Process Development Scientist

Role: Process Development Scientist

Salary: Competitive

Hours: 40h M-F

Location: Stenalees, Cornwall

Would you like to be involved in Europe's first integrated Lithium production facility?

The joint venture between Imerys and British Lithium:

Imerys British Lithium (IBL) is a joint venture between Imerys S.A. and Lithium Assets Ltd., formerly British Lithium, developing a world class micaceous lithium resource in Cornwall. IBL have developed unique, patented technology for the sustainable recovery of battery grade lithium carbonate from micaceous granite, with the goal of building the world’s first integrated lithium mine, beneficiation plant and refinery producing 20,000tpa of lithium carbonate - enough to support production in the UK of 350,000 electric vehicles per year.

The role: You will develop and improve novel process technologies for extracting, refining and purifying lithium from micaceous granites. The role is responsible for the successful execution of bench-scale trials and provision of scientific design data for the British Lithium Project.

This will involve dialogue with design engineers, and project stakeholders in defining, specifying and de-risking the process technology that will deliver lithium carbonate product to the market.

Your main responsibilities: You will undertake bench-scale trials and experiments in the Metallurgical Laboratory and within the Pilot Plant areas, including sample collection, analysis, data collection and data recording whilst being;

• A member of the Process Development team, conducting laboratory bench-scale metallurgical and process chemistry test work at either British Lithium in-house facilities or external laboratories.
• Ensuring the safe operation of laboratory equipment, including Atomic Adsorption Spectrometer and portable XRF machinery, contribution to sustaining capital and improvement capital requests, logging and recording trial and analytical data, and technical reporting of the outcomes of bench-scale trials.
• You may be required to deputise for the Person in Charge (PIC) of the Metallurgical Laboratory facility and equipment, or a sub-area thereof.
• Undertaking basic maintenance and calibrations of laboratory equipment.
• Coordinating samples for analytical assays, including collecting, labelling, and shipping.
• Ensuring the safe storage, use and disposal of chemicals in the laboratory. This includes updating COSHH records and contributing to COSHH Risk Assessments.
• Contributing to reviewing, developing and maintaining QA/QC polices for the collection, testing and analysis of samples, ensuring proper chain of custody.
• Developing experimental programmes to support process engineering design activities.
• Producing technical memoranda, progress reports and technical report sections for key Project phases.
• Undertaking sample collection, sample preparation, drying, filtration, splitting, crushing, pulverising, pelletising, pXRF testing.

What we ask you in return: You will ideally be experienced in mineral and chemical process technologies within a mining environment.

• Have a degree level qualification in Chemistry or an earth science
• Have experience of working in a process laboratory environment, with knowledge of inorganic chemical processes and lithium chemistries
• Have knowledge of health & safety standards and COSHH regulations and, ideally, have a vocational health and safety qualification
• Working knowledge of process design for mineral and chemical processes.

All roles within Imerys British Lithium require flexibility and ability to adapt. During periods of extended operating campaigns, intense activity and / or reduced staff availability, the role may be required to undertake any activities to support the project, subject to adequate competency for specialist tasks

What’s in for you? You will be working for Imerys, the world leader in mineral-based specialty solutions for industry, with over 16,000 employees and over 200 sites worldwide. Imerys delivers high value-added, functional solutions to diversified sets of industrial sectors, from processing industries to consumer goods. We support your professional development including training, costs, offering a competitive salary and other benefits such as;

• Company sick pay entitlement after 6 months service,
• Life Assurance,
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan,
• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays,
• Income Protection for DC members,
• Long Service awards,
• Reward Hub & Local Discounts,
• Flu Vouchers,
• Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme,
• Health & Wellbeing Programme, Eye Care Vouchers,
• Cycle to work scheme and
• Endeavour club (off site gym) to help you stay fit and healthy.

Our people are important to us, our workplaces are diverse and inclusive and whilst maintaining the health, safety and environmental standards on site, for yourself and others around you, we’re an organisation with a wealth of career and development opportunities that allow you to tap into your full potential.

To apply, please follow the link below.