Vice President - Engineering

R3 Lithium operates North America's first commercial-scale lithium carbonate recovery facility, located in Covington, Georgia. Using a lithium-first extraction process, the company recovers, refines, and returns lithium carbonate from recycled black mass into the battery supply chain for energy storage systems, defense applications, and electric vehicles. Founded in 2026 and privately held, R3 Lithium is headquartered at 9176 Industrial Drive NE, Covington, Georgia. For more information, visit www.r3lithium.com

Position Overview

The Vice President of Engineering is responsible for key value creation activities in the company. The candidate will have an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the future success of the company by providing outstanding managerial and technical leadership.

As the Vice President of Engineering, you will play a critical role in leading our engineering efforts, overseeing the design, development, and construction of our plants. You will ensure that our engineered materials meet the highest standards of quality and performance while driving strategic initiatives to facilitate our capacity expansion in North America. This role requires a leader with experience in materials / chemical engineering, has worked closely with R&D, with project management, with production management and is a great cross-functional collaborator. This position will report directly to the CEO.

Key Responsibilities

The Engineering VP will plan and direct all aspects of engineering activities and projects within the organization. The job entails establishing new policies and procedures, as well as ensuring all engineering projects, initiatives, and processes are in conformity with the organization and industry established policies and objectives.

The Engineering VP will utilize best practice engineering methods to provide expert technical guidance for engineering initiatives. The Engineering VP will incorporate all functions related to testing, repair, and maintenance of all equipment to be used in the organization.

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute the engineering strategy aligned with the company’s goals, particularly focusing on production plant construction.

• Project Management: Oversee all engineering projects, ensuring timely completion, adherence to budgets, and alignment with quality standards. Implement best practices in project management and engineering processes.

• Team Development: Build and lead a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement. Mentor engineers and provide professional development opportunities.

• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including R&D, operations, and supply chain, to ensure alignment on project objectives and resource allocation.

• Technical Oversight: Provide technical guidance in the development of engineered materials, ensuring they meet customer specifications and regulatory requirements. Stay updated on industry trends and advancements in battery materials. Develop appropriate engineering standards, the company’s bill of process and bill of design.

• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all engineering activities comply with relevant safety, environmental, and industry regulations, particularly as we expand internationally.

• Budget Management: Develop and manage the engineering budget, identifying cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality and performance.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including executive leadership, investors, and regulatory bodies, to represent the engineering perspective and ensure alignment with corporate objectives.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree or professional engineering, a plus.

• 20+ years of experience in engineering management, with a focus on battery materials or related industries a plus.

• Big company and small company experience, a plus.

• Experience translating science level R&D ideas to engineering design packages.

• Proven track record of leading large-scale engineering projects, particularly in the construction of manufacturing facilities or mega plants.

• Strong knowledge of materials development and testing processes, particularly in the context of battery technologies.

• New product introduction experience, a plus

• Product certification experience, a plus

• Experience in international expansion and understanding of European market dynamics is a plus.

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Participation in the Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP).
• Opportunity to lead the engineering activities of a high growth company in a new high growth industry.
• A collaborative and innovative work environment dedicated to sustainability.