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About the Role
Reporting into the Manager Leaching Innovation, this role is part of a global team that is a true organizational catalyst on the cusp of leading us into the future to fulfil our commitments and shape new aspirations; ultimately making us an innovative, productive, safer, and a more sustainable enterprise.
The role will be focused primarily on innovation in the hydrometallurgical processes and associated technologies, but also take in elements of intelligent processing to leverage sensing, advanced data analytics, machine learning, and automation to enhance performance. You will play a pivotal role in identifying, developing, testing, and implementing these technologies and processes that drive step change improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of our mineral processing operations.
Accountabilities
- Development of Technology Product Roadmaps that meet the asset requirements and unlocks future growth options across the short, medium and long term horizons.
- Management of the forward work plan to allow effective progression of technologies through the innovation pipeline.
- Work in collaboration with Ecosystems team for the identification of new prospective innovative technologies and concepts of operation for opportunities that target step change business opportunities and gaps in the portfolio to solve business needs.
- Develop the technical risk-based learning plans, budgets and schedules for technologies to be effectively and efficiently developed from early phases of maturity to be ready for onsite demonstration of technical, practical and economic viability.
- Development of business cases inclusive of commercial considerations to allow for early phase assessment of technology economic attractiveness.
- Active management of the development test work programs both with internal BHP resources and external vendors to derisk technologies. Facilitating transition of prospective innovations through to onsite demonstration.
- Close collaboration with the Delivery Team for the development of the requirements to gate into onsite testing of prospective innovation and subsequent ongoing technical support to facilitate the successful onsite piloting.
- Provides relevant technical subject matter expertise across the team for the assessment of new technologies and technologies that are being site tested.
- Facilitation and participation with the RCoE, Assets and other Functional teams in Technical Working Groups focuses on strategies, sharing of information, leveraging global expertise and resources.
About You
- Advanced Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related field.
- Experience in hydrometallurgy, with a deep focus on copper leaching technologies (e.g., heap, dump, and agitation tank leaching).
- Proven track record of leading the end-to-end development and successful commercialization of new products or processes in the mining, chemical, or related industries.
- Extensive hands-on experience with leaching reagent chemistry (e.g., acids, alternative lixiviants, catalysts, additives) and mineralogy.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executives and customers.
- Passion for innovation with an ability to turn the creative and novel ideas into practical solutions
- Ability to develop and manage technical work programs with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Technical expertise to assess work program outcomes/results and make data-driven recommendations for business decisions.
- Financial acumen to effectively assess innovation technologies.
- Proven ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to think strategically and assess multiple future scenarios.
Highly Desirable
- Experience in scaling processes from laboratory to pilot plant to industrial scale.
- Established network within the academic and industrial hydrometallurgy community.
- Experience working with major mining companies on field trials and technology deployment.
- Knowledge of project management principles and stage-gate methodologies.
- Business acumen and understanding of market dynamics in the copper and mining chemicals sector.
- Proven ability to apply technical knowledge into the system thinking linking multiple technologies into a whole of process concept of operation.
BHP is committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all. If you have a disability, we know that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. If you would like to reach out to someone about your situation and our recruitment process, please email us at inclusion@bhp.com.
BHP is an Equal Opportunity employer that is committed to making BHP a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and be at their best every day. We are focused on creating a workforce that’s more diverse and represents the communities where we work and live. providing a work environment in which everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect.