Process Metallurgist

McCarl's Technical Services; Wheat Ridge (CO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

McCarl's Technical Services is seeking a Process Metallurgist to design, execute, and report metallurgical testwork programs for clients across commodities, delivering data for flowsheets and mass/water balances.

You will collaborate with engineering teams to translate lab results into process and plant design, support FEED studies, and present findings to clients, while ensuring QA/QC, safety, and timely project delivery.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Metallurgical/Mineral Processing or Chemical Engineering.
• Hands-on metallurgical testwork experience in a commercial lab, operating plant, or consultancy.
• Experience with flotation and hydrometallurgy; strong data analysis and reporting skills.
• Ability to lead testwork programs end to end and manage client relationships.
• Experience translating lab results into flowsheet design and study-level engineering (PEA/FEED).

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage testwork scopes, budgets, and schedules for various projects.
• Execute and supervise comminution, gravity, flotation, leach, and solid-liquid separation testwork.
• Design test matrices, interpret results, and translate data into flowsheet recommendations.
• Collaborate with engineering clients and staff on process and plant design and equipment sizing.
• Provide metallurgical basis for estimates and support FEED-level studies.
• Author clear, defensible client reports and present findings to teams and clients.
• Coordinate sample prep, assaying, and mineralogy with labs; ensure QA/QC integrity.
• Maintain laboratory safety, data management, and chain-of-custody standards.
• Support proposal development and client business development as a technical resource.

Skills

Metallurgical testwork

Data analysis

Client communication

Mentoring

Education

B.S. in Metallurgical/Mineral Processing or Chemical Engineering

Tools

METSIM

JKSimMet

Factsage

HSC

Aspen

Limn

Job description

Position Summary

The Process Metallurgist designs, executes, and reports client-funded metallurgical testwork programs across a range of commodities and flowsheets, and works alongside McCarl's Technical Services engineering group to carry that testwork forward into process and plant design. This role spans the full lab-to-engineering handoff - generating the metallurgical data that anchors flowsheets, mass/water balances, and study-level cost estimates.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage testwork scopes, budgets, and schedules for gold, base metals, tungsten, rare earths, lithium, and critical minerals projects.
• Execute and supervise comminution, gravity, flotation, leach (cyanidation/CIL, acid, POX), and solid-liquid separation testwork.
• Design test matrices, interpret results, and translate data into flowsheet recommendations and preliminary mass/water balances.
• Collaborate with McCarl's Technical Services engineering clients and staff on process design, plant design, process modeling and simulation, and equipment sizing that build directly on lab results.
• Provide the metallurgical basis and testwork inputs for Class 4/5 estimates, PEA, and FEED-level studies; support scale-up assumptions and design criteria.
• Author clear, defensible client test reports and technical memoranda; present findings to clients and study teams.
• Coordinate sample prep, assaying, and mineralogy (QEMSCAN/MLA) with internal and external labs; ensure QA/QC integrity.
• Maintain laboratory safety, data management, and chain-of-custody standards.
• Support proposal development and client business development as a technical resource.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Metallurgical/Mineral Processing or Chemical Engineering.
• Hands-on metallurgical testwork experience in a commercial lab, operating plant, or consultancy - from roughly 1 year for early-career candidates through 10+ years for senior hires.
• Working knowledge of unit operations across at least two commodity groups; flotation and hydrometallurgy strengths valued.
• Strong data analysis, technical writing, and client communication skills.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, multi-project environment with competing deadlines.
• A track record of leading testwork programs end to end and owning client relationships.
• Direct experience taking lab results into process/plant design, flowsheet development, or study-level engineering (PEA/FEED).
• Hands-on proficiency with process simulation tools (e.g., METSIM, JKSimMet, Factsage, HSC, Aspen, Limn).
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior technical staff.

McCarl's and Affiliates are Equal Opportunity Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or on any other characteristic protected by law.