About the role
About Phoenix Tailings
Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup focused on building a domestic supply of critical materials.
Our Freedom Facility in Rochester, New York will be a commercial-scale rare earth separation facility designed to expand U.S. capacity to process and separate rare earth materials.
Rare earths are essential inputs for many of the technologies that power modern life. They are used in high-performance permanent magnets found in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, advanced electronics, aerospace systems, and defense applications.
Today, much of the world's rare earth processing and separation capacity is concentrated overseas. Building more of this capability in the United States is important for strengthening domestic supply chains, reducing reliance on foreign processing, and supporting the advanced manufacturing, energy, technology, and national-security industries that depend on these materials.
The Freedom Facility will be designed to produce thousands of tons of separated rare earth oxides annually, making Rochester an important part of Phoenix Tailings' expansion of domestic rare earth processing capacity.
Why Phoenix Tailings
At Phoenix, we believe that nothing great is ever accomplished alone or without the passion of people who push and motivate one another. If you are someone who shares our relentless pursuit of a better future, passion for innovation, and are excited about working with some of the top innovators in the world, then this is the place for you.
Our Values • You are only crazy if you are wrong, it's ok to be wrong - Say what you think even when it’s uncomfortable • Lead with Compassion - Show up for your teammates, make the people around you better. • Be Resourceful - Find a way with what you have, don't wait for more. • Listen - Understand before you act, ask good questions before deciding. • Hustle - Put your heart into every interaction, no matter how small.
Who We Are Looking For
Phoenix Tailings is looking for a Chief of Staff-Manufacturing to support our Chief Manufacturing Officer in building and scaling our rare-earth metal manufacturing facility in Exeter and additional facilities, including Rochester, NY. The ideal candidate has held significant delivery responsibility on industrial capital projects valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars or more, bringing disciplined project management and practical manufacturing experience. Based in Exeter, you will translate manufacturing priorities into executable plans and drive accountability across facility buildout, equipment readiness, commissioning, and production ramp-up. You will help the Chief Manufacturing Officer manage competing priorities, evaluate capital and resource decisions, and resolve obstacles to safe, reliable production.
Key Responsibilities: • Translate the Chief Manufacturing Officer’s priorities into an integrated manufacturing execution plan with defined workstreams, milestones, budgets, and accountable owners across facilities. • Drive major capital project workstreams supporting manufacturing expansion, managing scope, schedules, dependencies, resources, and delivery commitments from planning through operational handover. • Maintain visibility into capital budgets, committed spending, forecast costs at completion, and contingency requirements, surfacing variances and recommending corrective action. • Lead schedule and risk reviews, identifying critical-path constraints, assessing changes, and driving recovery plans with clear owners and deadlines. • Align manufacturing requirements with engineering, procurement, and construction plans, ensuring equipment selections, facility layouts, utilities, and installation sequences support production objectives. • Drive operational readiness, coordinating equipment acceptance, staffing, operator training, operating procedures, maintenance systems, and production materials. • Coordinate manufacturing participation in commissioning and startup, defining acceptance criteria, tracking outstanding issues, and driving closure before production handover. • Run manufacturing and capital project reviews on behalf of the Chief Manufacturing Officer, preparing decision recommendations and holding internal teams and external partners accountable for commitments. • Track production ramp-up against throughput, yield, quality, uptime, and cost targets, directing corrective initiatives with site leaders. • Apply lessons from Exeter to Rochester and subsequent facilities, establishing repeatable delivery practices that integrate safety, quality, reliability, and capital discipline.
Qualifications: • Significant leadership and delivery experience on industrial capital projects valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars or more, with direct accountability for major project outcomes. • Substantial experience in manufacturing leadership, capital project management, or operations execution within metals, mineral processing, chemicals, or comparable process industries. • Demonstrated success advancing complex facilities through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and production ramp-up. • Strong command of project controls, including integrated scheduling, critical-path analysis, capital budgeting, cost forecasting, contingency management, and change control. • Experience managing EPC or EPCM partners, equipment suppliers, and construction contractors, including evaluating progress, commercial changes, and delivery risks. • Practical understanding of manufacturing readiness, including production equipment, process controls, maintenance, quality systems, staffing, and operator training. • Ability to evaluate capital and operating tradeoffs and use production and financial data to guide resource decisions and performance improvements. • Executive-level judgment and communication skills, with the ability to support the Chief Manufacturing Officer while personally driving complex projects and holding teams accountable.
What We Offer:
This pay range reflects best estimate for the total cash compensation which includes salary + discretionary bonus for this role. Total package may vary based on experience and qualifications.
Pay Range: $165,000- $215,000 total cash compensation plus equity • Healthcare: 100% Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employee. • Stock Options: Ownership in a fast-growing venture-backed company. • Time Off: Unlimited PTO. • Learning: Learning and development opportunities to grow your skills and career.
At Phoenix Tailings, we have an open culture that values learning, and we are looking to grow the team with enthusiastic individuals who share our vision of sustainable mining.
Phoenix Tailings, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at all levels. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information, or any other applicable protected characteristics, and these characteristics will not be a factor for consideration of any work-related decisions (including but not limited to hiring, firing, compensation, and discipline).
Please note: This posting is intended to help Phoenix Tailings connect with people interested in future opportunities at our Rochester facility. Hiring timelines, responsibilities, qualifications, and organizational needs may continue to evolve as the Freedom Facility progresses toward startup and operations.
Text as published by Phoenix Tailings. We don't edit postings; apply and ask questions on the employer's site.