Metallurgist

Kunin Technologies•Chattanooga, TN

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Kunin Technologies is hiring a Metallurgist to run metallurgical testwork that informs whether projects advance through stage gates. Working under the Principal Metallurgist, the role turns feed samples and technical questions into test programs, executes them in Kunin’s Chattanooga laboratory or at partner laboratories, and reports results that the engineering team can use for design. The work supports metal recovery projects involving resources such as scandium, gallium, germanium, copper, cobalt, rhodium, and gold. The position involves bench-scale hydrometallurgical testing, sample preparation and characterization, mass-balance closure, laboratory equipment operation and maintenance, procedure and record keeping, and preparation of data packages for stage-gate reports. It also supports pilot campaigns at Kunin and partner facilities, including shift coverage during continuous runs. The role is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, requires relocation and travel to partner sites in the United States and Canada, and frequently involves extended hours and weekends to meet project milestones.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical, chemical, or mineral processing engineering.
2 to 6 years of hydrometallurgical or mineral processing testwork experience.
Bench-testing experience with leaching, ion exchange, and solvent extraction, including careful control of pH, temperature, and reagent addition.
Ability to handle laboratory data, including mass balances and recovery calculations, and produce auditable spreadsheets or scripts.
Comfort with analytical techniques such as ICP, titration, and XRD, and the judgment to recognize when results may be unreliable.
Willingness to work in an early-stage startup environment with high autonomy and expectations.
Team-oriented approach to laboratory safety, complete records, and communication with the Principal Metallurgist.
Willingness to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Availability to travel to partner sites and laboratories in the United States and Canada for sampling and pilot campaigns.
Availability for frequently required extended hours and weekends to support critical project milestones.

Responsibilities

Plan and execute bench-scale hydrometallurgical testwork, including leaching, solid-liquid separation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, precipitation, and crystallization.
Prepare and characterize samples through sub-sampling, head assays, and particle-size distributions, while maintaining defensible chain-of-custody records.
Close mass balances for every test and flag results that do not close before they reach a report.
Operate and maintain laboratory equipment, including reactors, columns, filters, mixer-settlers, and analytical instruments.
Write test procedures, maintain laboratory records, and produce data packages for stage-gate reports.
Support pilot campaigns at Kunin and partner facilities, including shift coverage during continuous runs.
Keep the laboratory safe, maintain complete records, and keep the Principal Metallurgist informed.