Sr. Metallurgical Process Engineer

About the role

Metallurgical Process Engineer advances process development and scale-up for mineral processing at a copper mine near Moab, Utah. This role operates pilot equipment and coordinates with cross-functional teams to move technologies from research toward commercial mining. Success in this role bridges laboratory research and full-scale mining operations.

Data roles turn raw information into decisions. Analysts query databases and build dashboards. Data scientists build models that predict outcomes. Data engineers build the pipelines that move and store data. All three work closely with business teams and need a mix of statistics, coding, and communication. Nearly every modern company runs on data teams, from startups to banks. A strong portfolio of past analyses matters more than degrees in many hiring decisions.

Key facts

What you'll do

Pilot scale processing hardware is run, diagnosed, and improved alongside technicians to keep experiments on track. Experiments translate research findings into practical implementations at commercial mine scale. Experimental and operational data are examined to find options for improving process performance and moving toward larger scale operations.

Requirements

A Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, or PhD is required in Chemical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Metallurgy, or a related discipline. Candidates must bring a minimum of 5 years of experience in minerals processing, chemicals, specialty materials, oil & gas, or related fields focused on mining, operations, or plant design. Experiment design, complex process troubleshooting, and operational dataset interpretation are performed. Software and automation are used to lift process performance while cutting errors and resource intensity. Strict adherence to Health, Safety, and Environmental compliance is required. Technical writing, communication, and teamwork skills are essential. Thriving in fast paced environments, wearing multiple hats, and handling uncertainty are expected.

Nice to have

Process scale-up experience in mining, metals, or minerals is preferred. Hands on experience with bioleaching operations is a plus.

Practical notes

This position is based in Moab, Utah, and may require travel to the mine site. Typical interview steps

Data interviews commonly include a SQL or coding exercise, a statistics question, and a case study. Candidates may be asked to design a metric, interpret an experiment, or build a small model. Some companies give a take-home analysis. Expect questions about past projects and the business impact of your work. Interviewers often evaluate how you communicate uncertainty and business impact, not only the math. Bringing a clean write-up of a past analysis to the interview is well received.

Good to know

Work in a technical field that focuses on critical minerals for energy, AI, and defense technologies. Use software, automation, and data driven decisions to improve mining processes. Operate equipment and analyze results to guide scale up in a fast paced environment. Build solutions with extreme ownership, engineer out requirements before automating, and share knowledge openly.

Questions to ask

Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.

Career growth

Data careers grow toward senior analyst, staff data scientist, or data engineering lead. Many professionals specialize in machine learning, analytics, or infrastructure. Cross-functional work with product and engineering teams becomes more important at senior levels. The field changes quickly, so continuous learning is part of the job. Professionals who can translate numbers into decisions tend to advance fastest.