POSITION SUMMARY

Provides metallurgical project support, oversight, and assistance at a 2300 ton per day Lead-Zinc-Silver surface mill and concentrator to develop, maintain and continuously improve upon the operation. This position is responsible for all metallurgical projects and reports to the Mill Superintendent.

Safety, Health & Environmental Responsibilities AND Accountabilities
Include, but are not limited to:

• Will be responsible for all safety & health, and environmental matters pertaining to the metallurgical projects
• Promote open communication and cooperation between all departments and contractors
• Ensure that all employees, contractors, and visitors involved with the metallurgical projects are informed of safety, health, and environmental issues on site and distribute relevant safety, health, and environmental information
• Ensure Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) are completed for appropriate tasks and participate in the process
• Undertake safety and health audits and inspections and interact with personnel concerning improving work practices and following up on action items
• Support all personnel in achieving and maintaining desired safety, health, and environmental outcomes
• Manage, notify, report, and investigate incidents and hazards in a timely manner as required
• Manage project compliance with safety and health requirements and ensure issues are being addressed prior to commencement of work (such as permits completed, isolations checked, and tagging completed)
• Manage project compliance with federal and state environmental regulations to ensure a field presence on a routine basis
• Verify that personnel and contractors hold the appropriate qualifications and licenses
• Monitor the safe use and control of all tools and equipment by employees and contractors working on the metallurgical projects
• Promote and assist in the implementation of site safety initiatives and safety-monitoring tools
• Attend and monitor project, pre-start and toolbox meetings, ensuring they are appropriately conducted with minutes prepared and action items developed
• Assist in preparing monthly project reports and contribute to safety, health and environmental reporting

Leadership Competencies

• Employee focus—manage employee situations, respond promptly to employee needs, and keep commitments
• Problem solving—identify and resolve problems in a timely manner as well gather and analyze information skillfully
• Interpersonal skills—maintain confidentiality, remain open to others’ ideas, and exhibit willingness to try new things
• Communication—speak clearly and persuasively in a positive manner, edit work for spelling and grammar, present numerical data effectively, and read and interpret written information
• Planning/organizing—prioritize and plan work activities, use time efficiently, and develop realistic action plans
• Quality control—demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness and monitor all project work to ensure quality
• Adaptability—adapt to a complex and dynamic work environment, including delays and unexpected events, creating ongoing need to reassess and manage changing priorities that may conflict at times
• Dependability—consistently follow instructions, respond to management direction, and solicit feedback to improve performance and complete projects
• Self-awareness—recognize and understand moods, emotions, and drives of self; as well as their effect on others
• Self-regulation—control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods and the propensity to suspend judgment
• Motivation—bring a passion to work for reasons which go beyond money or status and have a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence
• Empathy—understand the emotional makeup of people and have skill in treating people per their emotional reactions
• Social skills—proficient in managing relationships and building networks while finding common ground and building rapport

Supervisor Responsibilities

• Supervise all aspects of metallurgical and process improvement projects
• Control project costs and production through efficient delegation and management of resources
• Take the lead in any emergency and understand HGCMC emergency response book
• Provide safety training, perform job observations as required, and review safe work practices with employees and contractors as needed
• Help train and develop employees to improve their capabilities and prepare them to effectively operate new equipment and processes resulting from completed projects.
• Complete daily paperwork and computer work that document project status
• Ensure employees have the tools, equipment, supplies, guidance, and support to succeed
• Assist in creation, enforcement, and improvement of standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Departmental Responsibilities

• Oversee the implementation of all metallurgical and mill performance improvement projects in the grinding, flotation, gravity, and de-watering circuits.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of any employees or contractors working on mill projects.
• Help develop and control the project budgets and provide input to the overall mill budget.
• Propose and justify capital expenditures for mill projects using the AFE process.
• Help provide metallurgical forecasts and projected mill performance estimates resulting from the improvement projects using updated models and help keep the metallurgical models up to date.
• Help monitor and sponsor development of operational, maintenance and metallurgical information systems to incorporate changes resulting from the improvement projects.
• Help oversee any process engineering functions that need updating due to changes in performance caused by the improvement projects. This includes maintaining the SQL server, information data bases, Panel View changes, OSA models, SCADA programming and OCS configurations.
• Interact with the operations group to maximize throughput and recovery in the concentrator, on projects and in day to day operations, incorporating input from operations and maintenance whenever possible.
• Provide technical support and training assistance to Mill Operations with focus on grinding and flotation operators and provide support and guidance on improvement projects throughout the mill.
• Interact with the mine and geology staffs as necessary to enable completion of any mill project.
• Interact with mill management and the accounting/marketing group to estimate or capture expected changes resulting from the mill improvement projects.
• Sponsor internal and external research and development of systems and processes to increase economic recovery from ore, to increase productivity and provide ideas for future projects.
• Manage and host engineers, consultants, salesmen and visitors relating to metallurgical projects at the concentrator.
• Know, encourage and endorse all Safety, Industrial Hygiene and Environmental standards.
• Coordinate all project reporting functions.
• Use bench scale, pilot scale and plant scale testing or analysis of plant data to investigate, develop, refine and improve the metallurgical and materials balance flow sheets.

The mill is highly instrumented, and the metallurgists also work with PLC based:

• Graphic operator interfaces
• Process data storage, retrieval, trending and on-line mass balancing
• Expert; advisory and supervisory control systems.
• Modeling software
• Other duties may be assigned.

Education and/or Experience

• B.S. or equivalent in Metallurgy, Mineral Processing, or related field.
• Prior experience of six or more years successfully completing mill construction and improvement projects.

Experience/ Special Skills

• Advanced computer skills involving Excel and data bases, and the programming and understanding of computer-controlled instrumentation desirable.

Other Qualifications

• Pass a pre-employment physical and drug screen
• Pass a position-specific physical demands assessment
  

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, employees may be frequently required to stand, walk, or sit for extended periods of time; use hand and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb and balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl. The employee must be able to talk and hear.

Vision:

• Able to judge distances and spatial relationships to avoid accidents while driving and walking underground
• Have clarity of vision while operating machinery, reading gauges, and placing tools
• Have clarity of vision for distances while navigating within the mine and access roads efficiently and safely
• Able to adjust varying points of reference while safely navigating the terrain, maintaining awareness of traffic, and operating tools and machinery
• Able to identify vehicles, machinery, and people in peripheral vision

Speaking:

• Able to clearly communicate with co-workers and supervisors on the radio and in person

Hearing:

• Must wear hearing protection if working in the mill, and other designated work areas as appropriate.

Work Environment & Job Schedule
Employees may be exposed to underground work environments; outside weather conditions, wet and/or humid conditions; extreme cold, extreme heat, potentially hazardous wildlife; moving mechanical parts; high precarious places; fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; explosives and vibration. The noise level in the mill and other work environments can be very loud. This position may occasionally require work on weekends.

Greens Creek

The Greens Creek Mine, located on Admiralty Island, 18 miles south of Juneau, is an underground polymetallic mine employing approximately 435 people. The mine is owned and operated by Hecla Mining Company, headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Established in 1891, Hecla has a rich history as a distinguished and respected precious metals producer. Winner of numerous safety and environmental awards, Greens Creek is seeking new team members committed to professional growth and success.

Community

Juneau, Alaska's capital, is the third largest city in the state. Like Alaska, Juneau is full of contrasts, a sophisticated cosmopolitan city in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Nestled at the base of mountains overlooking the Gastineau Channel, Juneau is surrounded by intercoastal waterways, lush rain forests, rugged mountainsides, and awe-inspiring glaciers. This small city has it all, the adventure of the "last frontier" as well as a good education system, year-round cultural and sports activities, a wide variety of entertainment, world class fishing and wildlife viewing, temperate weather, and a strong sense of community. Juneau is rich in mining history and Greens Creek is proud to contribute to that heritage by operating in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Compensation & Benefits

Hecla Greens Creek offers competitive pay based on experience and an excellent low-cost benefits package for medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as other coverages such as disability coverage and life insurance. Retirement benefits include a pension plan and 401(k) with company match.