Cofounder and Chief Science Officer, Lantheon

THE COMPANY

Lantheon is the latest venture born out of Interplay’s Studio, which builds companies from scratch.

Lantheon is a U.S.-based, veteran-founded rare-earth refining company building the next generation of clean, modular separation and refining technology for neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr). Our mission is to rebuild the domestic rare-earth supply chain—starting with light rare-earth separation—and to do so faster, cleaner, and more securely than any global competitor.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As Lantheon’s Chief Science Officer (CSO), you will be the company’s scientific anchor and technical architect bridging R&D innovation with commercial execution. You will lead the identification, validation, and licensing of U.S. developed separation technologies and oversee their translation into modular refining systems capable of producing high-purity NdPr oxides.

You will also spearhead Lantheon’s research partnerships with top universities, positioning the company at the intersection of academic excellence, national security, and industrial scale-up.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Direct all technical strategy, research, and development efforts across rare-earth separation, hydrometallurgy, and process optimization.
• Establish and lead collaborations with premier U.S. universities and national labs; align R&D roadmaps with Lantheon’s commercialization goals and IP strategy.
• Lead technical due diligence and data validation for licensed or co-developed processes (solvent extraction, ion exchange, electrochemical, or hybrid).
• Oversee the adaptation of lab-scale results into pilot-scale and commercial-ready systems with defined mass and energy balances.
• Collaborate with the COO and EPC partners to build, test, and validate a 2,000 TPA modular separation line.
• Support the engineering design and technical specifications for expansion to 10–25 K TPA capacity.
• Establish and enforce QA/QC protocols (ICP-MS, XRF) ensuring 99.9–99.99% purity; maintain compliance with RCRA, NEPA, and DoD standards.
• Collaborate on DOE, DoD, and ARPA-E proposals and technical reports to secure non-dilutive funding for research and scale-up initiatives.
• Present scientific progress and milestones to the board, investors, and government partners with technical rigor and clarity.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• 10+ years of progressive industrial or research experience in rare-earths, specialty chemicals, or advanced materials.
• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy, Materials Science, or Hydrometallurgy, with a focus on rare-earth or critical-material separation.
• Proven success in scaling chemical or metallurgical processes from bench or pilot to production scale.
• Demonstrated ability to manage or lead multi-million-dollar R&D or CAPEX projects.
• Deep understanding of solvent extraction, ion exchange, and electrochemical refining.
• Expertise in laboratory safety, high-purity materials handling, and environmental compliance.
• Hands-on mindset with the ability to bridge academic theory with industrial practicality.

PREFERRED SKILLS

• Direct experience with rare-earth magnet recycling or NdPr oxide production.
• Familiarity with U.S. government grant processes (DOE, DPA Title III, DoD).
• Experience building and managing multi-institutional research collaborations.
• Prior leadership in a venture-backed or fast-moving industrial startup environment.