Controls and Automation Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 10, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 19, 2026.
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
As we build toward operations in 2027 and 2028, we are beginning to meet with individuals who may be interested in joining Phoenix Tailings. We encourage interested candidates to apply, learn more about what we are building, and stay connected as we develop our facility.
Phoenix Tailings is looking for controls and automation professionals interested in future opportunities at our Rochester Freedom Facility.
The Controls and Automation team will keep the plant's measurement and control systems accurate, available, and useful to operations. The work includes supporting programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), alarms, sensors, and instrumentation.
This is an opportunity to support a new facility by solving control logic and communications problems and helping operators rely on the information and systems they use to run the plant.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and support PLC logic, HMI displays, alarms, and operating trends that give operators reliable visibility and control of the separations process
- Verify sensors, instrumentation, field wiring, and process signals through calibration checks, input/output checkout, and commissioning tests
- Troubleshoot control logic, industrial communications, and instrument problems, comparing system data with field conditions to identify the underlying fault
- Support equipment checkout and startup with operations and IT, testing automated responses and clarifying ownership of plant-network and control-system issues
- Maintain control narratives, instrument records, input/output lists, and as-built documentation so changes can be understood, maintained, and safely supported
Qualifications:
- Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field, or relevant technical training with equivalent industrial automation experience
- Hands-on experience programming or troubleshooting PLCs and supporting HMI or SCADA applications, including alarms, trends, and operator interfaces
- Working knowledge of process instrumentation, sensor calibration, field wiring, and industrial communications used to monitor and control plant equipment
- Ability to perform equipment checkout and commissioning tests, read electrical or control drawings, and document faults and system changes clearly
What We Offer:
- 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.
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: $80,000 - $150,000 per year