Lead Engineer Process (Mt Holland)

About Us 

At Covalent Lithium, we are genuinely passionate about creating a clean energy future and supporting our teams who enable this vision. 

Following the commissioning of our mine and concentrator at Mt Holland in 2024, we recently celebrated our first production of battery -grade lithium hydroxide at our Kwinana Refinery. We are now a fully integrated mine-to-refinery operation, supplying high quality lithium hydroxide to global markets and enabling approximately 1 million electric vehicles to go on the road, every year for the next 50 years.

We are proud to foster a culture where people with different skills, experiences and backgrounds are welcomed and set-up for success.

We support, empower and reward our people with a range of benefits:
•    Competitive remuneration, and annual incentives for eligible employees
•    Access to discounts, recognition and rewards
•    Dedicated wellbeing program support and discounted health insurance
•    Equal access to paid parental leave, financial support, return to work and parenting room
•    Salary sacrifice options for superannuation and novated leasing
•    Discounted FIFO parking with Perth Airport

The Role

This role will provide process engineering expertise in spodumene concentration (e.g. analysing, solving issues, identifying/mitigating risks, optimising operating efficiency and supporting process designs). 

You will be accountable for providing leadership and direction to the Mt Holland Concentrator in developing, maintaining, modifying and improving the processing strategies for the Concentrator, while striving for zero harm for employees, contractors and the environment. 

This position will be a technical role working on optimising the plant to improve its performance. 

This is a permanent full-time position on a 4:3 FIFO roster EX Perth to our Mt Holland site.

Key Responsibilities 

•    Develop thorough review and understanding of MEB balances, consumption factors and equipment sizing; Assess and understand impact of changes in the process.
•    Develop, plan and implement/oversee strategies for continuous improvement in the processing plant performance
•    Lead engineering projects and interact with engineering companies and/or vendors as counterpart to deliver successful implementation
•    Support operational readiness and commissioning activities which will include leading a shift commissioning team
•    Developing operating methods and procedures related to operational and process engineering tasks.
•    Utilise process knowledge to support process control troubleshooting and diagnosis as well as drive continuous improvements through the development and/or refinement of Functional Descriptions and Functions Specifications. 
•    Collaborating with the on-site laboratory team to ensure continuous improvement and plant optimisation 
•    Resolving medium to long term process issues associated with the operating plant, identifying and implementing continuous improvement projects
•    Setting, monitoring and reporting on medium term parameters and control strategies, including setting addition rates, and controlling and monitoring usage of all concentrator reagent consumables
•    Support efforts to ensure process engineering risk are understood, controlled, and reduced to deliver safe and competitive solutions
•    Metallurgical accounting and reconciliation from the ROM ore feed to the spodumene concentrate. 
•    Ensuring operational readiness of the plant from a process engineering perspective
•    Develop fit for purpose procedures and strategies
•    Ensure risks are identified and managed and a safe working environment is maintained
•    Providing technical support to the operation
•    Undertake projects to optimise plant performance

Role Requirements

•    Metallurgist, Chemical Engineer and/or equivalent qualification
•    Valid driver’s license
•    10 years in fixed plant processing (experience in lithium processing desired)
•    Experience in commissioning and operational readiness activities is highly desirable
•    Strong technical knowledge of flotation, DMS, grinding.
•    Demonstrated track record of problem solving and solution implementation in a multi-discipline team-based environment
•    Experience in process trending and simulation software
•    Leading of risk assessments and systematic problem solving (HAZOP, HAZID, LOPA, RCA etc)
•    Exceptional report writing skills

A competitive remuneration package commensurate with the role, candidate experience, skills and qualifications will be offered.  

Our team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Candidates from all backgrounds and ages are encouraged to apply, including First Nations People, those who identify as LGBTIQ+, people with disabilities and those with neurodiverse, intersectional, or multiple diverse characteristics.

Covalent Lithium is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, with a focus on our employees. We recognise skills, expertise, commitment and living our values of Purpose, Care, Accountability and Collaboration. Our goal is to attract, develop, motivate, reward, and retain the best people in the industry. 

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