Plant Operator

Alta Resource Technologies•Boulder, CO

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Alta Resource Technologies (Alta) is a next generation mining company that uses synthetic biology to separate critical minerals from conventional and unconventional resources, including e-waste. Founded in 2023, the company is expanding its team in Boulder, CO. The exponential growth of new tech industries, as well as the information technology sector, are driving historic growth in mineral demand and stressing existing supply streams. Meeting new demand, diversifying the supply chain, and producing minerals in a more sustainable manner requires the rapid development, deployment and scaling of new technologies. This mineral challenge represents a historic opportunity for technology development and value creation. Alta is proud to be at the vanguard of this mega trend. Berkner Group has been retained to execute this search. If Berkner Group contacted you directly, please respond to the recruiter who reached out to you. If you are applying through this job posting and your background is a strong match, a member of the Berkner Group team may contact you to discuss the opportunity. Alta is seeking a talented and safety-conscious Plant Operator to join our growing Operations team. This role will support the safe operation, maintenance and improvement of our Demonstration Facility and contribute to technology improvement. A successful candidate should have strong focus on safety and environmental responsibility with operational and maintenance experience working with process equipment such as pumps, compressors, tanks, instrumentation and controls. There should be a strong desire to collaborate across disciplines including R&D and engineering to acquire critical information to inform commercial design. Key tasks include equipment operation, maintenance, sample collection, sample analysis and reporting. The role requires full-time, on-site presence at our Boulder Facility.

Requirements

Technology Diploma or equivalent with at least 2 years of experience operating industrial equipment such as pumps, compressors, valves, tanks, instrumentation and controls
High School Diploma or GED with at least 3 years of experience operating industrial equipment such as pumps, compressors, valves, tanks, instrumentation, and controls
Mechanically inclined and can troubleshoot and fix equipment
Basic math skills and able to calculate rates and ratios (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and decimals)
Ability to interpret technical documentation such as P&IDs
Comfortable communicating clearly in group settings
Strong problem-solving skills
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

Operational experience with unit operations such as adsorption, column separation, chromatography, solid/liquid separation, solids handling, rotary kilns/calciners and other hydrometallurgy-related unit operations would be an asset
PLC/DCS programming and troubleshooting knowledge would be an asset
Hands-on experience working on scaling-up technology from pilot to commercial scale

Responsibilities

Operate all equipment within the process from the PLC and/or the field. This includes but is not limited to loading equipment with raw materials, operating valves, pumps, compressors and other chemical plant equipment.
Perform all work safely using sound Operating principles, using SOPs and reporting all HSE incidents in a timely fashion
Ensure all equipment monitoring requirements are fulfilled including recording equipment and process information (for example monitoring pumps and operating parameters by reading gauges in the field or in the computer system)
Troubleshoot process and equipment related problems (including but not limited to piping, tanks, pressure vessels, pumps, compressors, HVAC, instrumentation and controls)
Collaborate with Engineers and R&D team to execute test and production plans
Work within the Permit to Work process to issue work permits and ensure equipment is prepared for safe maintenance
Perform routine maintenance on equipment
Rearrange plant equipment such as piping and pumps to make modifications to the process based on approved design changes
Collect samples and perform chemical analyses including recording and communicating results
Participate in plant hazard studies, audits and other initiatives
Support the implementation of Process Safety and relevant HSE procedures
Support the development and implementation of Operations and Maintenance procedures
Support Operational Readiness activities for the Demo plant
Contribute to technology improvement and optimization studies/projects
Implement strategies developed by the Process Engineer and R&D teams