Geometallurgy Postdoc: Lead Multi-Stage Mineral Processing

Search Jobs - INL Professional Careers; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 95,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

Idaho National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance geometallurgical engineering and mineral processing for REE and Th deposits. The role focuses on designing, running, and optimizing comminution and beneficiation experiments to produce high-grade concentrates for downstream extraction.

The successful candidate will lead experiments, develop a multi-stage beneficiation circuit at INL's M³ Laboratory, and contribute to data-driven mineral deportment models.

Qualifications

• PhD completed by appointment start date or within the previous 5 years.
• Hands-on experience designing and conducting laboratory-scale comminution experiments (crushing, grinding, size classification).
• Hands-on experience conducting mineral beneficiation experiments (gravity/density, magnetic/electromagnetic, or froth flotation).
• Experience evaluating separation performance via grade, recovery, and mass balance.
• Experience with mineralogic characterization methods (XRD, optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, MLA).
• Ability to analyze geological/metallurgical data with software and draw general conclusions.
• Proven English oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead experimental investigations for multi-stage beneficiation circuits at INL's M³ Laboratory.
• Design and optimize comminution and separation steps to maximize concentrate grade and yield.
• Coordinate data collection, analysis, and interpretation; prepare proposals and publications.

Skills

Lab-scale comminution design

Beneficiation experiments

Separation performance evaluation

Mineralogic characterization methods

Data analysis in geometallurgy

English communication

Education

PhD in Metallurgical Engineering / Mineral Processing / Mining Engineering / Geology

Tools

X-ray diffraction

Optical microscopy

SEM/EDS

MLA

QEMSCAN

LA-ICP-MS mapping

Job description

Idaho National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance geometallurgical engineering and mineral processing for REE and Th deposits. The role focuses on designing, running, and optimizing comminution and beneficiation experiments to produce high-grade concentrates for downstream extraction.

The successful candidate will lead experiments, develop a multi-stage beneficiation circuit at INL's M³ Laboratory, and contribute to data-driven mineral deportment models.