A Process Scientist (Mineral and Inorganic) designs, optimizes, and scales up chemical and physical methods to extract, purify, and transform raw ores, minerals, and inorganic compounds into commercial materials. This role bridges the gap between laboratory research and full-scale industrial manufacturing across mining, metallurgy, specialty chemicals, ceramics, and battery materialsCore Responsibilities Process Development and Flow-Sheeting. You design laboratory and bench-scale experiments to test new extraction, separation, and synthesis routes. This includes building process flow-sheets and calculating mass and energy balancesBeneficiation and Extraction. You develop physical and chemical methods-such as crushing, froth flotation, leaching, roasting, and hydrometallurgy-to separate valuable elements from low-grade ores or industrial wasteScale-Up and Pilot Trials. You translate successful lab experiments into pilot-plant operations and commercial manufacturing. You work closely with chemical and mechanical engineers to size equipment and resolve scale-up bottlenecksCharacterization and Quality Control. You analyze raw materials, intermediates, and finished products to ensure purity and performance. Common techniques include X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), spectroscopy, and particle size analysisOptimization and Troubleshooting. You monitor ongoing production to improve yields, reduce reagent or energy costs, and fix operational defectsWaste Valorization and Compliance. You create methods to safely treat tailings, slimes, and chemical byproducts, often recovering secondary metals to support circular economy goals