Job Requirements Ucore is a TSX-listed company commercializing its patent-pending RapidSX™ rare earth element (REE) separation technology through the advancement of its first commercial REE processing and rare earth oxide (REO) production facility in Alexandria, Louisiana. This facility, the Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex (SMC), is currently under development with engineering underway as of August 2026. Ucore also continues to enhance and demonstrate its technology at its RapidSX™ Commercialization and Demonstration Facility (CDF) in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The company consists of a small team, with resources located globally and seeks to appoint a Laboratory Manager to join its team. This role will lead the implementation of corporate initiatives, as defined by the company. Regular travel within the USA and Canada will be required. The Laboratory Manager, reporting to the Plant Manager, will work independently and with other plant personnel to assist in directing the operation of the facility. This role will ensure the safe, eicient and compliant operation of the plant while safely meeting production goals, minimizing downtime, and maintaining high-quality standards. The Laboratory Manager for RapidSX rare earth elements refining solvent extraction provides daily oversight of lab operations, manages analytical testing for separation processes, and ensures safety compliance. Key responsibilities include providing leadership to analytical teams, maintaining equipment, and validating assay results for high-purity rare earth oxides. Selected candidates will be involved with equipment installations, startup and the commissioning of laboratory, manufacturing, and facilities equipment. All tasks will be performed while supporting the policies, goals, and objectives of the organization. Laboratory Manager: The role will be based in Alexandria, Louisiana, with frequent travel to Kingston, Ontario. Primary Responsibilities
- Team Leadership: Supervise daily laboratory work for rare earth solvent extraction and separation. Manage a team of chemists, technologists, technicians, and analytical sta.
- Analytical Oversight: Direct lab testing, equipment calibration, and process analytics to ensure product purity (often ≥ 99.99%) and circuit stability. Troubleshooting, maintenance,
and method development on installed analytical equipment:
a. Elemental & Purity Verification: Supervise trace and major-element assays using ICP-MS, ICP-OES, and XRF across feed, intermediate, and final REO streams. b. Process & Circuit Control: Oversight of high-frequency testing using autotitration (free-acid H+ & total REE), IC (inorganic impurities), and online/at-line PAT systems (pH, conductivity, and continuous/at-line XRF monitoring). c. Organic Phase Health: Manage routine checks via GC/GC-MS, FT-IR, Karl Fischer, interfacial tension, and centrifuges to monitor extractant degradation, moisture, entrainment/crud, and emulsion risks. d. Physical Characterization: Lead physical quality testing using Laser PSD, BET Surface Area, XRD, and C/S/O/N/H analyzers.
- Safety & Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to environmental, health, and safety protocols in the laboratory.
- Process Quality & Validation: Validate analytical data from all instrumentation installed in the lab.
- Continuous Improvement: Lead/participate in root cause analysis of any analytical processing issues including time to recovery.
- Budget & Inventory Control: Develop and manage annual operations budgets for the Analytical Laboratory. Maintain inventory of reagents and supplies.
- Scheduling Oversight: Must be able to schedule and accommodate 24/7 plant operations. As a member of operations management, must be available on o-shift hours to respond to issues, as needed.
- Other: Other duties as assigned by management.
Essential Requirements
- Graduate degree in Chemistry with focus in atomic spectroscopy or mass spectrometry or undergraduate with 7+ years’ experience as above.
- Minimum 3-5 years of experience in analytical chemistry and elemental analysis specifically ICPMS or ICPOES. XRF and other forms of spectroscopy an asset.
- Strong leadership, communication, organization, and data analysis skills. Strong troubleshooting skills.
- Knowledge of safety standards for hazardous chemicals, compressed gases, and radiation in a laboratory setting.
- Strong attention to detail and quality control. Meticulous adherence to procedures and protocols to ensure product quality and process safety.
- Availability to rotate shifts to accommodate our 24/7 manufacturing operations. Desired Requirements
- Experience with solvent extraction of REE’s.
Physical Requirements Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 lbs. occasionally. Ability to travel. Ability to respond to emergency callouts outside normal working hours. Ability to walk and stand for extended periods throughout a plant environment. Ability to climb stairs, platforms, and access elevated or restricted areas. Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach as needed for inspections. Ability to visually inspect equipment, systems, drawings, gauges, and work areas. Ability to hear alarms, equipment sounds, and communications in a noisy environment. Ability to work safely around machinery, dust, noise, vibration, and temperature extremes. Ability to wear required PPE and comply with all plant safety requirements. FLSA Status: Exempt