Principal Specialist, Innovation Translation

Ma'aden Aluminium Company (MAC); Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Ma'aden Aluminium Company (MAC) is seeking a Principal Specialist Innovation Translation to bridge science and industry, turning breakthrough concepts into scalable, investment-ready solutions. You will build robust design bases, run techno-economic analyses, and guide projects through maturity gates toward industrial deployment.

The role collaborates across Innovation, PD&E, operations and external ecosystems to enable FOAK deployments while minimizing risk and accelerating value realization in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Metallurgical/Mining/ Mineral Processing or related field.
• 10+ years in technology development, industrial innovation, or process engineering.
• Experience leading pilot, demonstration, or first industrial deployment initiatives.
• Mining, metallurgy, or extractive sectors experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish scalable pathways that convert scientific concepts into industrially deployable solutions.
• Develop techno-economic models to quantify value, risk, and investment attractiveness.
• Define maturity governance to guide progression from pilot validation to deployment and reduce technical uncertainty.
• Ensure readiness for FOAK deployments and scale-up within industrial environments.

Skills

Technology Translation

Industrial Scale-Up

Techno-Economic Analysis

Maturity Governance

Risk Management

Systems Thinking

Stakeholder Engagement

Cross-functional Leadership

FOAK Deployment

Knowledge Transfer

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Metallurgical/Mining/ Mineral Processing or related field

Advanced technical degree preferred

Job description

Why This Role Matters

The Principal Specialist Innovation Translation bridges the gap between scientific discovery and industrial deployment by transforming high-potential technologies into scalable investment-ready business solutions The role ensures innovation opportunities are technically proven economically viable and operationally integrated before significant capital is committed to industrial implementation The role accelerates value creation by reducing technical uncertainty validating performance and establishing credible scale-up pathways that support confident investment decisions Through rigorous techno-economic assessment and maturity governance the role strengthens Ma aden s ability to commercialize emerging technologies while minimizing delivery operational and investment risks Working across Innovation PD amp E operations and external technology ecosystems the role enables successful first-of-a-kind FOAK deployments and ensures innovation investments are translated into practical industrial capabilities that support long-term competitiveness growth and operational excellence

What You Will Deliver

Technology Translation amp Scale-UpEstablish scalable pathways that convert scientific concepts into industrially deployable solutions Build robust design bases operating parameters performance criteria and scale-up frameworks that enable confident progression through maturity stages Accelerate technology maturation while minimizing unnecessary cost time and development risk Techno-Economic Value CreationDevelop and maintain integrated techno-economic models that quantify value risk and investment attractiveness Strengthen investment decisions by providing clear assessments of economic viability performance assumptions and critical value drivers Enable evidence-based prioritization through continuous refinement of business cases and value realization forecasts Maturity Governance amp Risk ReductionEstablish structured maturity assessment frameworks that guide progression from pilot validation to industrial deployment Reduce technical and commercial uncertainty through disciplined experimentation testing and readiness reviews Provide objective recommendations on progression redesign partnership acceleration or termination of innovation opportunities Industrial Integration amp Deployment ReadinessDefine technology integration requirements across process operational infrastructure maintenance and control environments Ensure technologies are prepared for successful industrial adoption through robust engineering-ready design information and handover packages Safeguard validated technology intent throughout engineering commissioning and FOAK deployment activities Strategic Technical LeadershipProvide expert technical leadership that strengthens decision quality across innovation programs and technology investments Challenge assumptions validate technical claims and apply rigorous scientific and engineering evaluation to complex opportunities Embed fact-based decision-making technical discipline and continuous learning across the innovation portfolio Ecosystem Development amp Knowledge TransferBuild high-value partnerships with technology providers research institutions OEMs and specialist organizations Accelerate technology development by leveraging external expertise and innovation ecosystems Capture and transfer scale-up knowledge lessons learned and best practices across innovation initiatives

What Success Looks Like

Innovation concepts progress through maturity stages based on clear evidence validated performance and quantified value Technology opportunities demonstrate reduced technical uncertainty and stronger investment readiness Scale-up pathways and industrial design bases are established with confidence and traceability FOAK deployments transition successfully from innovation into industrial execution environments Technology investment decisions are supported by credible techno-economic analysis and risk assessments Innovation projects deliver measurable business value while reducing implementation and operational risks

Bachelor s degree in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a closely related applied science discipline. Advanced technical degree is strongly preferred.Experience10+ years of experience in technology development, industrial innovation, process engineering, R&D scale-up, or project development environments. Experience leading pilot, demonstration, and/or first industrial deployment initiatives. Proven experience translating laboratory or pilot concepts into industrial-scale applications and operating environments. Experience within mining, metallurgy, mineral processing, extractive technologies, industrial processing, or other asset-intensive sectors.

Skills That Matter

Functional ExpertiseTechnology Translation & CommercializationIndustrial Scale-Up MethodologiesProcess Engineering & Process DesignTechno-Economic AnalysisTechnology Readiness & Maturity ManagementFirst-of-a-Kind (FOAK) DeploymentBusiness & DeliveryInvestment Evaluation & Business Case DevelopmentRisk & Uncertainty ManagementValue Realization AssessmentStrategic Decision SupportSystems ThinkingPortfolio Maturity GovernancePeople & CollaborationTechnical LeadershipCross-Functional InfluenceStakeholder EngagementExternal Partnership ManagementCritical Thinking & Problem SolvingKnowledge Transfer & Capability Building