Senior Thermal Processing Engineer

Position Responsibilities

• Provide technical support for the operation, optimization, and reliability of kilns, calciners, coolers, dryers, and associated rotating equipment, conveyance systems, and dust handling systems.
• Lead projects involving process optimization, debottlenecking, equipment modifications, capacity improvement, and design upgrades.
• Analyze equipment performance, including temperature, material flow, refractory design & performance, residence time, draft, combustion, heat transfer, vibration, motor load, and product quality.
• Troubleshoot buildup, plugging, refractory damage, overheating, vibration, misalignment, air leakage, and mechanical failures.
• Work with Process Engineers, Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Electrical, and Process Controls to improve equipment performance and reliability.
• Develop engineering calculations, equipment specifications, scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules, and technical evaluations.
• Support Capital Project teams through detailed engineering, design reviews, procurement, construction, commissioning, and startup.
• Review and update PFDs, P&IDs, equipment layouts, datasheets, and engineering drawings.
• Coordinate vendors, contractors, equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, and performance testing.
• Manage projects from concept and design through execution, startup, and closeout.
• Present equipment performance, project status, risks, and recommendations to plant and senior management.
• Ensure all changes comply with safety requirements, engineering standards, and the Management of Change process.
• Any other tasks as directed by management.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, chemical, metallurgical, or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with industrial kilns, rotary kilns, calciners, dryers, solids conveyance systems, baghouses, furnaces, or similar high-temperature equipment.
• Experience with rotating equipment such as gearboxes, bearings, drives, couplings, fans, blowers, and lubrication systems.
• Experience in mining, metallurgical processing, cement, chemical processing, petroleum, or another heavy industrial environment.
• Strong troubleshooting, equipment optimization, and project execution experience.
• Understanding of heat transfer, combustion, material flow, draft, thermal expansion, refractory systems, and mechanical reliability.
• Ability to read and develop PFDs, P&IDs, equipment drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Ability to perform heat and mass balances, equipment sizing, throughput calculations, and technical evaluations.
• Familiarity with plant control systems, PI Vision, SAP, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Valid driver’s license.

Desired Qualities

MP Materials is Proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

For Assistance with Application

• Alternative methods of applying for employment are available to individuals unable to submit an application through this site because of a disability. Contact Human Resources Department at 702-844-6111; dial 7 when prompted for HR;1700 South Pavilion Center Dr. 8th Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89135 to discuss reasonable accommodation.
• Safety Provision - Employees are responsible for following all company, industry and regulatory procedures and laws to ensure a safe work environment for themselves and the company. Employees must have a willingness to promote safety among the workforce, participate in Process Hazard Analysis procedures and Pre-Startup Safety Reviews.
• (PPE) Personal Protective Equipment is required when performing work in a mine, manufacturing, outdoor, or plant environment. Required PPE may include, but is not limited to, hard hat, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety footwear, respirator, rubber steel-toe boots, protective clothing, gloves, and any other protective equipment as required.
• Working Conditions - Our facility sits at an elevation of 4,700 feet. Employees may be subject to extreme weather conditions when working in an outdoor setting (heat and cold, wind). Work is at an open pit mine or manufacturing/chemical plant setting, which may include exposure to moving mechanical parts, toxic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, explosives, fumes, or airborne particles.
• Physical Demands - Manual dexterity; sense of touch; sense of smell; speaking clearly; hearing-speech range; hearing – all ranges; seeing, reading and comprehensions; seeing – distant/near; depth perception; color vision. While performing the job responsibilities, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to stand and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel and to manipulate laboratory equipment. The employee is occasionally required to walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Employees must pass a full-face respiratory fit test. Employees must be able to lift 50 lbs. Must be able to work in PPE level C. These requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skill, and ability required of the employee.