Chief Metallurgist - Newmont Mining Corporation

Newmont Mining Corporation is a leading global gold producer with key assets in Nevada, Peru, Australia, Ghana and Suriname.

Newmont’s Africa Operations holds two gold mining operations in Ghana: the Ahafo Mine located in the Brong-Ahafo region and the Akyem Mine located in the Eastern region. There is also near mine exploration and development focus in Ghana to annually replace gold reserves. Newmont Africa also has early-stage exploration programs in the African countries of Ethiopia and Morocco.

Our Africa operations employ approximately 5,900 employees and contractors, with the majority working at the Ahafo Mine. We offer an unparalleled blend of opportunity and career satisfaction with all the benefits you would expect from a global company. This, combined with our growth opportunities, makes Newmont a great company to work.

Our Akyem and Ahafo mines have made significant sustainable community development investments in our host communities. These include establishing Development Funds at our Akyem and Ahafo operational areas with each mine contributing US$1 per ounce of gold sold and 1% of net pre-tax annual profit into its community development fund.

The only gold company listed in the S&P 500 index, Newmont in 2007 became the first gold company selected to be part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Newmont’s industry leading performance is reflected through our Africa operations’ high standards in environmental management, health and safety for our workforce and creating value and opportunity for our employees, host communities and Newmont’s shareholders.

About This Role

• To optimise the metallurgical performance of the plant according to specified or budgeted Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• To identify improvement opportunities and implement solutions that will yield positive safety and financial returns to the plant.

Main Responsibility Areas Will Include:

1. Metallurgy Planning and Management
2. Metallurgy Optimisation and Improvement
3. Manage the Capital Program for the Metallurgical and Technical Section
4. Contract Management
5. Health and Safety Management
6. Staff Management and Capability Development

In This Role You Will:

Metallurgy Planning and Management

• Manage metallurgical resources effectively to maximise throughput and metal recovery, while maintaining the cost effectiveness of the plant operation.
• Develop budgets / forecasts and cost models to accurately predict production and operating costs and set up a system to measure performance against the models.
• Lead the metallurgical accounting process and guarantee proper accounting and reporting of gold content extracted from the ore, that is fed into the plant.
• Generate production management reports (weekly, monthly and ad-hoc).
• Develop plans / recovery plans to guarantee that budgeted production is achieved.
• Prepare reagent consumption forecasts and optimise reagent consumption.
• Coordinate metallurgical activities with production and maintenance team in managing the Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF).
• Verify that the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI) certification for Ahafo mine is sustained.
• Plan and coordinate mill relines replacements, based on wear rates and the timely availability of critical wear components.
• Implement, develop and maintain metallurgical systems (PI Historian, OCS Mill Expert System).
• Manage the Management Operating System (MOS) for the Metallurgy section on the processing plant.
• Monitor metallurgical resources with the aim of maximising throughput and metal recovery whilst maintaining the cost effectiveness of process plant operation, against a range of KPIs.

Metallurgy Optimisation and Improvement

• Interact closely with Newmont Metallurgical Technical Services team to develop consistent, innovative approaches with respect to continuous improvement and certify information flow between site and head office is well maintained.
• Investigate unusual occurrences in the plant and make recommendations to prevent recurrence.
• Identify opportunities, improve efficiencies, product quality, and reduce costs, as part of the Full Potential program.
• Troubleshoot process operating problems and institute corrective measures.

Manage the Capital Program for the Metallurgical and Technical Section

• Act as an Authorisation for Expenditure (AFE) Manager for sustaining capital to verify;
  • timeliness in Submission of AFEs.
  • quality of Submitted AFEs.
  • timeliness of capital expenditure.
• Act as a Cost Center Manager with sustaining capital;
  • sustain capital expenditure will be within set target ranges, adjusted for changes in planning assumptions and decisions.
• Act as an AFE Manager with a closed project to verify:
  • prompt closing out of projects.
  • project deliverables have been met.

Capability Development

• Implement key operating parameters for the plant and initiate systems by which these parameters can be monitored and maintained by the team.
• Oversee and certify the metallurgical team consisting of plant metallurgists, metallurgists, technicians and National Service Personnel receives sufficient training from the Senior Metallurgist to deliver work that meets objectives.
• Provide technical input for departmental training programs.
• Provide technical and practical solutions to operational challenges faced by the team.
• Initiate effective on-the-job training and coaching to verify employees gain new skills and achieve their maximum potential.

Additional Responsibilities:

Contract Management

• Provide support and supervise outsourced activities relating to water treatment.
• Manage and coordinate the initiation, maintenance and renewal of external contractor contracts (i.e. SGS Lab and any other contractor working for Metallurgy section) and monitor their adherence to specified KPIs.
• Oversee all gold reconciliation activities, in partnership with Valcambi.
• Generate reports based on gold bullion assessment from Valcambi and send to the finance department.

Health and Safety Management

• Accept personal responsibility for the health and safety of every employee under or assigned to his / her supervision.
• Review and improve standards and safe operating procedures for all metallurgical tasks (both metallurgy laboratory and field works).
• Provide hands-on assistance during operations activities and certify that safe work practices are followed.
• Check all assigned safety related KPIs are completed in a timely manner (i.e. FRM’s, safety interactions, PTO’s).
• Attend monthly safety inspection meetings.
• Conduct and complete incident / accident investigations and take corrective action to prevent injury and / or re-occurrence (involving team members and incidents / accidents at the laboratory).

Staff Management

• Deputise the Process Manager, in the incumbents’ absence.
• Manage all direct reports:
  • perform performance appraisals.
  • recommend further / relevant training courses and development actions in accordance with Newmont’s people development program(s).
  • enhance communication with staff through regular feedback, contact, meetings and briefings, etc.
  • conduct robust succession planning for the Process – Metallurgy team.

Your Training, Skills & Experience Checklist:

Formal Qualification (including Professional Registrations):

• Degree / Diploma in Extractive Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering or similar.

Additional Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the gold environment.
• Project management knowledge.
• Financial knowledge.

Experience: 

• Between 8 to 10 years’ experience in metalliferous mining, with a minimum of 3 years in gold processing.

Technical Skills:

• Strong technical skills in metallurgy.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Project management.
• Highly skilled in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word.