Manager, NPI (Mineral Extraction)

Job Overview

Own and lead the development of Gradiant’s mineral extraction technologies from laboratory concept through pilot validation, scale-up and commercial deployment, covering extraction, purification, concentration and conversion to the final products.

Set the technical direction across extraction routes (e.g. sorbents/ion exchange, solvent extraction, membranes, precipitation/crystallization), lead the R&D team, and serve as the technical authority for customers, partners and internal project teams.

Duties/Responsibilities

Technology strategy and roadmap

Define and own the technology roadmap for mineral extraction, purification and conversion, aligned with business and market needs.

Benchmark competing technologies, evaluate new chemistries (sorbents, extractants, membranes) and partner technologies, and drive IP generation.

Lead R&D team and manage projects

Lead and mentor the R&D team across SG and AD Labs (scientists, engineers and interns); set priorities and guide experimental design and data analysis.

Oversee planning, budgets, execution and tracking of projects and procurement; liaise with vendors, contractors and internal groups; prepare key presentations and reports for leadership.

Process development and flowsheet design

Develop and optimize mineral extraction flowsheets for high recovery and selectivity over competing ions (e.g. Na, K, Mg, Ca, B), including impurity control, reagent/solvent management and recycle streams.

Perform process modelling, mass and energy balances and techno-economic inputs to produce high-purity final product.

Scale-up and technology transfer

Lead the progression from lab and bench scale to pilot and demonstration; design, procure and commission pilot units.

Resolve scale-up challenges (e.g. phase separation, solvent loss, sorbent lifetime, fouling, impurity build-up, process stability) and prepare process design packages for engineering and project teams.

Commercialization and customer support

Lead end-to-end application studies on real feeds (brines, produced water, leachates) from feasibility through process validation.

Support proposals, feasibility studies and performance guarantees; provide on-site commissioning, troubleshooting and optimization at customer plants.

Partnerships and stakeholder engagement

Build and manage collaborations with customers, technology providers, universities and suppliers to accelerate technology validation and deployment.

Represent Gradiant’s mineral extraction technology in technical discussions with customers, partners and at industry forums.

Qualification, Skills & Experience

• Ph.D. in Chemical or Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Hydrometallurgy, Materials Science or a related discipline.
• Master’s degree with a strong industrial critical-minerals track record will also be considered.
• Deep expertise in at least one mineral extraction route (solvent extraction, ion exchange/adsorption, membranes or precipitation/crystallization), with working knowledge of the others.
• Process modelling and flowsheet design(mass/energy balances; tools such as Aspen, OLI or PHREEQC) and analytical methods (ICP-OES/MS, IC).
• Strong leadership, communication and customer-facing skills; able to translate technical results into business decisions.
• 10+ years in critical-minerals process development, including 3+ years leading technical teams.
• Proven track record taking a technology from lab through pilot to commercial or industrial operation.
• Hands-on experience in plant commissioning, troubleshooting and optimization, and in technology transfer to engineering or customers.
• Experience with industrial water/wastewater treatment and international customers is an advantage.
• Preferred, not mandatory: Professional Engineer(PE/P.Eng), PMP, Lean Six Sigma or equivalent.