Senior Metallurgist

AWF New Zealand; Dunedin; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health insurance

Accommodation allowance

Company bus transport from Reefton and

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

Snowy River Gold Mine in New Zealand is seeking a Senior Metallurgist to lead metallurgical performance, optimise plant recovery and throughput, and provide technical leadership across a modern processing plant.

The role involves driving improvements, overseeing trials and data analysis, and mentoring operations teams while collaborating with maintenance, labs and external stakeholders to maximise site performance.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Metallurgy or Minerals Processing.
• Experience in metalliferous mineral processing with a strong background in gold processing.
• Strong understanding of gravity recovery, leaching and flotation circuits.
• Demonstrated success in driving plant performance improvements and conducting metallurgical investigations.
• Experience with metallurgical accounting, reporting and data analysis.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams.
• A genuine commitment to safety leadership and environmental responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Lead metallurgical performance across gravity, intensive leach and flotation circuits.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on recovery, throughput and operating costs.
• Investigate process deviations, undertake root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Design and manage plant trials and metallurgical test work programmes.
• Support plant commissioning, ramp-up activities and process optimisation.
• Complete metallurgical accounting, reporting and production forecasting.
• Provide technical mentoring and support to operational teams.
• Work closely with maintenance teams, laboratories, consultants and technical stakeholders to maximise plant performance.
• Champion health, safety and environmental compliance across all processing activities.

Skills

Metallurgy

Minerals Processing

Gold Processing

Process Improvement

Data Analysis

Safety Leadership

Communication

Education

Tertiary Metallurgy qualification

Tools

Metallurgical accounting software

Job description

Snowy River Gold Mine | Reefton, West Coast

Competitive Salary + Private Health Insurance + Accommodation Allowance

Select Recruitment is proud to be recruiting for a Senior Metallurgist to join the team at the growing Snowy River Gold Mine near Reefton on the West Coast.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of a new mining operation as it enters production, offering long-term career growth within an expanding business.

What's on Offer

• Competitive remuneration package
• Full private health insurance
• Accommodation allowance
• 8 on / 6 off roster (or similar variation)
• Company bus transport from Reefton and Greymouth to site
• Career progression opportunities within a growing operation
• Opportunity to help shape a growing mining operation from the ground

Reporting to the Processing Manager you will lead metallurgical performance, optimise plant recovery and throughput, and provide technical leadership across a modern processing plant.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead metallurgical performance across gravity, intensive leach and flotation circuits.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on recovery, throughput and operating costs.
• Investigate process deviations, undertake root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Design and manage plant trials and metallurgical test work programmes.
• Support plant commissioning, ramp-up activities and process optimisation.
• Complete metallurgical accounting, reporting and production forecasting.
• Provide technical mentoring and support to operational teams.
• Work closely with maintenance teams, laboratories, consultants and technical stakeholders to maximise plant performance.
• Champion health, safety and environmental compliance across all processing activities.

What You Need

• Tertiary qualification in Metallurgy or Minerals Processing, or equivalent practical metallurgical experience.
• Proven experience in metalliferous mineral processing with a strong background in gold processing.
• Strong understanding of gravity recovery, leaching and flotation circuits.
• Demonstrated success in driving plant performance improvements and conducting metallurgical investigations.
• Experience with metallurgical accounting, reporting and data analysis.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams.
• A genuine commitment to safety leadership and environmental responsibility.

Highly Regarded

• Experience commissioning new processing plants or circuits
• Familiarity with metallurgical accounting software.
• Experience with intensive leach reactors (ILR), gravity concentrators, flotation circuits and dry-stack tailings.
• Current driver's licence.

What's In It For You

• Opportunity to influence and shape a new mining operation from the ground up.
• A senior technical leadership role with significant autonomy and impact.
• Exposure to a growing organisation with ambitious expansion plans.
• Work alongside experienced industry professionals in a collaborative environment.
• Career development and progression opportunities as the business grows.
• Competitive remuneration package aligned with experience.

If you're ready to combine technical expertise with leadership and make a measurable impact on a growing gold processing operation we'd love to hear from you!

MPORTANT:

• Applicants must have the current right to work in New Zealand (no visa sponsorship available).
• As per our standard recruitment process, all applicants will undergo Pre-employment Reference Checks, Drug and Alcohol screening, along with a Ministry of Justice Criminal Record Check to determine employment suitability.