Rare-Earth Separation & Refining Specialist — GCM-6

Location: Remote — anchored to Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Engagement: Contingent consulting/project-based assignment
Anticipated compensation: $150–$300 per hour or a negotiated fixed price for a defined work package
Travel: International travel may be required
Opportunity: USTDA Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services

Position Summary

Axyde Analytics is assembling a multidisciplinary expert cadre for a time-sensitive proposal to the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. If Axyde receives the award, USTDA may request support evaluating prospective international mining, mineral-processing, refining, infrastructure and critical-mineral supply-chain projects.

For GCM-6, Axyde is seeking a senior specialist with substantial, directly evidenced experience separating mixed rare-earth feedstocks into individual, high-purity rare-earth products.

Relevant specialties include:

• Cracking and leaching of rare-earth concentrates

• Removal of iron, aluminum, calcium, thorium, uranium and other impurities

• Multistage rare-earth solvent-extraction circuits

• Ion-exchange or chromatographic rare-earth separation

• Scrubbing, stripping and recycle-circuit control

• Selective precipitation and oxalate or carbonate production

• Calcination to separated rare-earth oxides

• Production of high-purity individual rare-earth compounds

• Integration with metal, alloy or permanent-magnet manufacturing

This is a deliberately narrow technical requirement. The specialist may work within a broader team addressing geology, beneficiation, radiological risk, infrastructure, markets, finance and environmental issues, but selection for GCM-6 will be based primarily on demonstrated depth in rare-earth separation and refining.

This is not a general rare-earth geology, mining, mineral-processing, magnet, materials-science or supply-chain position. Experience identifying or beneficiating rare-earth ores will not substitute for directly relevant separation and refining experience.

Potential Responsibilities

Depending on the assignment, the specialist may:

• Evaluate rare-earth mineral concentrates, intermediate products and mixed rare-earth feedstocks.

• Review cracking, roasting, leaching and feed-preparation assumptions preceding separation.

• Assess removal of radioactive, base-metal and other impurities.

• Evaluate multistage solvent-extraction, ion-exchange or alternative separation circuits.

• Review extractant selection, circuit configuration, stage requirements, scrubbing, stripping and recycle assumptions.

• Evaluate separation factors, purity targets, recovery, reagent consumption and solution-inventory requirements.

• Assess laboratory, bench, pilot, demonstration and commercial-scale test results.

• Review selective precipitation, filtration, washing, drying and calcination steps.

• Assess production of individual rare-earth oxides, salts, metals or alloy precursors.

• Evaluate process controls required to maintain product purity and circuit stability.

• Review mass balances, water balances, chemical consumption, waste streams and residue-management assumptions.

• Assess equipment selection, materials of construction, corrosion risks, utilities and infrastructure requirements.

• Identify test-work gaps, scale-up limitations, operating risks and conditions for project advancement.

• Evaluate technical interfaces with downstream metal, alloy and permanent-magnet production.

• Contribute to project scopes, terms of reference, budgets, schedules, test programs and technical-risk registers.

• Prepare or independently review concise, decision-grade technical findings and recommendations.

• Participate in remote meetings, stakeholder discussions and international site visits when required.

Required Specialized Experience

Applicants must demonstrate meaningful experience in one or more of the following:

• Separation of mixed rare-earth concentrates or solutions.

• Multistage rare-earth solvent extraction.

• Ion-exchange or chromatographic rare-earth separation.

• Light-rare-earth and heavy-rare-earth separation.

• Removal or management of thorium, uranium or other radioactive constituents.

• Selective precipitation of individual or grouped rare-earth products.

• Production of separated rare-earth oxides, carbonates, oxalates, chlorides or other compounds.

• Pilot-plant design, execution, interpretation or scale-up.

• Commercial rare-earth separation-plant commissioning, operation, troubleshooting or optimization.

• Independent technical review of rare-earth separation technologies, projects or investment claims.

Experience limited to rare-earth exploration, resource estimation, ore beneficiation, concentrate production, market analysis or magnet manufacturing is not sufficient by itself.

Applicants must distinguish their personal technical contributions from the work performed by the broader project or organization.

Résumé Evidence Required

DO NOT SUBMIT A GENERAL RÉSUMÉ.

The submitted résumé must clearly identify:

• At least two directly relevant rare-earth separation or refining projects.

• The feed material and rare-earth distribution involved.

• The individual or grouped rare-earth products targeted.

• The specific separation technology and circuit configuration.

• The applicant’s personal role and technical responsibility.

• The scale of the work: laboratory, bench, pilot, demonstration or commercial.

• Relevant extractants, resins, precipitants, equipment, operating conditions or process-control methods.

• Product-purity, recovery, selectivity or impurity-removal requirements.

• Technical reports, flowsheets, models, designs, reviews or recommendations personally produced.

• Measurable technical or commercial outcomes, where available.

A résumé that merely lists rare earths, critical minerals, solvent extraction, magnets or materials science without substantiating direct rare-earth separation and refining experience will not be advanced.

Breadth is not rewarded for GCM-6 unless the required rare-earth separation depth is first established.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in chemical engineering, hydrometallurgy, extractive metallurgy, chemistry, materials science or a closely related discipline.

• Professional Engineer or comparable technical credential.

• Experience taking a rare-earth separation process from laboratory testing through pilot, demonstration or commercial operation.

• Experience with both light and heavy rare-earth separation.

• Familiarity with radiological controls and radioactive-residue management.

• Experience connecting separated rare-earth products to metal, alloy or permanent-magnet requirements.

• Experience reviewing process mass balances, capital costs and operating costs.

• Experience evaluating projects in emerging markets.

• Experience preparing independent technical reviews, feasibility-study inputs or lender/investor due diligence.

• Experience preparing English-language reports for government, financial or executive decision-makers.

Eligibility and Availability

Applicants must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or a non-U.S. citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.

• Be potentially available to begin supporting an authorized assignment within approximately 20 days, subject to final scheduling.

• Be willing and able to travel internationally when an assignment requires it.

• Identify any country, customer, travel, employment, confidentiality, intellectual-property, export-control or conflict-of-interest restrictions.

• Be able to perform without using or disclosing proprietary or controlled information belonging to another employer or client.

• Authorize Axyde to tailor and reformat the submitted résumé without materially changing the applicant’s qualifications.

Contingent Nature of the Opportunity

This announcement supports proposal and contingent-workforce planning. It does not guarantee employment, contract award, minimum hours or a specific assignment. Any engagement will remain subject to contract award, assignment requirements, final role alignment, eligibility, availability, mutually acceptable compensation and execution of appropriate engagement documentation.

Application Instructions

Submit a résumé specifically tailored to rare-earth separation and refining. Include a short statement identifying:

1. Your strongest rare-earth separation subspecialty.

2. The rare-earth feedstocks and products with which you have worked.

3. Two directly relevant projects and your personal technical contribution.

4. The testing or operating scale achieved.

5. Your current location.

6. Your U.S.-citizen or lawful-permanent-resident status.

7. Your international-travel availability.

8. Your anticipated hourly rate or fixed-work-package preference.

Applicants who cannot demonstrate direct depth separating mixed rare-earth feedstocks into individual or grouped high-purity products should not apply to GCM-6.