Metallurgist

Origin Mining Company; Golden Valley (AZ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Origin Mining Company operates the Mineral Park copper-molybdenum mine in Arizona and emphasizes safety, environmental stewardship, and operational excellence.

The Metallurgist will oversee safe, efficient processing while meeting production targets, optimizing heap leach performance, and managing costs, inventory, and metallurgical accounting. Strong collaboration with mining teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical or chemical engineering or equivalent.
• 3+ years of practical operating experience in copper heap leaching, with supervision and training responsibilities.
• Knowledge of copper extraction unit operations (heap leach, SX-EW, milling/flotation).
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to learn and operate required systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Maintain safety, environmental, and community standards; coordinate with EMG safety and permitting teams.
• Achieve production targets; interface with mining and geology teams; forecast and reconcile metal production.
• Develop stacking plans and irrigation cycle strategies for heap leach operations.
• Optimize processing operations to improve recoveries and efficiency; manage costs and inventories.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and annual production updates and trend analyses.

Skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Self-management

Work ethic

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgical or Chemical Engineering

Job description

Summary

Origin Mining Company operates the Mineral Park copper-molybdenum mine in Arizona and is focused on responsible, sustainable resource development. We aim to lead the U.S. copper industry through strong safety practices, environmental stewardship, and operational excellence. Our team is committed to doing things the right way—acting with integrity, supporting our communities, and creating long-term value. With a hands-on, technically driven approach, we are advancing both leach and concentrator operations to produce high-quality copper and molybdenum products.

Position Overview

The Metallurgist oversees safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant processing operations while ensuring production targets are met. The role involves optimizing heap leach performance, coordinating with mining teams, and managing costs, inventory, and metallurgical accounting.

Job Responsibilities

• Safety, Environmental, and Community
  • Ensure operating personnel complies with safety training requirements and follows procedures according to local safety standards. Coordinate and communicating operations requirements with EMG safety department
  • Work closely with permitting and HSEC departments .
  • Support community engagement
• Production
  • Communicate and provide direction to ensure production targets are met. Interface with mining and geology to understand characteristics of ore fed to the process. Review day-to-day operating practices. Forecast and reconcile metal production.
  • Produce stacking plans and irrigation cycle strategies for ore being placed on the heap leach pad in accordance with permitting restrictions and operational best practices for copper heap leaching.
• Optimization and Cost Management
  • Optimize and troubleshoot processing operations to meet metal recoveries and process efficiency targets. Interface with external consultants and laboratories on projects to improve operations and assaying/sampling practices as required
  • Manage process operating costs and identify opportunities to reduce $/lb production costs.
• Metal Budget and Inventory
  • Maximize metallurgical productivity while maintaining budget operating costs. Monitor operating consumables and maintenance spent to meet budgetary targets. Document reagents and material usage. Communicate with accounting for orders and inventory as required
• Reporting
  • Provide production updates on weekly, monthly, and annual reports. Provide information on processing parameters and short and long term expected production trends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgical or Chemical Engineering or equivalent preferred.
• 3+ years of practical operating experience, with specific copper heap leaching experience, including supervising and training
• Good knowledge of copper extraction unit operations, including heap leach, SX-EW and milling/flotation.
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to learn, manage and maintain all necessary systems
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Strong work ethic and professional demeanor

Physical Demands

To be eligible for this position, an individual must possess the following requirements to perform the essential job functions:

• Must be able to physically perform the basic life operational functions of climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking on uneven surfaces, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, and repetitive motion.
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors in all kinds of weather
• Able to operate a telephone and mine phone/radio with sufficient voice and hearing to carry on a conversation for the purpose of communicating information
• Able to hear sufficiently to distinguish various pitches of warning alarms
• Able to lift up to 25 pounds periodically