Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation is a US-based gold and silver mining company, which operates its wholly owned Hycroft open pit, gold, and silver mine located an hour southwest of Winnemucca, Nevada.
Job Description
The Lab Superintendent is responsible for the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of the Company's assay laboratory in support of exploration, resource definition, and development activities. The role will lead the restart, commissioning, and ongoing management of the laboratory, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality analytical results while maintaining industry-leading standards for safety, quality assurance, and operational excellence.
The successful candidate will oversee all aspects of laboratory operations, including sample preparation, fire assay, instrumental analysis, QA/QC programs, personnel management, equipment maintenance, budgeting, and regulatory compliance. The position will play a critical role in reducing assay turnaround times and supporting the Company's exploration objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Laboratory Startup and Commissioning
- Lead the reactivation and commissioning of the assay laboratory following a period of inactivity.
- Develop and implement laboratory operating procedures, workflows, and quality management systems.
- Coordinate installation, calibration, validation, and commissioning of analytical equipment.
- Establish laboratory safety programs, hazard assessments, and operating protocols.
- Develop laboratory staffing plans and training programs.
Laboratory Operations
- Manage daily laboratory operations to ensure safe, efficient, and accurate sample processing.
- Oversee sample preparation, crushing, pulverizing, splitting, and assay workflows.
- Ensure analytical results are delivered within established turnaround time targets.
- Monitor laboratory productivity, capacity, and resource utilization.
- Coordinate laboratory scheduling to support exploration and drilling programs.
Analytical and Technical Oversight
- Supervise fire assay operations for gold and silver analysis.
- Oversee multi-element analytical programs utilizing ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS instrumentation.
- Manage sulfide speciation analyses using LECO instrumentation.
- Ensure analytical methods are properly validated and maintained.
- Investigate analytical discrepancies and implement corrective actions when required.
- Review, validate, and approve analytical data prior to release.
Analytical and Technical Oversight
- Supervise fire assay operations for gold and precious metals analysis.
- Oversee multi-element analytical programs utilizing ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS instrumentation.
- Manage carbon, sulfur, and other elemental analyses using LECO instrumentation.
- Ensure analytical methods are properly validated and maintained.
- Investigate analytical discrepancies and implement corrective actions when required.
- Review, validate, and approve analytical data prior to release.
Leadership and Personnel Management
- Recruit, train, mentor, and supervise laboratory personnel.
- Establish performance expectations and development plans for laboratory staff.
- Foster a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate staffing requirements to support changing operational demands.
Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance
- Promote and maintain a strong safety culture throughout laboratory operations.
- Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Conduct safety inspections, incident investigations, and risk assessments.
- Ensure proper handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals and hazardous materials.
Budgeting and Continuous Improvement
- Develop and manage laboratory operating and capital budgets.
- Identify opportunities to improve laboratory efficiency, quality, and turnaround times.
- Manage laboratory consumables, reagents, and equipment inventories.
- Evaluate and implement new analytical technologies and methodologies where appropriate.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Geochemistry, Metallurgy, Geological Sciences, or a related scientific discipline.
- Advanced technical certifications or management training are considered an asset.
Experience
- Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in mining, commercial, or metallurgical laboratories.
- Minimum 3 years in a laboratory supervisory, superintendent, or management role.
- Demonstrated experience supporting gold and silver exploration, resource development, or mining operations.
- Proven experience commissioning, operating, or expanding laboratory facilities.
- Extensive experience managing high-volume sample throughput in exploration environments.
Technical Requirements
- Strong knowledge of gold and silver fire assay techniques.
- Hands-on experience with ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS instrumentation and associated analytical methods.
- Hands-on experience with LECO carbon and sulfur analyzers and related sample preparation procedures.
- Strong understanding of QA/QC protocols used in exploration and mining laboratories.
- Experience with laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
- Working knowledge of statistical quality control and analytical method validation.
- Familiarity with ISO 17025 laboratory quality systems and accreditation requirements.
Leadership Competencies
- Strong leadership and team-building skills.
- Excellent organizational and project management abilities.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Effective communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Ability to work effectively in a dynamic exploration environment with changing priorities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience establishing laboratories from startup through full operational status.
- Familiarity with geochemical exploration programs and resource drilling campaigns.
- Experience managing assay turnaround time performance and laboratory optimization initiatives.
Safety, Environmental, Compliance
· Adheres to all safety and environmental disciplines.
· Have a strong commitment to safe working practices.
· Is alert and observes, corrects, and reports unsafe conditions.
· Follows operating procedures and complies with all regulatory requirements.
