Mechanical Engineering Lead, Capital Projects

Cyclic Materials™ is building a resilient circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical materials. Through proprietary MagCycle™ and REEPure™ processes, we recover rare earths from end‑of‑life products and transform them into high‑purity materials used in the production of permanent magnets. These materials are essential to the modern economy, supporting electric vehicles, electronics, AI infrastructure, wind turbines, defense, and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials has rapidly progressed from technology development to commercialization, operating facilities in Ontario and Arizona and expanding into South Carolina. We are supported by a $75 million Series C financing round led by T. Rowe Price, and strategic investors including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures, and Fifth Wall.

Position Overview

The Mechanical Engineering Lead operates within an Owner’s Team model as the internal Subject Matter Expert (SME). The role is responsible for defining mechanical engineering requirements and overseeing external design partners, ensuring designs are fit for purpose, meet specifications, and align with engineering principles. The Lead provides final technical review and sign‑off, bringing deep expertise and experience to the role while holding external teams accountable for quality and performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical engineering activities for capital projects through FEL‑2, FEL‑3, and some FEL‑4 execution planning.
• Serve as the mechanical engineering lead within Cyclic’s owner’s team, ensuring internal and external deliverables meet project requirements and technical standards.
• Manage and review work of external engineering consultants, EP, EPC, EPCM partners, equipment suppliers, and specialist contractors for the mechanical scope.
• Develop and maintain mechanical design criteria, engineering specifications, equipment standards, and discipline deliverables.
• Provide technical leadership for mechanical systems including rotating equipment, tanks, vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, piping systems, material handling systems, utility systems, and package equipment.
• Review and approve mechanical engineering deliverables such as equipment datasheets, equipment lists, piping and instrumentation diagrams, layouts, design packages, technical bid evaluations, and vendor documents.
• Support development of plant layouts and equipment arrangements with a focus on constructability, maintainability, operability, accessibility, and safety.
• Participate in and lead discipline input into design reviews, HAZOPs, model reviews, value engineering workshops, risk assessments, and constructability reviews.
• Ensure mechanical design interfaces are coordinated with process, civil/structural, electrical, instrumentation and controls, procurement, construction, and operations teams.
• Support project cost and schedule development by defining mechanical scope, identifying long‑lead equipment requirements, reviewing quantities, and contributing to capital estimate and execution plan development.
• Support equipment procurement activities including preparation of technical requisitions, bid evaluations, vendor clarifications, and recommendation of awards.
• Resolve technical issues during study, design, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Provide oversight of design change management and ensure changes are evaluated for technical, cost, schedule, and operational impacts.
• Support commissioning, start‑up, and handover activities to meet operational requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering standards, workflows, and project delivery practices.
• Mentor junior and intermediate engineers and provide technical coaching.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering required with a Professional Engineer designation.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive mechanical engineering experience in industrial or process plant environments.
• Demonstrated experience supporting capital projects in mining, metals, hydrometallurgy, chemical processing, recycling, clean technology, renewables, or other heavy industrial sectors.
• Experience working on owner’s teams with EP, EPC, EPCM, and similar design‑build firms.
• Strong experience in front‑end engineering, feasibility studies, design development, and execution support.
• Experience with detailed engineering, procurement support, construction support, and commissioning is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with applicable codes, standards, and mechanical engineering design practices for industrial facilities.
• Experience reviewing vendor packages, technical proposals, and contractor deliverables.

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of mechanical engineering principles and industrial plant design practices.
• Strong understanding of rotating and static equipment selection, piping systems, utility systems, and mechanical design integration in process plants.
• Ability to evaluate engineering deliverables for technical completeness, quality, operability, maintainability, and fit‑for‑purpose application.
• Strong understanding of project delivery processes, stage‑gate development, engineering assurance, and design‑risk management.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to assess technical trade‑offs and support sound engineering decisions.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills to manage multiple priorities across concurrent projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder‑management skills with the ability to work effectively across internal teams and external partners.
• Demonstrated leadership capability, including mentoring, coaching, and technical guidance of other engineers.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with engineering document management and project systems.
• Adaptable, agile, and able to pivot quickly in work execution approaches and delivery.

Preferred Experience

• Expertise in hydrometallurgical, chemical processing, electrical, civil/structural, mechanical engineering, and/or recycling, critical minerals, metals refining, or similarly complex process‑plant environments.
• Experience in brownfield and greenfield industrial project development.
• Experience working in start‑up organizations focused on design optimization and refinement.
• Experience conducting targeted trade‑off studies to establish critical engineering design criteria for retrofitting existing plants and designing new plants.
• Familiarity with North American codes, standards, and industrial permitting environments.

Pay Range

$131,000 – $152,000 CAD

Why You Will Love Cyclic Materials

• We support our workforce on their unique career journey.
• Offer a competitive compensation package including Health and Dental coverage, RRSP contributions, and a generous paid time‑off program.
• We value diversity and are committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone is respected and recognized for their contributions.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Cyclic Materials is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all individuals have an opportunity to succeed. If you require accommodation at any stage of the interview process, please email View email address on apply.j-vers.com.

Applicants for employment in Canada and the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States or Canada.