Principal, Processing

Job Description

Principal, Processing
Reports to: Head of Technical Services

About the Opportunity
Our client is a private mining company backed by a mining-focused private equity firm with a 14-year track record. They hold two major assets: an operating open-pit mine in the middle of a milling restart that will multiply its production profile, and a large-scale development project with lowest quartile projected costs and a mine life beyond 10 years. Both are moving fast, and both need processing leadership that can keep pace.

That's where this role comes in. As Principal of Processing, you'll be the company's foremost authority on mineral processing, setting the technical agenda across both properties and making sure every processing decision gets executed with precision and urgency. This isn't a passive oversight seat. It's a role for a technically authoritative leader who spots gaps, challenges the status quo, and pushes teams to deliver at their highest level. The role can be based in Toronto, ON or the Southwest US, with 50-75% travel.

What You'll Do
Processing Strategy & Technical Leadership

• Own and drive the overall processing strategy across both properties, keeping it aligned with business objectives and production targets.
• Serve as the company's technical authority on mineral processing, flowsheet design, comminution design, and plant optimization.
• Lead the identification and implementation of process improvements that deliver measurable gains in throughput, recovery, and cost efficiency.
• Evaluate and challenge existing processing assumptions, continuously seeking better approaches and technologies.
• Provide technical direction on capital projects tied to processing infrastructure, plant upgrades, and capacity expansions.

Performance Accountability & Team Development

• Set high-performance expectations across processing teams and hold individuals accountable for delivery against KPIs and targets.
• Push teams to identify and close performance gaps, challenging complacency and expecting excellence at every level.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Principal of Metallurgy and the broader processing team, building technical depth across the organization.
• Conduct regular critical reviews of processing performance at both properties, escalating issues and driving swift corrective action.
• Foster a culture of urgency, ownership, and continuous improvement within the processing function.

Process & Metallurgy Optimization

• Collaborate on all comminution and metallurgical programs, including test work, variability studies, and process audits across both sites.
• Make sure comminution and metallurgical data is properly interpreted and translated into actionable improvements on the plant floor.
• Partner with the Principal of Metallurgy to align metallurgical findings with processing operations and drive implementation of recommendations.
• Review and approve technical reports, metallurgical studies, and processing documentation to ensure rigor and accuracy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary processing point of contact for the Head of Technical Services, providing clear, candid, and timely reporting.
• Collaborate closely with mine operations, geoscience, and projects teams so processing requirements are built into planning decisions.
• Represent the processing function in executive and board-level discussions, delivering confident, data-driven insights and recommendations.
• Engage with external consultants, technology providers, and industry bodies to keep the company at the forefront of processing practice.

Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance

• Champion a zero-harm safety culture within all processing operations, ensuring compliance with all regulatory and company HSE standards.
• Ensure processing facilities and practices meet all environmental obligations and permit conditions.
• Lead incident investigations related to processing operations and make sure learnings are captured and embedded across both sites.

What You Bring
Essential

• Bachelor's degree in Mineral Processing, Metallurgical, or Chemical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Minimum 15 years' experience in mineral processing, including extensive base and precious metals operations, with at least 5 years in a senior or principal-level role.
• Demonstrated expertise across comminution, flotation, leaching, or other relevant unit operations.
• Proven track record of leading processing improvements and delivering tangible performance outcomes.
• Strong background managing multi-site or complex processing environments.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing technical teams.
• Highly effective communicator with the ability to influence at all levels of an organization.

Nice to Have

• Postgraduate qualifications in metallurgy, engineering management, or a related discipline.
• Chartered Professional status (AusIMM or equivalent).
• Experience with both open-pit and underground ore processing environments.
• Exposure to feasibility studies, project execution, or plant design and commissioning.
• Familiarity with process simulation and modelling tools.
• Prior experience across a range of processing circuits, from precious metals to polymetallic.

Leadership Attributes

• Technically authoritative, commanding respect through deep knowledge and sharp judgement.
• Driven and results-oriented, setting ambitious targets and relentlessly pursuing them.
• Direct and decisive, willing to make hard calls and push back when needed.
• Commercially astute, understanding the link between processing performance and business value.
• An engaging leader who inspires high performance and develops those around them.
• Solutions-focused, identifying problems quickly and moving with urgency to resolve them.
• Collaborative across functions without losing sight of processing priorities.
• High-integrity, honest, transparent, and consistent in approach.

A Note on Fit
We understand no candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Contact
Samantha Larson
775-291-3062
Samantha@MRCrecruiting.com