Chief Operator: Hydrometallurgy at Mintek

Job description

• Responsible for logistics and operational issues, including the commissioning, maintenance, and operation of laboratory and pilot scale facilities, in the Hydrometallurgy Division.
•  Ability to handle and process solid and liquid materials in a safe and responsible manner.
• Must be able to operate a wide variety of equipment and processes in the Discipline and may be assigned to be the custodian of a specific workflow, laboratory/process or plant equipment, such as sample/raw materials preparation, plant commissioning, etc.
• Prepare equipment and facilities for use and check the operability of standard equipment and facilities to ensure that they are ready for use, and must provide technical and procedural advice to line reporting staff, e.g. instruction on how to operate equipment, which equipment settings are the optimal, etc.
• Must possess basic knowledge and expertise necessary to lead a team of operators in problem solving and decision making, for example, how to construct and commission a plant, including what staff are required, what their role should be, etc. This includes providing technical and procedural advice to line reporting staff.
• Assist under supervision in managing equipment, for example making sure that laboratory equipment and pilot plant facilities are efficiently used and looked after, including both laboratory and pilot equipment.
• Undertake data management and reporting, including compiling log sheets and spreadsheets using formulae (basic mathematical and statistical functions). This includes filling in log sheets with measurements and meaningful descriptive observations that could have an impact on the accuracy of results.
• Responsible for managing the productivity of staff, including efficiency, timekeeping and turnaround times, efficiency, throughput, etc.
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts on infrastructure through standardization of procedures while delivering on performance against agreed metrics. This includes conducting detailed investigations into facility bottlenecks, understanding root causes and establishing control measures to prevent reoccurrence.
• Provide technical support to internal and external clients to ascertain scope requirements and to timeously deliver on research and commercial projects, including supervision and training of O- and P-level operators, interns, and contractors involved.
• Evaluate facilities, processes, systems, products or new developments to identify opportunities and deficiencies to ensure continuous improvement.
• Conform to all relevant SHEQ procedures, guidelines and rules, and ensure that relevant risks and hazards are identified and managed through Mintek-approved risk assessments and procedures. This includes ensuring that all relevant SOPs are up to date and complied with.

Minimum requirements

• 10 years’ experience in the operation of relevant Hydrometallurgical unit processes and/or equipment.
• Knowledge or experience with SHEQ systems is non-negotiable.
• A strong understanding of Leaching, IX, SX plant setup is highly advantageous.
• Physically and medically fit