Chemical and Process Engineer

Chemical & Process Engineer

North Charleston, South Carolina

Onsite

About Red Metals

Red Metals is rethinking the domestic copper supply chain at a pivotal moment in American industry.

U.S. demand already exceeds domestic supply, and the gap is widening as grid modernization, the energy transition, and buildout of AI infrastructure accelerate. We are building a new model for this critical industrial layer in the United States.

Conventional refining moves copper through concentrate, matte, anode, and cathode before it becomes rod. We go straight from scrap to rod in one facility, using our integrated flowsheet that brings together shredders, mills, physical AI, and molten metal chemistry.

We are building our first production line in North Charleston, South Carolina: a $70M investment in the future of American-made copper.

The Role

We are hiring a Chemical & Process Engineer to design, build, and operate our first copper processing and refining systems.

This is not a support role. You will take processes from first principles through design, commissioning, and production, and you will own performance, reliability, and output.

What You’ll Do

Lead process areas or systems, with the opportunity for team leadership as we scale

Design copper processing flowsheets from feedstock through finished product

Build mass and energy balances, process models, and size key equipment

Select and integrate unit operations in a coherent, scalable system

Work side by side with mechanical and controls engineers to build a functioning plant

Lead commissioning, including hands-on troubleshooting on the plant floor

Define operating procedures, control strategies, and process KPIs

Analyze process data and drive improvements in yield, quality, and throughput

Own metallurgical performance, including impurity management and product quality

Work directly with vendors and contractors to execute quickly

Contribute to controls and automation systems, using process data and AI to improve stability and continuously optimize

Red Metals Non-Negotiables

Bias for Action

We move fast. Speed beats polish. We use every tool, especially AI, to accelerate decisions, execution, and learning.

Grit

We do hard things because they matter. We keep pushing when others quit.

Ownership

We own outcomes, not tasks. We see problems, fix them, and follow through across functions.

Signal

We cut through noise. We communicate clearly and directly so decisions are fast and execution stays sharp.

Craft

We take pride in our work. Quality, care, and precision are the standard.

What We’re Looking For

Degree in Chemical Engineering or related field, or equivalent hands-on experience demonstrating process engineering capability

3-8+ years process engineering experience, ideally in metals, mining, refining, or heavy industry

Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and separations, developed through education or practical experience

Experience taking processes from design through commissioning into operation

Comfortable working on the plant floor in an industrial environment

Ability to operate with incomplete information and make sound decisions quickly

Demonstrated ability or potential to lead projects or teams in a fast-moving environment

Strong Pluses:

Experience with pyrometallurgy or processing of mined or secondary materials

Experience with copper or other non-ferrous metals

Experience commissioning industrial equipment

Familiarity with process control systems and instrumentation

Startup or early-stage experience

Why Red Metals

Build a company from zero, not optimize an existing system

Direct ownership of critical process and operational decisions

Work on a problem that matters: rebuilding U.S. industrial capacity

Small team, high trust, no bureaucracy

Location

This role is based in North Charleston, South Carolina and requires on-site work.