Chief Metallurgist

Position Overview

The Chief Metallurgist at Bunker Hill provides engineering and strategic support for processing operations while leading a zero‑incident safety culture. This role monitors and analyzes plant performance to maximize production, drives research and improvement initiatives, and delivers technical support to operations and support teams. The position works closely with cross‑functional groups to meet production forecasts and budgets and coordinates efforts with mine, environmental, safety, and health departments.

• Support strategic planning, continuous improvement initiatives, and departmental budgeting.
• Develop the technical, commercial, and interpersonal capabilities of department staff.
• Demonstrate strong safety leadership and ensure compliance with all Bunker Hill, State, and Federal safety and environmental regulations.
• Correct unsafe conditions or behaviors promptly and follow up on critical tasks to reinforce safe work and operational excellence.
• Recognize safe performance and conduct root‑cause investigations for incidents as needed.
• Practice Visible Felt Leadership (VFL) daily.
• Facilitate communication and coordination between operations and leadership to resolve operational challenges.
• Provide technical support to plant operations and maintenance, including troubleshooting issues, delivering technical training, maximizing equipment performance, and driving continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with environmental and safety teams to improve industrial hygiene, resolve inspection findings, and maintain regulatory compliance (including HAP).
• Ensure integrity of solution containment and pollution control systems.
• Establish and update operational parameters and targets while investigating significant deviations from production plans.
• Anticipate and resolve issues impacting safety, production reliability, or environmental compliance.
• Optimize performance of each unit operation to achieve production, LOM, and budget expectations

• Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy, Mineral Processing, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 1–5 years of mining or mineral processing experience in a similar role.
• Knowledge of metallurgical procedures, ore characteristics, crushing, grinding, classification, material handling, flotation, dewatering, and pumping.
• Proficiency with MS Office (Excel, Word, Project, Outlook).
• Solid understanding of mining/processing operations and MSHA requirements.
• Experience in differential flotation operations preferred.
• Solid understanding of reliability‑centered maintenance principles.
• Experience with process control systems and data management software.
• Demonstrated safety leadership and strong commitment to safe work practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong drive for continuous improvement and innovation.
• Ability to perform essential job functions and additional assigned tasks.

• Move head and neck repeatedly in up and down, side to side motion at various times throughout shift. Sit and turn head approximately 90 degrees to view driving direction while operating pedals with feet and steering with hands (if applicable).
• Stand, walk, kneel, reach, and/or sit for extended periods of time (up to an entire shift) on concrete, uneven, rock-strewn, wet, snowy, icy, muddy, slick ground or in various lighting while performing duties.
• Use depth perception and peripheral vision continuously during shift.
• Hear, see and smell various kinds of warnings such as audible alarms, voices, hand and light signals, and stench gas (if applicable).
• Wear required protective equipment including; steel toe shoes or boots, safety glasses, hard hat, welding leathers, welding goggles or shield, arc flash protection, fall protection, hearing protection and/or dual hearing protection and if applicable cap lamp, respirator and self-rescuer.
• Perform duties under conditions that may be hazardous including, extreme temperature, high humidity, moving equipment, moving mechanical parts, hot mechanical parts, and equipment traffic; and exposure to fumes, odors, dusts, gases, liquids, greases, and mists.
• Ability to read and write…