Chief Metallurgist

Alaska (Hybrid)

Reporting to the General Manager, the Chief Metallurgist will lead all metallurgical activities for a major long-term mining project in Alaska. This senior technical role is responsible for overseeing metal extraction, refining, and process optimization to ensure maximum recovery, cost efficiency, and compliance with environmental and safety standards. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in gold processing, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Process Optimization & Technical Leadership.
• Oversee metallurgical processes including crushing, grinding, roasting, leaching, and refining.
• Monitor and optimize gold recovery circuits to improve performance and reduce operational costs.
• Conduct lab and plant-scale metallurgical test work to evaluate process changes and improvement opportunities.
• Analyze metallurgical data and trends to support operational decision-making.
• Operational Support & Troubleshooting.
• Provide technical guidance to operations and maintenance teams.
• Support plant commissioning and integration of new equipment or process modifications.
• Ensure accurate sampling, metallurgical accounting, and production reconciliation.
• Compliance & Safety.
• Promote and uphold safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.
• Ensure metallurgical operations comply with permitting and reporting requirements.
• Contribute to team training and development in metallurgical best practices.
• Strategic Contribution.
• Lead research initiatives to improve metal extraction and material integrity.
• Collaborate with engineering, geology, and operations teams to align metallurgical goals with mine planning.
• Manage and mentor a team of metallurgists and process engineers.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or a related process-focused discipline.
• Minimum of 15+ years of experience in gold metallurgy and mineral processing, preferably in open-pit operations.
• Skills and Competencies.
• Strong knowledge of metallurgical principles and gold processing methods.
• Experience with metallurgical data analysis and process optimization.
• Proficiency in software platforms for data analysis and process control.
• Ability to manipulate and analyze large datasets programmatically is highly preferred.
• Leadership & Communication.
• Proven leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and lead cross-functional initiatives.