Principal Engineer, Metallurgy
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Maaden is seeking a Principal Metallurgist as the technical authority for metallurgy across the full project lifecycle. The role leads metallurgical inputs from business case evaluation through feasibility studies and execution readiness.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Provide metallurgical input into project screening, concept evaluation, and business case development
- Identify key metallurgical risks, opportunities, and trade offs
- Define initial process options, conceptual flowsheets, recovery assumptions, and mass balances during scoping stage
- Lead advanced laboratory testing and variability analysis during PFS
- Develop preliminary process design criteria, base flowsheets, mass balances, and support trade off studies
- Direct pilot scale and variability test work programs during FS/BFS and finalize process design criteria
- Approve final flowsheets and design basis, ensuring alignment with investment and financing requirements
- Provide inputs to capital and operating cost estimates
- Design and oversee end to end metallurgical test work strategy
- Coach and mentor metallurgical personnel
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical, Minerals/Chemical Engineering
- Minimum 20 years of experience in metallurgical operations, engineering, and laboratory environment related to gold and base metal extraction processes
- Project management experience
- Knowledge of life of mine planning including budgeting and metal planning
- Knowledge of Metallurgical Accounting Standard
- Experience with plant control systems and use of data historian trends
- Ability to present to and collaborate with corporate executives and site Senior Leadership Team
- Strong computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Knowledge in Safety requirements
- Ability to work in a multi cultural environment
Full Job Posting
Job Purpose
- The Principal Metallurgist is the technical authority (SME) for metallurgy aspect, responsible for leading metallurgical inputs across the full project lifecycle, from early business case evaluation through feasibility study (FS) and into execution readiness.
Key Accountabilities
- Provide metallurgical input into project screening, concept evaluation, and business case development, including value drivers, recovery assumptions, process routes, and economic model inputs (recovery, throughput, CAPEX/OPEX).
- Identify key metallurgical risks, opportunities, and trade offs to support informed decision making.
- Define initial process options, conceptual flowsheets, recovery assumptions, and mass balances during scoping stage, while overseeing preliminary metallurgical testwork programs and developing the initial risk register.
- Lead advanced laboratory testing and variability analysis during PFS, including defining grind size, comminution parameters, and recovery processes (flotation, leaching, gravity).
- Develop preliminary process design criteria, base flowsheets, mass balances, and support trade off studies and process optimization.
- Direct pilot scale and variability test work programs during FS/BFS and finalize process design criteria, equipment sizing, specifications, water and metallurgical balances.
- Approve final flowsheets and design basis, ensuring alignment with investment and financing requirements.
- Provide inputs to capital and operating cost estimates and define BFS level design parameters and risk mitigation measures.
- Design and oversee end to end metallurgical test work strategy, including sample selection, compositing, laboratory and pilot programs.
- Ensure data quality, QA/QC, traceability, and alignment of test work with project decision gates.
- Interpret and validate metallurgical results for integration into flowsheet and process development.
- Support and guide processing methodologies including refractory, CIL, flotation, and heap leach, while leading investigations to improve efficiency and align with organizational strategy.
Minimum Qualifications, Experience And Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical, Minerals/Chemical Engineering.
- Project management experience.
- Minimum 20 years of experience in metallurgical operations, engineering, and laboratory environment related to gold and base metal extraction processes.
- Leadership, Achievement Drive, Communication, Teamwork & collaboration, Analytical thinking.
- Knowledge of life of mine planning including budgeting and metal planning.
- Knowledge of Metallurgical Accounting Standard.
- Experience with plant control systems and use of data historian trends for operating and reporting.
- Ability to present to and collaborate with corporate executives and the site Senior Leadership Team required.
- Strong computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access) required.
- Knowledge in Safety requirements.
- Ability to work in a multi cultural environment.
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