control, entrainment, and third-phase risk.

Scale-up judgment: Identify technical risks when moving from bench to pilot, demonstration, or plant conditions, and ensure project plans include the right validation steps and decision criteria.

Technical documentation: Ensure technical reports, flowsheet inputs, mass balances, metallurgical accounting, troubleshooting guides, and project close-out documents are accurate and actionable.

Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Project Management (PMP) or a related technical field; Master's degree preferred.

10+ years of experience in technical project management, multiple projects management, grant writing, industrial R&D, hydrometallurgy, chemical process development, critical minerals processing, recycling, mining, or manufacturing environments.

Demonstrated ability to manage technical projects using scopes, schedules, budgets, resource plans, risk registers, dashboards, action logs, decision records, and stage-gate deliverables.

5+ years leading R&D projects, pilot campaigns, commercial operations, process improvement workstreams, technology scale-up projects, capital-adjacent studies, or multidisciplinary technical programs.

Practical solvent extraction and hydrometallurgy knowledge, including aqueous chemistry, organic reagent systems, equilibrium behavior, circuit configuration, phase disengagement, impurity removal, and scale-up considerations.

Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and external partners without always relying on direct authority; able to drive accountability and remove barriers to execution.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convert complex technical details into clear business updates, options, risks, and recommendations.

Strong analytical and project-controls capability; proficiency with Excel, MS Project, Primavera, Power BI, Minitab, JMP, Python, process modeling tools, AI, or equivalent platforms is an asset.

Demonstrated commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, respectful collaboration, practical execution, and continuous improvement in a dynamic startup environment.

Ability to travel up to 30% for business purposes and work in office, laboratory, pilot plant, vendor, customer, partner, and operating plant environments.

At Cyclic Materials, we're dedicated to supporting our workforce on their unique career journey

We offer a competitive compensation package including Health and Dental coverage, RRSP (Canada)/ 401K (USA) contributions and a generous paid time off program that lets you recharge

We value diversity and are committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone is respected and recognized for their contributions

The base compensation offered is determined based on the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills, and competencies and considers internal equity.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Cyclic Materials is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all individuals have an opportunity to succeed. If you require accommodation at any stage of the interview process, please email HumanResources@cyclicmaterials.earth . Applicants for employment in the Canada and US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States or Canada and with Cyclic Materials (i.e., H1-B visa, F-1 visa (OPT), TN, L1-A visa or any other non-immigrant status).

To all applicants, your interest and effort are sincerely appreciated. While we thank everyone for their application, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.