Principal Metallurgist

Careermine; Alaska; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Teck is seeking a Principal Metallurgist for Red Dog Operations in Alaska. You will lead the metallurgy team, align long‑term and short‑term plans, and oversee production planning, continuous improvement, and reporting.

The role features a 2‑weeks on-site / 2‑weeks off-site rotation and requires strong leadership across multi‑discipline teams. You will drive optimized performance in milling and water treatment, coordinate cross‑functional actions, and provide decisive technical guidance to

Qualifications

• Bachelor or higher in Minerals/Chemical/Metallurgical engineering.
• Min 10 years senior milling experience, preferably in lead/zinc.
• Experience coordinating and supervising technical teams.
• Projects improving metallurgical performance or cutting costs.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and relationship building.
• Proactive leadership in diverse environments.
• Advanced MS Office skills; familiarity with data analytics.

Responsibilities

• Lead metallurgy team development, performance reviews, and succession planning.
• Oversee metallurgy production plans for 5-year and annual horizons.
• Coordinate plans with crushing, grinding, flotation, and water treatment.
• Embed continuous improvement to optimize processes and costs.
• Guide operational decision‑making and variance responses.
• Ensure accurate metallurgical and water treatment reporting.
• Collaborate with marketing and corporate teams on concentrate specs.
• Stand in for the Superintendent, Integrated Planning.

Skills

Senior leadership

Team coordination

MS Office proficient

Education

BSc/Engineering in Mineral Processing or Metallurgical/Chemical

Tools

PowerBI

JKSimMet

Grinding expert systems

Job description

Closing Date: November 13, 2026

Location: Red Dog Mine, AK, United States

Employment Type: Regular Full Time

Workplace Type: On-site

About Red Dog

Red Dog Operations is both the largest critical minerals mine in the United States and one of the largest zinc mines in the world. In 1982, Red Dog was developed through a partnership between Teck and the land‑owner NANA, an Alaska Native corporation owned by the Iñupiat of northwest Alaska. The partnership between Teck and NANA ensures real benefits for the local Iñupiat community, while recognizing there is still more to do as we advance our commitment to sustainable practices and meaningful engagement.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Superintendent of Integrated Planning (IPlan), the Principal Metallurgist is accountable for providing leadership to metallurgy team and ensuring long‑term integrated plans align to short‑terms plans for successful execution.

Rotation schedule will be an even rotation, 2 weeks on‑site with 2 weeks off‑site.

Responsibilities

• Be a courageous safety leader, adhere to and sponsor safety and environmental rules and procedures.
• Supervise the technical development of the metallurgy team, including performance assessments, professional growth, and succession planning, ensuring alignment with company's strategic goals
• Manage metallurgy production plans for 5-year business plan, 1-year budget plan, monthly forecasts, and weekly plans. Ensuring plans are optimized and executable.
• Embed continuous improvements practises into planning process and lead efforts to enhance performance and/or reduce costs in crushing, grinding, flotation, dewatering, and water treatment operations.
• Conduct effective variance management on mid‑to short‑range plans through trade‑off and scenario analysis to optimize outcomes and improve future plans.
• Foster collaboration across department areas to create an integrated plans that maximizes value chain efficiency.
• Offer subject matter expertise to address operational issues in milling processes.
• Provide expert guidance to Integrated Production and Execution teams, particularly in operational decision‑marking and variance response strategies.
• Operational Modes Development: Assist in the development of operating modes and targeted action response plans (TARP).
• Ensure accurate and reliable metallurgical and water treatment production reporting, including reconciliation processes.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Trail, and Corporate teams to optimize concentrate specifications and production plans.
• Act as a stand‑in for the Superintendent, Integrated Planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science/Engineering degree (Mineral Processing, Metallurgical or Chemical).
• Ten (10) years senior level milling experience, preferably in lead/zinc.
• Prior experience coordinating and supervising technical teams.
• Experience leading and implementing projects that improve metallurgical performance and/or operating costs.
• Highly motivated team player with ability to develop positive relationships across multi operational teams.
• Exhibit courageous leadership in providing guidance in a variety of situations and environments.
• Advanced software skills in MS Office, especially spreadsheet.
• Knowledge of PowerBI and/or other data analytics platforms.
• Familiarity with Grinding Expert Systems and JKSimMet software.

Working Conditions

• Access: Fly in, fly out
• Schedule: We offer a two‑weeks on / two‑weeks off rotational schedule to support a healthy work‑life balance.
• Accommodation: Our modern facilities, including dedicated spaces for group and individual physical activities, weights, cardio equipment, movie rooms, theme nights, and modern accommodation complexes. All meals are provided, making it easier for you to focus on your work and well‑being.
• Culture: At Red Dog, we believe in fostering a safe and healthy environment for all our employees. We are proud to be a drug and alcohol‑free workplace and will include a drug test as part of our hiring process.

Why Teck

At Teck, your work matters - to the world, to our communities and to your future.

As a leading Canadian resource company, we focus on responsibly providing the metals essential for global development and the energy transition while caring for the people, communities and land that we love. We do this guided by our values that, together, form The Teck Way. At Teck, you'll find purpose‑driven work, a culture of respect and inclusion, and the opportunity to grow your career while helping build a better world.

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental, life, AD&D, and long‑term disability insurance, paid sick leave, vacation days, and a 401k plan.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier‑free hiring process. Accommodations are available upon request, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.