Principal Engineer, Metallurgy

Position Overview

The Principal Engineer, Metallurgy serves as the foremost technical authority and Subject Matter Expert (SME) in metallurgical engineering, overseeing critical metallurgical inputs throughout the entire project lifecycle. This pivotal role spans from initial business case evaluation and feasibility studies to execution readiness, ensuring robust, data-driven decision-making and alignment with strategic objectives. The Principal Engineer will lead and mentor a team of metallurgical professionals while collaborating closely with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver innovative, efficient, and sustainable metallurgical solutions.

Key Responsibilities

The Principal Engineer, Metallurgy is accountable for the following core functions:

• Strategic Metallurgical Leadership: Provide expert metallurgical guidance during project screening, concept evaluation, and business case development, including the identification of value drivers, recovery assumptions, process routes, and economic model inputs such as recovery rates, throughput, and capital/operating expenditures (CAPEX/OPEX).
• Risk and Opportunity Management: Identify and assess metallurgical risks, opportunities, and trade-offs to facilitate informed decision-making, ensuring robust risk mitigation strategies are integrated into project planning.
• Process Development and Optimization:
  • Define initial process options, conceptual flowsheets, recovery assumptions, and mass balances during the scoping stage.
  • Oversee preliminary metallurgical testwork programs, including sample selection, compositing, and laboratory-scale testing.
  • Lead advanced laboratory testing and variability analysis during the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), including grind size optimization, comminution parameters, and recovery processes such as flotation, leaching, and gravity separation.
  • Develop preliminary process design criteria, base flowsheets, and mass balances, while supporting trade-off studies and process optimization initiatives.
• Feasibility Study Execution:
  • Direct pilot-scale and variability testwork programs during the Feasibility Study (FS) and Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) phases.
  • Finalize process design criteria, equipment sizing, and specifications, including water and metallurgical balances.
  • Approve final flowsheets and design basis documents, ensuring alignment with investment and financing requirements.
• Cost Estimation and Design Parameters: Provide critical inputs to capital and operating cost estimates, define BFS-level design parameters, and recommend risk mitigation measures to enhance project viability.
• Technical Mentorship and Quality Assurance:
  • Design and oversee end-to-end metallurgical testwork strategies, ensuring data quality, QA/QC protocols, traceability, and alignment with project decision gates.
  • Interpret and validate metallurgical results for seamless integration into flowsheet and process development.
  • Support and guide processing methodologies, including refractory treatment, Carbon-in-Leach (CIL), flotation, and heap leach operations, while leading investigations to improve operational efficiency and align with organizational strategy.
  • Coach and mentor metallurgical personnel, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and competitive advantage.
• Compliance and Corporate Alignment: Ensure adherence to company and site policies, standards, and procedures, recommending enhancements where necessary. Provide technical support in metallurgy and processing engineering across affiliates, contributing to the development, improvement, and effectiveness of corporate policies and standards.
• Technical Communication and Reporting: Contribute to technical communications, including incident briefings, program updates, and periodic reports, ensuring alignment with corporate policies and disseminated through appropriate channels.
• Additional Duties: Perform any other duties as assigned by senior management to support the achievement of organizational goals.

Qualifications and Competencies

To excel in this role, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications, experience, and competencies:

Education and Experience

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Minerals Engineering, or Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum Experience:
  • Project management experience in metallurgical or mining-related environments.
  • Minimum of 20 years of hands-on experience in metallurgical operations, engineering, and laboratory environments, with a focus on gold and base metal extraction processes.

Behavioral Competencies

• Leadership: Ability to inspire and guide teams toward achieving technical and operational excellence.
• Achievement Drive: Commitment to delivering high-quality results in a timely manner while driving continuous improvement.
• Communication: Proficiency in articulating complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills to foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Analytical Thinking: Capacity to evaluate data, identify trends, and make informed decisions based on metallurgical insights.

Technical Skills

• As the functional leader for technical services, the Principal Engineer, Metallurgy will champion process improvements across all aspects of metal processing, including existing operations and growth studies.
• Responsible for delivering high-quality, timely resource models in consultation with technical services, operational leadership, and corporate teams.
• Proficient in life-of-mine planning, including budgeting and metal planning, with a strong understanding of metallurgical accounting standards.
• Experience with plant control systems and the use of data historian trends for operational reporting and decision-making.
• Ability to present technical findings and collaborate effectively with senior leadership and cross-functional teams.