Quartz Technical Specialist

MYFutureJobs; Ipoh; On-site; MYR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mining company in Perak seeks a Quartz Technical Specialist to handle geological assessments, drilling optimization, and quality assurance for high-purity quartz extraction. The role requires at least 10 years of experience in quartz mining and relevant education in mining engineering. Strong knowledge in contamination control and data analysis is essential. A competitive salary is offered, with responsibilities including coordinating extraction operations and maintaining geological databases.

Qualifications

• Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of hands-on experience in quartz mining and silica operations.
• Experience in DTH drilling, blast design, purity control, and contamination prevention for high-purity mineral extraction.

Responsibilities

• Sort post-blast quartz based on crystalline structure, fracture pattern, and silicon purity classification.
• Operate and tune high-pressure DTH rigs to suit quartz hardness.
• Implement contamination prevention protocols during all phases of extraction.
• Coordinate extraction sequencing to maximize high-grade quartz recovery.
• Maintain geological databases for resource tracking and planning.

Skills

Geological analysis

Drilling optimization

Contamination control

Data analysis

Quality assurance

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering

Professional certifications in drilling & blasting

Tools

DTH rigs

XRF

ICP-MS

XRD

Job description

Quartz Technical Specialist

1. Geological Identification & Material Assessment

• Technically sort post‑blast quartz based on crystalline structure, fracture pattern, and silicon purity classification.
• Conduct real‑time purity assessments through drill cuttings (rock powder) analysis to ensure zero cross‑contamination.
• Characterize quartz lenses and veins by interpreting strike, dip, mineral zoning, and structural deformation patterns to plan efficient, high‑yield extraction benches.
• Identify geological anomalies such as weathered zones, inclusion pockets, and iron‑bearing minerals that may affect purity and processing yield.

2. Drilling & Blasting Optimization

• Operate and tune high‑pressure DTH rigs, optimizing percussion frequency and rotation speed to suit Mohs 7.0 hardness and maintain crystal integrity.
• Design blast patterns, burden and spacing parameters, and powder factors to prevent internal micro‑fracturing of quartz crystals while achieving the required fragmentation.
• Recommend explosive selection and charge sequencing to minimize thermal and shock damage to quartz structure.
• Validate blast performance through post‑blast quality mapping and fragmentation analysis to continuously refine blast strategies.

3. Contamination Control & Quality Assurance

• Implement contamination prevention protocols during drilling, blasting, handling, storage, and sampling to protect high‑purity quartz from contact with steel, ferrous material, clay, or organics.
• Monitor equipment wear and tool material transfer that may reduce SiO₂ purity.
• Work closely with laboratory teams to correlate field assessments with XRF, ICP‑MS, XRD, magnetic susceptibility, or wet chemistry results.
• Develop and maintain grading and acceptance criteria for raw quartz supplied to downstream processing.

4. Production Planning & Operational Support

• Coordinate extraction sequencing and selective mining with quarry operations to maximize high‑grade quartz recovery.
• Provide technical input on bench design, slope control, haulage routes, pump placement, and resource optimization.
• Support selection, commissioning, and optimization of quartz handling and processing equipment (jaw crushers, magnetic separators, optical sorters, flotation circuits).
• Conduct material flow assessments to ensure quartz feed meets plant capacity and purity requirements.

5. Data Recording, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain detailed purity mapping and geological database for resource tracking and planning.
• Analyze productivity, yield variance, and purity deviations; recommend improvements based on data trends.
• Prepare weekly and monthly technical reports covering extraction quality, purity results, and operational recommendations.

Education Requirements

Candidates should possess one of the following qualifications (or equivalent):

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing or related field.
• Professional certifications in drilling & blasting, explosives handling, or mineral quality assessment are an added advantage.

Working Experience Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of hands‑on experience in quartz mining and silica operations.
• Proven experience in DTH drilling, blast design, purity control, and contamination prevention for high‑purity mineral extraction.
• Experience working with high‑purity quartz (>99.5% SiO₂) is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with mineral laboratory analysis (XRF, ICP‑MS, XRD) and on‑site purity grading is an advantage.