About the JobJob Overview:The
SeniorCommercial Hydrometallurgist bridges the gap between technical process engineering and corporate financial strategy. This role scales bench-top hydrometallurgical concepts into commercially viable, industrial-scale processing plants. You will drive metallurgical process design, optimize existing flowsheets, and build robust technoeconomic models to guide capital investment decisions.
Key Responsibilities:Process Design & Simulation:- Build, calibrate, and optimize steady-state process simulation models using Metsim.
- Define complex unit operations including leaching, solvent extraction, ion exchange, electrowinning, and precipitation.
- Scale bench-scale and pilot-plant data into full-scale industrial process flowsheets.
Mass & Energy Balance:- Develop rigorous, elemental mass and energy balances for complex multi-component systems.
- Track deleterious elements, water balances, and reagent consumption across the entire flowsheet.
- Identify process bottlenecks, yield inefficiencies, and opportunities for metal recovery optimization.
Commercial & Technoeconomic Analysis (TEA):- Lead technoeconomic evaluations for scoping, pre-feasibility (PFS), and definitive feasibility studies (DFS).
- Estimate capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) for hydrometallurgical facilities.
- Conduct sensitivity analyses on volatile inputs like reagent costs, energy prices, and metal recovery rates.
- Translate technical engineering metrics into financial KPIs including NPV, IRR, and payback periods for executive leadership.
Technical Project Management:- Manage metallurgical testwork programs conducted at external commercial laboratories.
- Collaborate with engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) teams during detailed design phases.
- Draft comprehensive technical reports, process descriptions, and investment memorandums.
Required Qualifications:Education & Experience:- Degree: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Extractive Metallurgy.
- Experience: 8-12 years of experience in hydrometallurgical process engineering, with a strong focus on commercial or corporate development environments.
Technical Skills:- Metsim Proficiency: Advanced capability in building dynamic or steady-state Metsim models from scratch.
- Mass Balance: Expert Excel/VBA or specialized software skills for mass balance validation and data reconciliation.
- Financial Acumen: Proven experience building detailed engineering cost models and TEA frameworks.
- Chemistry Knowledge: Deep understanding of aqueous chemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics.
Salary range: $110K to $140K.
