Process Engineer - Furnaces

Who We Are:

We are on a mission to become the leading Western supplier of high value rare earth magnets and critical minerals through a supply chain that supports the future state of energy, mobility, and national security.  Our dynamic solution solves key domestic rare earth production challenges through optimizing margins, enhancing efficiency, minimizing costs and mitigating technical challenges.

Our early mover advantage positions us to become the first vertically integrated ex-China rare earth supply chain through substantial interest in the Round Top heavy rare earth, lithium and critical minerals deposit in West Texas, a rare earth separation facility with proven extraction methods, and development of the United States’ first rare earth and critical minerals production facility, with scalable production capability. By developing this fully integrated, US-based “mine-to-magnet” critical mineral supply chain, we are poised to become the leading Western supplier.

What You Can Expect:

At USA Rare Earth, we are pioneers and problem solvers, technologists and team players. Together, we:

Build Solutions: If our task was a simple one, it would already be done. We are creative and solution-oriented, and we think outside the box to solve important problems. We know that a range of expertise and technologies is needed for success, and we work across sectors and alongside customers to deliver world-class solutions in sustainable ways.

Deliver Quality: When we do things, we do them well. We believe that top-tier quality leads to industry competitiveness and we hold ourselves to the highest quality standards. We move fast when executing, while keeping safety, quality and excellence at the forefront in everything we do.

Lead responsibly: We have a responsibility to the planet, our consumers, our country, and each other. We put safety at the center of all we do, take accountability for our actions, incorporate sustainable practices in our processes and act with the financial best interest of our investors and consumers in mind.

Win Together: Establishing a rare earth magnet supply chain is a big undertaking – and getting there is a team effort. We communicate openly, work together and challenge each other in pursuit of our goals. With every step we take we learn and get better.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Process Engineer – Furnaces to lead the design, operation, and optimization of all furnace-based thermal processes within our fast-growing magnet manufacturing start-up. This role will oversee hydrogen decrepitation (HD), vacuum sintering, post-sintering heat treatment, and grain boundary diffusion furnace operations, ensuring precise temperature control, atmosphere management, and cooling system performance. You’ll play a key role in driving process efficiency, safety, and product quality across critical thermal processing stages in a dynamic, high-growth production environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and optimize process parameters for all furnace types to ensure consistent part density, magnetic properties, and yield.
• Oversee installation, startup, and qualification of furnace systems, including vacuum systems, gas delivery, water cooling, and safety interlocks.
• Author and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), PFMEAs, and control plans for each furnace type.
• Monitor process data (temperature curves, vacuum levels, gas flow, etc.) for trends and deviations; implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Facilities and EHS teams on safety systems: hydrogen management, venting, alarms, emergency protocols, etc..
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for nonconforming material or equipment issues.
• Interface with vendors for design reviews, FAT/SAT, maintenance planning, and spare parts management.
• Coordinate closely with other Process Engineers on material transitions and furnace recipes specific to processes that involve the use of furnaces.
• Support quality and R&D teams in furnace trials, new material qualifications, and metallurgical evaluations.
• Develop process capability metrics and support automation/instrumentation improvements for repeatability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field (advanced degree preferred).
• 3–5 years of experience with thermal processing operations such as vacuum sintering, heat treatment, or furnace system design and control.
• Proficiency in process modeling, data analysis, and statistical process control (SPC).
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills related to temperature control, atmosphere management, and process efficiency.
• Knowledge of safety, quality, and industry standards for thermal and materials processing.
• Experience implementing process improvements and maintaining equipment reliability in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a cross-functional, fast-paced start-up environment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, move, sit, carry, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, lift, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk and hear. May be required to lift and move boxes or packages not exceeding 20 pounds in weight. Some work stress inherent to the position and extended work hours may be required. 

• Work Environment:
• The work environment will be a mix of a typical office environment, laboratory space, manufacturing floor and construction site.  

Noise Level:

Exposure will vary and include normal office noise, typical laboratory sounds (e.g., ventilation systems, equipment operation), manufacturing floor noise (e.g., machinery, forklifts), and construction site noise depending on project phase and location.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills required of personnel so classified. The reporting relationship may not reflect the most recent changes to the corporate reporting structure.

USA Rare Earth proudly supports Equal Employment Opportunities

USA Rare Earth's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and will provide reasonable accommodations according to applicable federal, state, and/or local laws.

For assistance applying for employment through this site due to disability, please contact Human Resources, hr@usare.com, to discuss reasonable accommodations.