Edwin Mutai
Senior Metallurgist/ Statutory Supervisor
Perth,WA
Summary
Senior metallurgist & Statutory Supervisor with technical knowledge in lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other base metal commodities. Experienced in research, lab- and field-based roles.
Metallurgical profession with over 10 years of experience in industry ranging from flowsheet development, operational readiness, commissioning, process improvements and integrated process plant expansions.
Independent, organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Metallurgist
Pilbara Minerals
01.2023 - 12.2024
- WA qualified statutory supervisor.
- Supervised plant metallurgists and technicians.
- Established standard operating procedures for metallurgical tasks, guaranteeing reproducibility of results across multiple sites.
- Leveraged geometallurgical analytical techniques for plant metrics and g, ensuring product compliance with specifications.
- Streamlined production processes, reducing material waste and improving efficiency.
- Enhanced metallurgical processes by troubleshooting and optimizing existing systems.
- Actively participated in professional development opportunities such as conferences or workshops, staying informed of industry trends and best practices.
- Championed safety initiatives, resulting in reduced workplace accidents and incidents.
- Mentored junior metallurgists, fostering culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
- Achieved consistent product quality by implementing rigorous quality control measures.
- Presented technical findings to internal stakeholders and external clients, showcasing expertise and driving business growth.
- Mentored junior metallurgists, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
- Coordinated with maintenenace departments and suppliers to perform tests on new consumables and equipment.
- Developed and implemented metrics and methods to improve metal recovery, making procedures and processes sturdier and adaptable to various workgroups.
Senior Metallurgist
Primero Group - Operations & Maintenance
8 2022 - 01.2023
- Plant commissioning, operational readiness and ramp up for production
- Technical report writing and analyzing plant data, offsite test work and laboratory findings
- Recruiting, supervising, mentoring and providing leadership to metallurgists and assay lab personnel
- Attending daily, weekly and management planning meetings.
- Established standard operating procedures for laboratory testing protocols, guaranteeing reproducibility of results across multiple sites.
- Actively participated in professional development opportunities such as conferences or workshops, staying informed of industry trends and best practices.
- Leveraged advanced analytical techniques for accurate material characterization, ensuring product compliance with specifications.
Plant Metallurgist
Primero Group - Operations & Maintenance
08.2021 - 08.2022
- Plant re-commissioning and ramp up for production
- Met accounting and daily, weekly, and monthly reports
- Monitoring plant output via daily trend reviews and production KPIs, 3MS
- Support to operations teams during planned plant trials
- Monitoring reagent usage and tracking production costs to ensure alignment to budgets
- Technical report writing and analyzing plant data, offsite test work and laboratory findings
- RSO - Fixed Density Gauges and X-Ray - calibration and monitoring compliance of equipment.
- Supervising, mentoring and organizing metallurgists and assay lab personnel
- Attending daily, weekly and management meetings on behalf of Metallurgical Superintendent.
Flotation and Concentrate Dewatering Metallurgist
Pillars Minerals
12.2020 - 08.2021
- Met accounting and daily, weekly and monthly reports
- Daily trend reviews and production KPIs
- Conducting baseline flotation & HLS testwork for plant optimization and study of new reagents
- Flotation, Thickening and Concentrate Filtration
- Milling and Gravity Spirals champion - grind size and cyclone efficiencies
- Tracking Tantalum production and reconciliation
- Support to operations teams during planned plant trials
- Technical report writing and analyzing laboratory findings
- Deputy fixed density gauges RSO
- Plant improvement ideas and project initiation.
Dense Media and Gravity Metallurgist
Pilbara Minerals
01.2020 - 12.2020
- Met accounting and daily, weekly and monthly reports
- Daily trend reviews and production KPIs
- Conducting baseline flotation & HLS testwork for plant optimization and study of new reagents
- Flotation, Thickening and Concentrate Filtration
- Milling and Gravity Spirals champion - recovery, grind size and separation efficiencies.
- Tracking Tantalum production and reconciliation.
- Support to operations teams during planned plant trials
- Technical report writing and analyzing laboratory findings
- Deputy fixed density gauges RSO
- Plant improvement ideas and project initiation.
- Calibrated and verified accuracy of density meters and on stream analyzers.
Technician Metallurgy/ Grad Met
Pilbara Minerals
05.2019 - 12.2019
- Met accounting and daily, weekly and monthly reports
- Daily trend reviews and production KPIs
- Conducting baseline flotation & HLS testwork for plant optimization and study of new reagents
- Flotation, Thickening and Concentrate Filtration
- Milling and Gravity Spirals champion - grind size and cyclone efficiencies
- Tracking Tantalum production and reconciliation
- Support to operations teams during planned plant trials
- Technical report writing and analyzing laboratory findings
- Deputy fixed density gauges RSO
- Plant improvement ideas and project initiation.
Technician Metallurgy Projects
Roy Hill
11.2018 - 05.2019
- Collecting samples for metallurgical testwork for different development and plant optimization
- Processing samples for lab assays and quality control checks
- Providing inputs for metallurgical development teams in WHIMS and de-sanding projects
- Liaising with the metallurgical teams on planned improvements
- Testwork data entry and analysis for review by project metallurgists.
- Maintained a safe work environment by strictly adhering to established safety protocols and guidelines.
- Performed troubleshooting and diagnosis on gravity spirals and classification equipment.
- Optimized gravity spirals performance thorough testing and analyzing different ruler setpoints for both throughput and quality.
- Trained new technicians on standard operating procedures, ensuring consistency across the team.
Geophysical Field Technician
WSG (Wireline Services Group)
01.2016 - 11.2018
- Generating sub-surface logs using radioactive sources for stratigraphy and bulk density
- Examining rock formation in situ (imaging) for geotechnical design of pit walls and pit planning
- Processing geophysical logs from greenfield and brownfield ore bodies
- Calibration of wireline probes for consistent quality data
- Downhole XRF lead operator - data collection, interpretation and analysis using a new tool being pioneered by the company
- Iron, Nickel, Cobalt
- Also inducted and SAP ready for FMG Exploration, Roy-Hill.
Metallurgical Technician / Pilot Plant Operator
ALS Metallurgy
01.2015 - 12.2015
- Flotation and SX Pilot plant crew for day/night shift tasks
- Ore preparation and dressing for different pilots; crusher plant and dryer operations
- Gravimetric separation of gold containing ore and cyanide leaching via bottle rolls
- Set-up of a series of crushers and grinding mills for liberation of minerals from the ore
- Overseeing production reagent flow rates to obtain desired production
- Recording of observations during processing
- Collecting samples and critical process data for the flotation pilot
- Safely preparing reagents, mixing and ensuring reagents dosing flow rates are maintained
- Measuring live process parameters, calibrating hand-held process instruments and ensuring proper working conditions - involved the use of hand held potentiometers to check the chemical reactions in different cells.
Research Metallurgist
Murdoch University
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Hydrometallurgy - develop a research plan of leaching of copper rich ore in a ferric sulfate medium
- Batch processing of copper in CSTR reactors while manipulating reagent dose rates for desired production
- Recording different parameters (OH, pH, Temperature) and noting observations during processing
- Collecting samples at set times to understand the kinetics of reactions
- Investigating the effect of catalysts (activated carbon, silver, pyrite) on the reaction mechanisms
- Safely preparing reagents, mixing and ensuring reagents are sufficiently maintained
- Technical report writing of findings and presentation to the research team.
Education
Murdoch University
PerthAINSE Winter School
Lucas Heights, SydneyMurdoch University
Perth, Western AustraliaSkills
Data Analysis
Technical report writing
Statistical process control
Supplier management
Team building
Professionalaffiliationsandmemberships
- Member - The Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, AUSIMM
- Member - African Professionals of Australia
Projectsandthesis
- 2014 - Ferric Sulfate leaching of copper ore (Enargite) (Murdoch University, Western Australia)
- 2008 - Modelling and Simulation of a Biomass Gasifier for Municipal Solid Waste (Moi University, Kenya)
Extracurricular Activities
Participant in the Murdoch Student Emerging Leaders Program for 2014 Active member of the Murdoch Mets and AusIMM Murdoch Student Chapter Attended AUSIMM International Uranium Conference 2014 Attended ALTA Nickel, Cobalt and Copper Conference 2014 Attended the 2013 New Leaders in Mining Conference and Participated in the 2013 National Collegiate Mining Games Assisted at various events throughout the year including fundraising BBQs, University tours to encourage high school students to select metallurgy as a career path and attended various industry presentations held on and off campus. Rugby - Murdoch Rugby Team 2015
References
Available upon request
Timeline
Senior Metallurgist
Pilbara Minerals
01.2023 - 12.2024
Plant Metallurgist
Primero Group - Operations & Maintenance
08.2021 - 08.2022
Flotation and Concentrate Dewatering Metallurgist
Pillars Minerals
12.2020 - 08.2021
Dense Media and Gravity Metallurgist
Pilbara Minerals
01.2020 - 12.2020
Technician Metallurgy/ Grad Met
Pilbara Minerals
05.2019 - 12.2019
Technician Metallurgy Projects
Roy Hill
11.2018 - 05.2019
Geophysical Field Technician
WSG (Wireline Services Group)
01.2016 - 11.2018
Metallurgical Technician / Pilot Plant Operator
ALS Metallurgy
01.2015 - 12.2015
Research Metallurgist
Murdoch University
01.2014 - 01.2015
Senior Metallurgist
Primero Group - Operations & Maintenance
8 2022 - 01.2023
Murdoch University
AINSE Winter School
Murdoch University
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