Metallurgical Technician

SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd; Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 29,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

SLR Consulting (Americas) seeks a Metallurgical Technician for our Fort Collins lab. You will handle ore prep, sampling, and analysis, supporting leach tests and QC/QA processes in a fast-paced environment.

The role is part-time, as-needed, with a pay range of $21.00–$25.00 per hour. Candidates should have up to 3 years in metallurgical labs and be able to lift 50 lbs and work in dusty conditions.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Metallurgy, Chemistry, Geology, Mining or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Receive, log, and label incoming ore and samples.
• Use crushers to reduce rock to specified sizes.
• Operate pulverizers and mills to make fine powder.
• Perform sample splitting to create representative sub-samples.
• Inventory and properly bag composite samples according to test instructions.
• Lift up to 50 lbs and handle dusty, noisy environments.
• Maintain clean, calibrated equipment and prevent contamination.
• Assist in setting up and operating bench and pilot-scale leach tests.
• Collect samples during leach cycles for analysis.
• Prepare reagents for solution chemistry and cyanide tests.
• Follow QC/QA protocols for duplicates, blanks, and standards.
• Document data and assist in assay reporting.
• Adhere to safety practices and wear PPE per OSHA.

Skills

Ore preparation

Crushing equipment

Pulverizing

Sample splitting

Data tracking

Laboratory safety

Physical stamina

Education

Associate degree in Metallurgy, Chemistry, Geology, Mining

Tools

Jaw crushers

Roll crushers

Cone crushers

Pulverizers

Ball mills

Disk mills

Job description

We are SLR Consulting (Americas), a 1500+ team of advisory, environmental, engineering, and regulatory professionals across the United States, Canada, and LATAM. We deliver environmental and sustainability services to our clients through the integration of over 30 advisory, technical environmental, and engineering disciplines to help clients address some of their most complex challenges around sustainability. We are Making Sustainability Happen.

We are looking to expand our team at our metallurgical testing lab in Fort Collins, Colorado.

As our new Metallurgical Technician, you will play an important role on a team whose work is essential to achieving this goal.

Responsibilities

Sample Preparation and Ore Handling (50%)

• Receive, log, and label incoming ore and metallurgical samples from clients, field projects, or mine sites.
• Use jaw crushers, roll crushers, and cone crushers to reduce rock specimens to specified particle sizes for analysis.
• Operate ring and puck pulverizers, ball mills, or disk mills to further homogenize samples to fine powder (e.g., -150 µm or finer).
• Perform riffle and rotary sample splitting to obtain representative sub-samples for assay, leaching, or metallurgical testing.
• Combine, bag, and inventory composite samples accurately according to test instructions or client specifications.
• Routinely lift, shovel, and handle bulk material (up to 50 lbs) for composites, agglomeration batches, or column leach charges.
• Maintain clean and calibrated equipment, including dust collection systems, crushers, and pulverizers to prevent contamination.

Testing Support (30%)

• Assist in setting up, charging, and operating bench and pilot-scale leach tests (bottle rolls, column tests, vat leaching, etc.).
• Collect liquid and solids samples during leach cycles at designated intervals for solution assay, pH, dissolved oxygen, and cyanide concentration.
• Prepare and weigh reagents (cyanide, lime, acids, etc.) for solution chemistry and cyanide destruction tests.

Laboratory Operations (10%)

• Clean and maintain work areas and ensure safe handling of hazardous materials per MSDS and safety procedures.
• Follow Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) protocols for duplicate samples, blanks, and standards.
• Assist in data entry for sample tracking, assay reporting, or metallurgical balances.

Safety and Compliance (10%)

• Follow safety practices and wear proper PPE when working in dusty, noisy, or chemical environments.
• Comply with OSHA standards, lockout/tagout procedures, and industrial hygiene protocols.

Working @ SLR

This is an as-needed part-time position.

The salary range for this position is $21.00-$25.00/hr. Final agreed upon compensation will be commensurate with individual education, professional designation, experience, internal parity, and location.

Qualifications/Education/Memberships

• Associate degree in Metallurgy, Chemistry, Geology, Mining, or related field preferred but not required. Relevant experience may substitute.
• 1–3 years working in a metallurgical, mining, or analytical laboratory environment with ore preparation responsibilities preferred.
• Proficient with crushing, pulverizing, and sample splitting equipment.
• Strong mechanical aptitude; comfortable using hand and power tools.
• Basic understanding of sample integrity and contamination control.
• Ability to track data and follow written procedures accurately.
• Willingness to work in physically demanding, dusty, and noisy environments.

Physical and Environmental Requirements

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs and perform manual labor tasks such as shoveling, lifting, and loading sample buckets.
• Frequent exposure to dust, noise, and heavy machinery in crusher and pulverizer areas.
• Ability to wear respiratory protection, safety glasses, gloves, and steel-toed boots as required.

This job posting is for an existing vacancy. Artificial intelligence is not being used to screen, assess, or select applicants.

SLR strives to build diverse teams that reflect the communities we work in, and encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented groups including women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, veterans, and people with disabilities.

We’re Making Sustainability Happen.

We don’t have all the answers to the complex sustainability challenges faced by humanity today. But we’re working on it.

We are a consultancy with 4,500+ employees, working on projects in over 125 countries around the world. When you join SLR, you’ll work alongside some of the world’s leading advisors and technicians on projects of global importance in the environmental space. We know sustainability starts from within. And no matter how good we are today, we can always do better. We continually work on our internal ethics to set the standard for organisations and reflect the advice we give to clients.