Senior Smelting Technician

Employment Category: Permanent

Location: Uganda

Position Summary

The Senior Smelting Technician at GS Group Uganda will lead our gold room operations. In this critical role, you will be responsible for the safe and efficient operation of smelting furnaces, managing flux chemistry, and producing high-purity gold bullion. You will serve as a technical expert, mentor junior technicians, and drive process optimization to maximize recovery and minimize losses. Your expertise will ensure that all smelting activities meet stringent quality, safety, and environmental standards.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

1.     Smelting Operations: Operate, monitor, and optimize induction and gas-fired smelting furnaces. Manage all aspects of the smelting process, including crucible loading, flux chemistry (borax, soda ash, silica), and slag tapping. Oversee the pouring of molten gold into Molds to produce certified bullion bars.

2.     Process Optimization & Troubleshooting: Analyse process data to identify and implement optimization strategies that improve recovery rates, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency. Troubleshoot and resolve complex operational issues related to furnace performance, slag chemistry, and product quality.

3.     Quality Assurance: Ensure all smelted gold meets stringent purity and quality specifications. Conduct or oversee assays and quality control checks on feed material and finished bullion. Maintain accurate documentation of lot and pour numbers for traceability.

4.     Safety & Compliance: Champion a strong safety culture. Ensure all smelting activities comply with environmental, health, and safety regulations. Conduct risk assessments for gold room activities and ensure proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

5.     Maintenance & Housekeeping: Oversee the maintenance and cleaning of smelting furnaces, crucibles, tools, and associated machinery. Report equipment faults and coordinate maintenance requirements to minimize downtime.

6.     Leadership & Training: Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to junior technicians and operators. Lead technical training to ensure the team understands and can effectively utilize process control systems and best practices.

7.     Inventory & Cost Management: Monitor and manage the consumption of consumables, fluxes, and reagents. Contribute to budgeting and cost-control initiatives.

8.     Reporting & Documentation: Prepare daily, monthly, and ad-hoc metallurgical reports on smelting performance, production, and quality. Update and maintain operational documentation and procedures.

Perform any additional related tasks as assigned by supervisors or management.

About You

Education & Experience

·       A technical diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or a related field is highly preferred.

·       Minimum of 5+ years of progressive experience in gold smelting, refining, or gold room operations in a large-scale industrial or mining environment.

·       Deep knowledge of pyrometallurgical processes, including furnace operation (induction, gas-fired), flux chemistry, slag management, and bullion casting. Familiarity with upstream processes like elution, electrowinning, and retorting is a strong asset.

·       Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to work under pressure. Proven leadership and team-building capabilities, with effective communication and mentoring skills.

·       Commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. Physical ability to work in a hot, industrial environment and to lift heavy materials.

Working Conditions

·       Environment: This role is primarily based in an industrial processing plant or gold room, which involves exposure to high temperatures, molten metal, and heavy machinery. Strict adherence to safety protocols and the use of PPE is mandatory.

·       Schedule: Full-time employment on station and off station where necessary.