MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB:
To assist with effective plant start-up activities, operational process optimization and provide technical support to plant operations team. The position will also be responsible for improving safe performance, reducing operational cost, maximizing plant utilizations, resource performance improvement and improving operational efficiencies.
Key Performance Areas:
- Monitors, investigates and analyses technical performance of the plant chemical process and equipment.
- Investigates problem areas in the metallurgical process and reports findings and possible solutions.
- Ensures metallurgical duties and aspects of the section are carried out as required and technically optimized with production output and quality control.
- Ensures technical process performance and effective plant efficiency and optimization.
- Ensures optimization and utilization of physical assets.
- Implements the SU Process Plant plans, systems, policies, procedures, control standards, measures and programs to ensure delivery of correct uranium grade.
- Applies all relevant statutory requirements, regulations and standards related to the process plant.
- Assists to design and implement technical investigations, testing and controlling of processing procedures to enhance and optimize the recovery process.
- Provides and evaluates information for plant design or modification.
- Analyses process and production results and trends to motivate corrective / improvement action proposals.
- Experiments with different reagents and chemicals to seek more cost effective and/or efficient products.
- Conducts root cause/problem analysis, liaises across interfaces to manage constraints and initiate corrective action and preventative measures.
- Determines, verifies and accounts recovery of product output by weighing. By weighing what?
- Coordinates and controls a metallurgical sampling, testing, calibration and process control service.
- Prepares and conducts reliable and active (pro-active and reactive) metallurgical process analysis, accounting and test work service.
- Prepares and analyses samples to provide accurate and reliable analytical results safely and efficiently.
- Evaluates and validates test results and generate reports.
- Continuously coach and guide employees dealing with test work to ensure quality control. Investigates and recommends special projects for short and long term process modifications / improvement of metallurgical process.
- Identifies opportunities / small projects to improve purification methods and recoveries.
- Assists with the cost analysis for long term projects and operations relating to process optimization.
- Supports with commissioning of new equipment in a sensible manner without upsetting the process.
- Assists / supports in preparing plans and cost estimates for long term projects and operations involving major process modifications, expansion and replacement to increase efficient uranium recovery.
- Assists with feasibility studies to find ways of optimizing efficiency of operations and achievement of Swakop Uranium’s (SU) production objectives.
- Transfers skills to technical and operational staff by providing comprehensive training and development of all operations personnel.
- Carries out plant / process related administrative duties.
- Prepares process plant production reports and statistics as required.
- Ensures all process plant production monitoring, incident and document control systems and databases are maintained.
- Prepares budgets and controls cost items in section within approved parameters.
Requirements and experience:
- B. Sc / B. Tech degree in Chemical Engineering or Metallurgy. NQF Level 7
- Minimum of 8 years’ Technical / Operational experience in Hydrometallurgical processing plant of which 3 years should be in a Supervisory role.
- Uranium processing experience will be an added advantage.
- Plant commissioning, ramp-up & optimization experience will be an added advantage.
- Project delivery and project management experience in the field of process development for mining projects.
- Valid Code B/BE Driver’s License.
