Senior Project Metallurgist – Sandfire Motheo

This position will mainly manage the metallurgical laboratory activities, oversee the site commercial lab, technical reporting and work on process improvement projects.

Key Performance Areas

• Develop mineral processing test work programs (flotation, fraction sizing, settling test, bond work index, abrasion index), technical analysis, interpretation, and recommendation to the operational team to increase safety throughput, recovery, and product quality.
• Supervise/perform plant and laboratory test work to optimize and troubleshoot operational issues.
• Managing onsite lab operations (commercial and metallurgical laboratories), ensuring compliance to industry standard lab practices, development of procedures, PTO’s, QA/QC programs.
• Coordination of external test work program with external partner and vendor laboratories.
• Lead simultaneous projects with competing priorities in various execution phases on a wide variety of areas within the mine site i.e. from concept to design, implementation, and commissioning.
• Recommend short to long-term continuous improvement projects to improve/overcome operational issues by utilizing internal and external expertise.
• Initiating and implementing projects focusing on metallurgical performance and reliability, contributing to the rolling quarterly plant production schedules to meet annual budgets.
• Undertaking scoping study level trade of evaluation on process alternatives with respect to improving unit process functionality and/or equipment.
• Participate in the identification, definition, and business case analysis of value-added projects across the mine value chain.
• Undertake process plant performance investigations and implement improvement actions in consultation with the operations team, engineering, and maintenance team
• Providing process statistical data analysis as requested by operation stakeholders.
• Mentoring, coaching, and training for metallurgists, graduate metallurgists, and technicians
• Assist in the development of the plant budget, forecast, plan, including production and cost model development
• Detailed understanding of the metallurgical accounting system, budget/forecast model, and the life of mine planning process and available reporting systems
• Prepare and present technical reports to different stakeholders
• Coordinate with operation/maintenance on tailing deposition compliance and water management
• Advise/participate in the application of best practice methods in minimizing unit costs by understanding cost/performance relationships and setting operating parameters that maximize plant efficiency
• Actively participate in all Safety, Health, and Environmental aspects of Motheo Copper Mine and assure all safety procedures and programs are effectively being followed.

Technical Competencies

• Competent with metallurgical laboratory practices and technology, including laboratory management, metallurgical test work planning and interpretation.
• Strong track record of successfully completing projects in the mining industry.
• Familiarity with the latest mineral processing technologies and robust problem-solving capability.
• Experience in copper flotation plant production planning (budget and forecast development).
• Experience with online metals analyzer (OSA, MSA, or similar).
• Strong track record in metallurgical accounting and material balancing.
• Experience with Microsoft Office (advanced Excel proficiency) and process. simulation software e.g. METSIM, JK SimMet, and equivalent.
• Knowledge of process control and optimization.
• Demonstrated experience in leading a technical team in mineral processing.

Behaviours/Personal Attributes

• Values driven.
• Leadership and Coaching.
• Positive People Management.
• Ability to perform in a production environment and work as part of a team.

Qualification & Experience

• Tertiary Degree in Mineral Processing, Extractive Metallurgy, Process Engineering, Chemical engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years’ experience, specifically with base metal (Cu, Ag, Pb, Zn) flotation production plant, including crushing, milling, flotation, thickening, filtration, and tailing management
• Registered with the Engineers Registration Board or eligible for registration.
• Valid Driver’s Licence.