Chief Metallurgist

Orla Mining • Elko, NV

5d

About The Position

Orla Mining is seeking a Chief Metallurgist to lead, develop, and optimize the metallurgical aspects of their gold recovery processes. The goal is to ensure the operation delivers safe, efficient, and cost-effective production. Orla Mining is an emerging gold producer with a diversified asset base, including the South Railroad Project in Nevada, the Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine in Mexico, and the Musselwhite Mine in Ontario. The company is committed to building a legacy of excellence, respect, and sustainable value through responsible gold mining, aiming to create a net positive benefit for all and leaving a legacy beyond the life of their mines.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering, chemical engineering or similar field required.
• A minimum of 10 years of extractive metallurgy and mineral processing experience required.
• Five or more years of assay and metallurgical laboratory management experience required.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in heap leach operations, cyanide-based recovery systems, gold and silver recovery circuits and mine-to-mill integration preferred.
• Metallurgical accounting and reconciliation expertise preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior management in the development and execution of site-wide metallurgical strategies that maximize gold recovery and align with business objectives.
• Lead metallurgical input into feasibility studies, detailed engineering, commissioning, and operational ramp-up to reach steady state operations.
• Provide expert guidance on process design, flowsheet optimization, and technology implementation.
• Serve as technical advisor on comminution, heap leach, gold recovery, and refinery performance.
• Monitor KPIs including recovery, grade reconciliation, leach kinetics, reagent consumption, and refinery performance.
• Implement metallurgical accounting and reconciliation systems.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to maximize throughput, recovery, plant availability, and reagent efficiency.
• Conduct metallurgical balancing, performance modeling, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis to ensure stable operation and predictable production.
• Validate and optimize crushing, stacking, leaching, adsorption, elution, electrowinning, and refining circuits.
• Ensure all metallurgical deliverables are completed safely, on time, and within budget.
• Oversee assay laboratory and metallurgical laboratory operations to ensure accuracy, precision, and data integrity.
• Implement robust QA/AC systems and best practices in the lab.
• Lead, mentor, and develop metallurgical engineers, laboratory staff, and technical personnel to build a high-performance, safety-focused team.
• Support regulatory compliance, environmental performance, and sustainability initiatives.
• Collaborate with vendors, consultants, and technology providers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior