• Pilot Operations Engineer

    Actalent (Noblesville, IN)


    Job Title: Pilot Operations EngineerJob Description

     

    We are seeking a Senior Engineer to lead pilot-scale operations in supporting the separation and refining of critical minerals, rare-earth elements, and battery metals. This role is instrumental in transforming laboratory discoveries into robust, continuous, and commercially viable processes for high-purity oxide and metal production. The Senior Engineer will oversee pilot plant design, operation, troubleshooting, and optimization, ensuring safety, efficiency, and data integrity while collaborating with R&D, analytical, and production teams.

    Responsibilities

    + Lead day-to-day operation of the pilot plant for metal separation and refining, including unit operations such as leaching, filtration, ion exchange, precipitation, crystallization, and drying.

    + Develop and implement pilot protocols, SOPs, and run plans that reflect process design intent and scale-up parameters.

    + Supervise and train pilot technicians and operators in safe and efficient system operation, chemical handling, and data collection.

    + Collaborate with scientists and analytical teams to monitor process performance, mass balance, and product purity.

    + Analyze process data, identify performance gaps, and drive continuous improvement through engineering and operational adjustments.

    + Oversee the installation, commissioning, and maintenance of pilot-scale equipment, including reactors, pumps, controls, and instrumentation.

    + Work closely with automation engineers to integrate real-time process control and data acquisition (SCADA / PLC / PAT).

    + Support process scale-up by translating pilot learnings into commercial design inputs, process flow diagrams (PFDs), and P&IDs.

    Essential Skills

    + Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, Metallurgical).

    + Experience in scale-up design and process design, including SOP development.

    + Proficiency in new equipment installation and understanding of programming/troubleshooting (SCADA, data, PLC, etc).

    + Strong project management skills, including vendor management, planning, quotes, milestone tracking, scheduling, and controls engineering.

    Additional Skills & Qualifications

    + Master's Degree or PhD.

    + Experience with PLC, SCADA, and automation.

    + Background in Chemical Engineering.

    + Experience with lithium processing.

    Work Environment

    The position is based in a chemical processing facility with two plants located in Noblesville and Marion. The work involves both lab and manufacturing environments. The role is onsite from 9 AM to 5 PM, and you will be joining a team of approximately 22 people in a rapidly growing company.

     

    Job Type & Location

     

    This is a Permanent position based out of Noblesville, IN.

    Pay and Benefits

    The pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $140000.00/yr.

     

    • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage • Professional development and leadership advancement opportunities • Opportunity to contribute to the commercialization of sustainable, solvent-free refining technologies for the critical-materials industry

     

    Workplace Type

     

    This is a fully onsite position in Noblesville,IN.

     

    Application Deadline

     

    This position is anticipated to close on Jan 23, 2026.

    About Actalent

    Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

     

    The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

     

    If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing due to a disability, please email [email protected] (%[email protected]) for other accommodation options.