Senior Metallurgist

Select Recruitment; Dunedin; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration package

Full private health insurance

8 on / 6 off roster

Company bus transport to site

Career progression opportunities

Shape a growing mining operation

Job summary

Snowy River Gold Mine is seeking a Senior Metallurgist to lead metallurgical performance at the new processing plant near Reefton, NZ. You will drive recovery, throughput and cost efficiencies while mentoring operations teams.

The role requires a tertiary metallurgical qualification and a strong track record in gold processing, gravity and leach circuits. You will collaborate across maintenance, labs, and external consultants to deliver reliable plant performance.

Qualifications

• 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.

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 expertise

Gold processing

Data analysis

Safety leadership

Cross-team collaboration

Education

Metallurgy or Minerals Processing degree

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
• 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.

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.