Job Title: R&D Lead – Hydrometallurgy & Precious Metals Refining
Location: Calgary
Department: Research & Development
Reports To: Chief Innovation Officer
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced R&D Lead in Organometallic Chemistry or Hydrometallurgy to lead research programs focused on the recovery of valuable metals from primary and secondary sources and the development of advanced precious metals refining processes. This role will support parallel R&D efforts spanning electronic waste recycling as well as precious metals recovery and refining from both primary and secondary sources.
This is a highly technical, hands-on leadership role that combines deep hydrometallurgical expertise with people leadership. The R&D Lead will supervise and mentor a team of R&D chemists and scientists, define technical strategy across multiple programs, and drive innovation from laboratory concept through pilot-scale validation and industrial deployment.
About Excir
Excir is a Canadian clean technology company delivering proven, proprietary solutions for the recovery of precious metals, addressing structural inefficiencies in the global supply chain through disruptive technology. Our solutions are commercially deployed with strategic, world-class partners, including The Royal Mint, and are being scaled across additional feedstocks and applications.
We have pioneered an innovative technology that quickly, safely and selectively, extracts precious metals — specifically gold, palladium, and platinum — from substrates. Excir brings new light to responsibly monetizing age-old problems. We are quickly leveraging our successes from the E-waste vertical into R&D on Spent Catalyst and Mining verticals.
www.excir.com
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, and mentor a team of R&D chemists
- Define R&D strategy and experimental direction across hydrometallurgical and refining programs
- Design, review, and interpret laboratory scale experiments
- Design proper ligands and leaching media for targeted metals
- Develop and optimize processes including leaching, selective dissolution, precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange, and electrowinning
- Troubleshoot process performance, selectivity, impurity control, and reagent consumption
- Support scale-up and pilot teams from bench-scale
- Collaborate with internal teams and external partners on joint development and testing
- Contribute to technical documentation, IP generation, and process knowledge capture
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Organometallic Chemistry, Hydrometallurgy, Metallurgy or a related field
- 5+ years of hands-on R&D experience in organometallic chemistry, hydrometallurgy, precious-metal processing, or chemical metallurgy
- Strong hands-on experience in precious metals processing and refining
- Proven experience supervising and mentoring R&D chemists
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making skills
- Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
- Comfortable working across lab work, data analysis, and scale-up discussions
- Strong problem-solving skills and a practical, execution-focused mindset
Why Join Us
- Play a meaningful role in a growing company within a high-impact, future-focused industry
- Gain hands-on experience to developing innovative technologies and bringing products to market
- Work closely with a collaborative and driven leadership team
- Competitive compensation package (starting at $120K) commensurate with experience
- Opportunity to grow with the organization and take on increasing responsibility
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
- RRSP match
Work Location: In person
