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Salary: USD 142,000 - 210,000 / annual
Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup building domestic supply of critical materials. The company is constructing the Freedom Facility in Rochester, New York—a commercial-scale rare earth separation facility designed to expand U.S. capacity to process and separate rare earth materials used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, advanced electronics, aerospace systems, and defense applications.
As Director of People, you will build and lead the site's People function from the ground up, establishing HR processes and practices that support construction, commissioning, and a growing operating workforce through 2027 and 2028. This is a foundational role that shapes the culture and operational capability of a new facility.
Key responsibilities include:
- Building and leading Rochester's People function with practical HR processes tailored to construction, commissioning, and operations phases
- Partnering with site leadership on workforce planning, organization design, and manager effectiveness, aligning People priorities with facility deployment schedules
- Owning employee relations and day-to-day HR support, applying policies consistently, addressing concerns early, and maintaining accurate and confidential records
- Establishing site onboarding and training coordination, helping managers prepare employees and track completion of required learning
- Connecting site workforce needs with corporate People systems, compensation, benefits, and performance programs while building trust with employees and managers
Phoenix Tailings values learning, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of a better future. The company emphasizes compassion, resourcefulness, and hustle, with a culture that encourages candid thinking and supports teammates.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience leading People operations in an industrial organization
- Progressive People or HR leadership experience supporting manufacturing, engineering, skilled-trade, or other operational workforces
- Experience building HR processes for a growing or new site, including workforce planning, onboarding, training coordination, and manager support
- Sound employee-relations judgment and working knowledge of employment practices, policy administration, confidential records, and consistent issue resolution
- Ability to connect site workforce needs with corporate People systems, compensation, benefits, and performance programs while building trust with employees and managers
