Extractive Metallurgist

Leidos is seeking an expert Extractive Metallurgist to join the RSS Contract supporting the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Albany, OR. In this role, you will work as part of DOE's energy research and engineering R&D laboratory team supporting NETL to develop novel and scalable methods for critical materials processing to establish the economic future of critical minerals and metals in the United States.

You will join a multi-disciplinary, scientific, and technically-oriented national laboratory team across three sites (Albany, OR, Morgantown, WV, Pittsburgh, PA) and collaborate alongside others working to produce technological solutions for America's energy challenges to support home-grown energy initiatives, stimulate a growing economy, and improve the health, safety, and security of all Americans.

In this role, you will use your extractive metallurgy expertise to support the development of advanced processing technologies and demonstration circuits to recover rare earth elements (REEs), gallium (Ga), and germanium (Ge) from multiple non-traditional and low grade feedstocks. This role will directly contribute to building secure and sustainable domestic supply chains for critical minerals and materials and unlock the potential of these resources in the United States.

Location: This position is onsite at NETL campus in Albany, OR.

What this opportunity with Leidos supporting NETL through a Research Support Services (RSS) contract uniquely provides you:

• Working on applied, cutting-edge projects with global impact alongside other leading energy scientists and engineers.
• Unique insight into the broad range of mission critical engineering and scientific disciplines NETL leverages to support national energy research and policy development.
• Access to world-class, customized facilities and computational assets specific to high impact energy research, technology generation, and product development.
• Collaborate with federal personnel to develop new technical opportunities and expand industry and scientific partnerships for NETL.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop, test, and optimize physical beneficiation, hydrometallurgical and/or pyrometallurgical processes for the efficient concentration and recovery of rare earth elements, Ga, and Ge from complex geologic materials, industrial by-products, and other non-traditional, low value material streams.
• Develop and conduct bench- and pilot-scale processes to separate and extract critical materials and minerals in NETL's Feedstock Beneficiation Lab.
• Characterize feedstocks using mineralogical, chemical, and physical techniques to guide process selection and parameter optimization.
• Review, recommend, and implement new or enhanced testing equipment or protocols to improve process development.
• Work collaboratively with geologists, mineralogists, extractive metallurgists, chemical engineers, and analytical chemists to develop integrated process flowsheets and accomplish other required project tasks.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data to support scale-up and techno-economic assessments.
• Prepare technical documentation, reports, and presentations; contribute to publications, patent filings, and strategic development.
• Effectively communicate scientific results through writing methods, results, and data interpretations for inclusion in scientific peer-review journal manuscripts and technical reports.
• Develop and present results in oral presentations to staff, stakeholders, and at professional conferences.
• Set expectations and lead by example to maintain a safe and organized workplace through strict adherence to laboratory safety protocols and environmental compliance standards and work with EH&S staff to mitigate workplace safety hazards and audits.
• Train and mentor new staff in lab operations and research methods.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external clients.
• Provide weekly and monthly technical updates to research team members and project management.
• Provide leadership and expertise on projects including delegation to team members and communication of project milestone status to management.

Requirements:

• Master's degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field with 6+ years of hands-on experience in mineral processing or extractive metallurgy process development
• Demonstrated expertise in minerals processing and metallurgical operations relevant to critical materials or critical minerals and metals (REEs, Ga, Ge).
• Experience with processing low grade ores from clays, coal, coal by-products, mine waste, or other unconventional critical mineral sources.
• Familiarity with processing of oxide, sulfide, or carbon-rich materials and associated impurity management
• Familiarity with mineral processing hazards and material waste management procedures
• Familiarity with mineralogic assemblages associated with conventional and unconventional mineral deposits such as industrial solid wastes for rare earth elements, Ga, Ge, critical materials or critical minerals
• Ability to develop and implement new standard operating procedures and work instructions for critical minerals processing and separation
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot process challenges and adapt strategies based on evolving data; record of seeking alternative ideas and new ways to accomplish goals more effectively with forethought for downstream process
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work in multidisciplinary project teams
• Outstanding time management skills; experience developing and meeting project milestones with little oversight
• Demonstrated ability to lead and work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of research scientists
• Proven track record of publications, presentations, and/or patents related to research on geologic/mineral systems
• Must be able to meet the requirements for gaining access to work on the NETL campus

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field
• Hands-on experience with managing, scaling up, and deploying pilot scale metallurgical and mining process operations
• Experience leveraging AI tools to enhance professional work quality and efficiency

Salary Range for this position is $120K to $125K

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

June 4, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.