Production & Process Engineering

Process Engineer

In 2025, a facility in Covington, Georgia, became the first in U.S. history to produce commercial-scale, technical-grade lithium entirely from recycled battery materials. R3 Lithium acquired the facility in 2026 and retained the leadership team responsible for achieving that milestone.

Today, we are investing to advance the facility into continuous commercial operation, with a clear mandate: to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate domestically, at scale, using recycled feedstock.

The Process Engineer supports the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of R3 Lithium' battery recycling and advanced battery materials manufacturing processes. This role focuses on process scale-up, technology transfer from R&D, batch data analysis, and continuous improvement within an operating production environment. The Process Engineer partners closely with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to achieve plant output, quality, cost, and safety objectives.

Support day-to-day process engineering activities for lithium-ion battery recycling and hydrometallurgical processing operations.

Support process scale-up activities and handover of new processes from R&D or pilot facilities into commercial manufacturing.

Monitor, analyze, and interpret batch and process data to identify trends, deviations, and improvement opportunities.

Lead or support troubleshooting efforts using structured problem-solving tools (RCA, CAPA).

Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, yield, throughput, cost, and quality.

Support process data systems including data collection and reporting tools.

Communicate process performance and risks to plant and engineering leadership.

Operates with moderate independence in diagnosing process performance issues and recommending improvements within established operating and change management standards. Escalates high-risk or non-standard changes to engineering and operations leadership as required.

May provide technical guidance and informal support to junior engineers, technicians, or operators.

Knowledge of chemical and hydrometallurgical processing in an industrial manufacturing environment.

Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret batch and process data.

Hands-on troubleshooting and structured problem-solving capability.

Ability to translate R&D and process development requirements into stable plant operations.

Comfort working with plant data systems, historians, and dashboards.

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent experience.

Typically 5+ years of process engineering experience in chemical manufacturing, hydrometallurgy, battery materials, or related environments.

Experience supporting operating plants including start-up, production support, and continuous improvement.

Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, and Maintenance teams.

Working Conditions / Travel

Role is primarily plant-based. Occasional travel to other R3 Lithium sites, pilot facilities, or partners may be required (typically up to 20%).

Additional requirements may apply based on site-specific needs, including physical demands, shift or on-call expectations, and specific software tools or training.

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