Principal Tailings Innovation - Minerals Americas | BHP Chile

About the Role

Reporting into the Manager Mineral Processing Innovation, this role is part of a global team that is a true organizational catalyst on the cusp of leading us into the future to fulfil our commitments and shape new aspirations; ultimately making us an innovative, productive, safer, and a more sustainable enterprise.  

The role will be focused primarily on tailings innovation with a focus on process/metallurgical engineering to enable not only innovation in the tailings facilities but discovery and development of upstream processes that significantly impact on the tailing facilities. You will play a pivotal role in identifying, developing, testing, and implementing these technologies and processes that drive step change improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of tailings facilities.

This team will deeply partner with our Assets, other Functional teams and within the broader Innovation team to future-proof the Mining Industry through alignment of emerging technologies to solve for Asset challenges.. The team drives development of solutions that solve for internal business needs and external trends that will be the foundation of the BHP processing facilities inclusive of tailings in the future. 

As Principal Tailings Innovation, you will form part of a team working with our Assets and the broader BHP business, including other innovation sub-teams.  You will be responsible for the development and delivery of a balanced portfolio of concepts & technology solutions consolidated into the product development roadmaps.  You will also provide relevant technical subject matter expertise across the teams.

Main Accountabilities

• Development of Workstream Product Roadmaps that meet the asset requirements and unlocks future growth options across the short, medium and long term horizons.
• Management of the forward work plan to allow effective progression of technologies through the innovation pipeline.
• Work in collaboration with Ecosystems team for the identification of new prospective innovative technologies and concepts of operation for opportunities that target step change business opportunities and gaps in the portfolio to solve business needs.
• Develop the technical risk-based learning plans, budgets and schedules for technologies to be effectively and efficiently developed from early phases of maturity to be ready for onsite demonstration of technical, practical and economic viability.
• Development of business cases inclusive of commercial considerations to allow for early phase assessment of technology economic attractiveness.
• Active management of the development test work programs both with internal BHP resources and external vendors to derisk technologies. Facilitating transition of prospective innovations through to onsite demonstration.
• Close collaboration with the Delivery Team for the development of the requirements to gate into onsite testing of prospective innovation and subsequent ongoing technical support to facilitate the successful onsite piloting.
• Provides relevant technical subject matter expertise across the team for the assessment of new technologies and technologies that are being site tested.
• Facilitation and participation with the RCoE, Assets and other Functional teams in Technical Working Groups focuses on strategies, sharing of information, leveraging global expertise and resources.

About You

As a successful candidate you will possess the following:

• Graduate degree preferably in Metallurgical / Processing Engineering required.
• Graduate or postgraduate qualifications in tailings related field desirable.
• 10+ years experience with deep technical expertise in processing related to tailings operations inclusive of thickening, filtration, tailings transport system, in-situ tailings dewatering, dry stack and water treatment. 
• Experience and exposure to operational, design and technology development preferred.
• Passion for innovation with an ability to turn the creative and novel ideas into practical solutions.
• Proven ability to identify and develop technologies from early phase through to onsite piloting using innovation methodologies.
• Ability to develop and manage technical work programs with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Technical expertise to assess work program outcomes/results and make data-driven recommendations for business decisions.
• Financial acumen to effectively assess innovation technologies.
• Proven ability to apply technical knowledge into the system thinking linking multiple technologies into a whole of process concept of operation.
• Proven ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to think strategically and assess multiple future scenarios.