PURPOSE & OBJECTIVE
The Senior Process Engineer is responsible for monitoring and correcting non-conformance issues across both processing facilities: the Whole Ore Leach Plant (WOLP) and the Sulphide Treatment Plant (STP). The role focuses on identifying improvement opportunities and driving enhanced operational performance by setting process operating targets, implementing improvement projects, and resolving operational challenges to ensure stable and efficient plant operations.
A central responsibility of the position is to deliver project work assigned by the Process Manager, contributing initiatives that improve plant throughput, metallurgical recovery, and overall reliability. The Senior Process Engineer will also interface with external consultants to exchange technical data required for testwork programs, feasibility studies, and other development activities.
Additionally, the role provides ongoing technical support to processing operations, ensuring plant optimisation, maintaining metallurgical performance, contribute and audit the technical content used in training materials for operational personnel, proactively identifying and advancing continuous improvement opportunities.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Safety & Compliance
- Ensure all staff work safely and in full compliance with company policies, procedures, and statutory safety and environmental regulations.
- Promote a strong safety culture by ensuring all team members understand and fulfil their safety obligations.
Plant Optimisation & Gold Recovery
- Optimise gold recovery across the processing plants through continual process improvement, metallurgical analysis, and effective cost management.
- Ensure gold production targets are consistently met or exceeded by optimising recovery, mill throughput, and plant stability.
Technical Support & Process Control
- Develop, optimise, and maintain key operating parameters for both plants, ensuring these parameters are clearly defined, monitored, and adhered to by metallurgical and operations personnel.
- Provide technical expertise and troubleshooting support to sustain efficient and reliable plant performance.
Continuous Improvement & Project Delivery
- Sustain a culture of continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks, enhancing systems, and implementing engineering solutions that improve throughput and utilisation.
- Lead or support the scoping, justification, and execution of improvement projects aligned with performance objectives.
- Maintain a formal process for evaluating achievements against KPIs and driving corrective actions where required.
Staff Development & Local Skills Transfer
- Participate in training, mentoring, and skills development programs to support the progression and succession planning of local employees.
- Provide specialised technical input into departmental training materials and initiatives.
Cost Control & Budgeting
- Contribute to departmental budget preparation and lead or support cost control initiatives.
- Identify and execute projects specifically aimed at reducing operating costs without compromising performance or safety.
Site Collaboration
- Assist other departments as required to help ensure the overall productivity and operational objectives of the mine site are achieved.
Financial
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting of production data and prepare gold room production forecasts (daily, weekly, and monthly) for Process Management use.
- Monitor all production and metallurgical KPIs, taking prompt corrective action for any deviations within the defined area of responsibility.
- Assist in developing departmental budgets, with a strong focus on consumables usage, and monitor and report actual performance against budget and forecasts.
- Develop work plans and implement agreed actions through effective coordination of assigned resources to achieve production, cost, and project targets.
Environmental & Community
- Comply with all company environmental and community policies, standards, and procedures.
- Actively demonstrate and promote care, respect, and responsibility toward the environment and surrounding communities.
- Conduct work in a socially responsible, ethical, and culturally considerate manner.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable environmental legislation and adopt responsible environmental management practices.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Education:
- Tertiary qualification (BEng or BSc) in Chemical Engineering, Minerals
- Engineering, Extractive Metallurgy, or an equivalent discipline.
Technical Expertise:
- Proven operational experience with SABC grinding, gravity recovery, CIL circuits, and AARL elution systems (experience with TSF, flotation, and refractory ore processing is advantageous).
- Understanding of dangerous goods legislation (local and relevant international codes).
- Familiarity with cyanide management code principles.
- Experience with process control systems.
Language Skills:
- Bilingual proficiency in French and English preferred (French not a prerequisite).
Leadership & People Skills:
- Strong leadership with demonstrated ability to motivate, empower, and develop staff.
- Ability and keenness to mentor peers and the workforce with a desire to follow up to ensure delegated tasks are completed on schedule but with optimium independence.
- High cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively across diverse cultural environments.
Professional Skills:
- Excellent analytical, organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and perform with a strong sense of urgency.
- Time management skills to effectively deal with two different operating processes and the ability to prioritise production risks.