Lead Hand Process Operator

Position Summary

Reporting to the Shift Supervisor, the Lead Hand Process Operator is responsible for ensuring that his/her circuits are operated as per specified Key Input Variables while maintaining a safe working environment. This position entails the operation of a variety of metallurgical unit operations and ancillary equipment. The Lead Hand Plant Operator must possess sufficient mobility to be able to perform housekeeping and/or sampling and analysis duties in areas which may be awkward or difficult to reach. The operator must be physically able to use a variety of physical and chemical testing equipment. The operator must be able to operate mobile equipment such as forklifts and scissor lifts and must be able to go up/down stairs multiple times per shift. This position requires the operator to work a variety of shift schedules including night shifts.

The Lead Hand Process Operator will take on Lead Hand duties when a Shift Supervisor is not on site. This position includes the responsibilities of a Process Operator with added responsibilities of leading plant operations and managing/supervising the Process Operators on shift. The Lead Hand will be provided First-Aid training and must be comfortable with taking on the additional responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Be a safety leader, adhere to and sponsor safety and environmental rules and procedures Observe all applicable safety, quality, environmental and hygiene regulations Identify potential safety hazards, take immediate action to correct the hazard and report the situation to supervisory personnel on site General operation of assigned circuit. This may include but not limited to calculation and measurement of flow rates, startup/shutdown of circuit equipment, handling and mixing of reagents. Monitor process parameters and respond to alarms Review and analyze data to achieve process optimization through circuit adjustments Maintain proper sample/testing documentation such as Chain of Custody, Certificate of Analysis, etc. General housekeeping and minor maintenance duties Communicate end of the day information regarding process changes and issues to Shift Supervisors and senior management. Manage/supervise Process Operators on shift in the absence of Shift Supervisor Lead plant operations in the absence of Shift Supervisor. Qualifications Minimum High School Diploma with operational experience, technical school diploma in a relevant field, or in a co-op engineering program Previous plant experience in an operation role or in testing environment would be an asset Ability to multi-task, have strong organizational skills, a motivated self-starter, and able to work well under pressure to get results Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to work well as a team player or individually Must be able to communicate in both verbal and written form and be capable of maintaining neat and accurate records and logs of plant operation Ability to learn additional processes Flexible to work shifts (including night shifts) Prior supervisory experience is considered an asset