Electrical Engineering Lead, Capital Projects

Job description

Cyclic Materials™ is building a resilient circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical materials. Through our 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 critical to the modern economy, including the production of 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. We currently operate facilities in Ontario and Arizona, with a new expansion underway in South Carolina. Backed by US$75 million in Series C financing led by T. Rowe Price, alongside strategic investors including Microsoft, Amazon, Hitachi Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion fund, Energy Impact Partners, ArcTern Ventures, and Fifth Wall, we are scaling to meet growing global demand for a secure and sustainable rare earth supply. We have established commercial partnerships with global industry leaders such as Solvay, Vattenfall, Lime, and VACUUMSCHMELZE, enabling the deployment of recycled rare earth materials into real world supply chains. In 2025, Cyclic Materials was named one of the Top 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch by MIT Technology Review. We are growing quickly and building the industrial backbone required for a circular rare earth economy. Joining Cyclic Materials means working on complex and exciting challenges at scale, alongside a team committed to executing and delivering measurable impact. If you are motivated by building critical infrastructure and advancing the circular economy, join us and help accelerate the growth of rare earth recycling. **Position Overview** The Electrical Engineering Lead operates within an Owner’s Team model as the internal Subject Matter Expert (SME), responsible for defining electrical engineering requirements and overseeing external design partners. This role focuses on reviewing and validating externally developed designs to ensure they are fit for purpose, meet specifications, and align with sound engineering principles, while liaising with and holding external teams accountable for quality and performance. The Lead provides final technical review and sign-off, bringing deep expertise and experience to the role. This role is a key member of the owner’s engineering team and is accountable for specifying design requirements to the external engineering design teams. This senior candidate will ensure that the electrical design solutions are safe, reliable, maintainable, and aligned with project objectives, site conditions, and long-term operational requirements, amongst other things. The Electrical Engineering Lead will work closely with internal project engineers, logistics and procurement professionals, and operations. The candidate will also work with external engineering, EPCM, and specialist design partners to develop fit-for-purpose electrical designs that support project advancement through FEL-2, FEL-3, and FEL-4 detailed engineering, construction, commissioning, and handover. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across power distribution, substations, MCCs, switchgear, transformers, grounding and lightning protection, backup power systems, plant lighting, heat tracing, electrical equipment packages, and utility interfaces. This role also supports engineering governance, design reviews, risk management, constructability, operability, and value improvement initiatives. This may also include overseeing and/or participating in all HAZOPS and subject matter regulatory reviews. This is a full-time, hybrid (4 days in office, 1 day remote) role based in Toronto. **Key Responsibilities** - Lead electrical engineering activities for capital projects through FEL-2, FEL-3, FEL-4 and execution planning. - Serve as the electrical engineering lead within Cyclic’s owner’s team, ensuring internal and external engineering deliverables meet project requirements, technical standards, and stage-gate expectations. - Participate in leading the Electrical Engineering project engineering team through project budget development, scope of work, WBS, schedule, commissioning plan, and estimating activities - Manage and review the work of external engineering consultants, EPCM partners, power system specialists, and equipment vendors for electrical scope. - Develop and maintain electrical design criteria, technical specifications, discipline standards, and required engineering deliverables to support project development and execution. - Provide technical leadership for electrical systems including incoming utility connections, substations, transformers, switchgear, motor control centers, standby and emergency power systems, UPS systems, cable routing, grounding, lightning protection, plant lighting, and heat tracing. - Review and approve discipline deliverables such as one-line diagrams, load lists, equipment lists, area classifications, electrical layouts, cable schedules, grounding plans, lighting studies, technical requisitions, and technical bid evaluations. - Coordinate electrical scope and interfaces with process, mechanical, piping, civil/structural, instrumentation and controls, automation, project controls, procurement, construction, and operations teams. - Ensure designs consider safety, maintainability, operability, constructability, accessibility, reliability, energy efficiency, and future plant expansion requirements. - Participate in and lead electrical input into model reviews, design reviews, HAZOPs, constructability reviews, value engineering workshops, arc flash and electrical hazard reviews, and project risk assessments. - Support development of project cost estimates and schedules by defining electrical scope, identifying long-lead equipment requirements, reviewing quantities, and contributing to capital estimate and execution plan development. - Support procurement and contracting activities including preparation of technical requisitions, equipment specifications, bid reviews, vendor clarifications, and recommendations for award. - Review vendor packages and contractor deliverables to ensure electrical systems are integrated and aligned with overall plant design intent. - Oversee electrical design change management and ensure changes are evaluated for technical, cost, schedule, operational, and safety impacts. - Provide technical support during construction, including review of RFIs, field changes, contractor questions, testing plans, energization readiness, and non-conformance resolution. - Support pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up, and handover activities by ensuring electrical systems are designed, installed, tested, and delivered in accordance with project and operational requirements. - Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering standards, workflows, and project delivery practices across the capital projects organization. - Mentor junior and intermediate engineers and provide technical guidance to internal team members. - Travel to other sites/plants required. - Perform other related duties as required. **Qualifications** - Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and professional Engineer designation required. - Minimum 15 years of progressive electrical engineering experience in industrial, process plant, mining, metals, chemical, recycling, clean technology, renewables, or other heavy industrial environments. - Demonstrated experience supporting medium- to large-scale capital projects through study phases, design development, and execution. - Experience working on owner’s teams with EP, EPC, EPCM, and similar design build firms on industrial capital projects. - Strong experience in front-end engineering, feasibility studies, design development, and execution support. - Experience with detailed engineering, procurement support, construction support, commissioning, and start-up is strongly preferred. - Familiarity with applicable electrical codes, standards, and design practices relevant to industrial facilities. - Experience reviewing vendor packages, technical proposals, and contractor deliverables for electrical systems and major equipment. **Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies** - Strong knowledge of electrical engineering principles and industrial plant electrical design practices. - Strong understanding of medium- and low-voltage power distribution, substations, MCCs, switchgear, transformers, grounding systems, lighting, and utility interfaces in industrial facilities. - Familiarity with hazardous area classification requirements and electrical design considerations for industrial process environments. - Ability to assess engineering deliverables for technical completeness, safety, reliability, maintainability, operability, and fit-for-purpose application. - Strong understanding of project delivery processes, stage-gate development, engineering assurance, and management of design and execution risk. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess technical trade-offs and support sound engineering decisions. - Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across concurrent projects. - Excellent 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. - Ability to work exceptionally in a team environment and independently as needed - Ability to be flexible, agile, and able to pivot quickly in work execution approaches and delivery **Preferred Experience** - Experience in hydrometallurgical, chemical processing, recycling, battery materials, or other complex industrial facilities. - Experience in hydrometallurgical, chemical processing, recycling, or other complex industrial facilities. - Experience with greenfield and brownfield industrial projects. - Experience with plant power distribution systems, utility connections, standby power, and electrical infrastructure for process facilities. - Experience supporting electrical scope through equipment specification, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning. - Familiarity with North American electrical codes, standards, and industrial regulatory requirements. - Experience working in high-growth organizations transitioning projects from studies into execution. Pay Range $131,000—$152,000 CAD **Why You Will Love Cyclic Materials** - At Cyclic Materials, we're dedicated to supporting our workforce on their unique career journey - We offer a competitive compensation package including Health and Dental coverage, RRSP (Canada)/ 401K (USA) contributions and a generous paid time off program that lets you recharge - We value diversity and are committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone is respected and recognized for their contributions The base compensation offered is determined based on the successful candidate’s relevant experience, skills, and competencies and considers internal equity. 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 [HumanResources@cyclicmaterials.earth](mailto:HumanResources@cyclicmaterials.earth). Applicants for employment in the Canada and 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 and with Cyclic Materials (i.e., H1-B visa, F-1 visa (OPT), TN, L1-A visa or any other non-immigrant status). To all applicants, your interest and effort are sincerely appreciated. While we thank everyone for their application, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.