Senior Technical Advisor – Process Metallurgist / Mineral Processing & Refining

About the opportunity

Axyde Analytics is assembling a U.S.-eligible team for USTDA Global Critical Minerals Project Scoping Services. The anticipated 24-month assignment may include concept screens, assessments, TORs and budgets, project reports, sector deep dives, stakeholder consultations and limited international travel. This is a contingent, project-based consulting opportunity; engagement depends on contract award and assignment demand.

What you will do

• Lead rapid technical screens of ore-to-product pathways, recovery assumptions, process maturity, scale-up risk and infrastructure dependencies.
• Evaluate comminution, flotation, gravity/magnetic separation, leaching, solvent extraction, precipitation, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy and refining routes as applicable.
• Review metallurgical testwork, mass balances, recoveries, reagent/water/energy demand, residues, emissions, product specifications and marketability.
• Develop or review scopes, schedules and budgets for test programs, pilot plants, feasibility studies and technical assistance.
• Contribute defensible findings, risk registers, cost assumptions and implementation recommendations to concise USTDA deliverables.

Minimum qualifications

• At least 10 years of directly relevant metallurgy, mineral-processing or refining experience; critical-minerals experience strongly preferred.
• B.S. or higher in metallurgical, mineral-processing, chemical, mining or closely related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated work on scoping, prefeasibility/feasibility, pilot, due-diligence or operating-improvement assignments.
• Ability to distinguish conventional, emerging and unproven process technologies and explain scale-up and integration risks to decision-makers.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, rare earths, graphite, gallium or other U.S.-designated critical minerals.
• Emerging-market project experience and familiarity with U.S. equipment, technology and service suppliers.
• Professional registration, graduate degree, Qualified Person experience or recognized industry credentials.

Required eligibility

• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident; able to certify eligibility before proposal use or engagement.
• Available for short-turn remote assignments, on-call work during an anticipated 24-month period, and international travel when requested.
• Able to sign confidentiality, conflict-of-interest, commitment/consent and other required representations.

How to express interest

• Apply through the posting platform or the Axyde Analytics contact that shared this announcement. Include:
• Resume or CV limited to three pages, emphasizing directly relevant projects and personal responsibilities.
• A 150-word summary connecting your experience to this role and identifying critical-minerals commodities and countries supported.
• Availability through the anticipated performance period, travel capacity, and confirmation of U.S.-citizen or lawful-permanent-resident status; do not send identity documents.
• Proposed hourly/daily rate or rate range and any known organizational or financial conflicts.