Principal Process Metallurgist

Skills at this level

Mineral Processing Operations

— Operates stationary plant machinery that grinds, crushes, cuts, saws and slices rocks and minerals, and controls washing, leaching, precipitating and filtering equipment to remove waste and recover minerals.

Mineral Separation Techniques

— Separates metal and mineral concentrates from ore and alluvial deposits using thickening, flotation, gravity separation, filtration, and magnetic and electrostatic separation, matching the technique to the feed.

Reagent and Solvent Application

— Combines mineral ores with solvents and ensures the correct application of chemicals in the extraction of minerals to facilitate downstream processing.

Control-Room Process Monitoring

— Monitors and controls processing plant equipment and systems from a central control room across rotating shifts, adjusting controls to maintain optimal process conditions.

Material Flow and Feed Management

— Monitors and maintains the flow of unprocessed material from conveyors into machines and oversees loading and unloading of minerals into and out of plant machinery.

Operational Data Recording and Analysis

— Logs operational data such as production rates and downtimes and uses this information to identify and implement improvements in plant operations.

Electrical and Mechanical Troubleshooting

— Applies electrical and mechanical principles to diagnose and rectify faults during operations, minimizing plant downtime.

Sampling and Metallurgical Testing

— Performs sampling and testing methods from visual inspection and jar tests through to advanced metallurgical testing and material characterization of process streams.

Root-Cause and Failure Analysis

— Leads investigations into chronic process upsets and equipment underperformance to isolate causes and prevent recurrence in the circuit.

Process Optimization and Cost Reduction

— Develops and implements solutions that lift recovery and grade while reducing cost per tonne, from shift-level adjustments to plant-wide strategy.

Safety and Environmental Compliance

— Ensures safety protocols are followed, handles and disposes of waste material in line with environmental regulations, and adjusts operations to remain compliant while optimizing efficiency.

Technical Coaching and Stakeholder Management

— Provides technical expertise, coaching and training to Metallurgists, Technicians and Refiners, and manages consultants and external stakeholders on plant performance.

Geometallurgy and Flowsheet Design

— Integrates ore-body characteristics with equipment selection and circuit configuration to shape multi-year plant processing strategy and superior flowsheet approaches.

Cross-Functional Coordination

— Coordinates with geologists, engineers, maintenance and metallurgy teams to align material transport, process changes and production targets.