Director – Smelters & Refinery; Copper Processing - Zambia

Industry: Copper Mining | Smelting & Refining | Metallurgical Processing | Mining Operations Leadership

Introduction

Our client, a major copper mining operation in Zambia, is seeking to appoint an accomplished Director – Smelters & Refinery to lead its Copper Processing Integrated Business Unit (IBU). This executive leadership role carries full accountability for operational performance, safety, financial outcomes, and long-term asset value across large-scale smelting and refining operations.

The successful candidate will drive an end-to-end copper processing strategy delivering up to 500 KTPA copper production, ensuring operational stability, improved metallurgical recovery, margin expansion, and sustainable operational excellence. Working within an End-to-End Business Partner operating model, the role will oversee contractor-led operations through structured governance frameworks while strengthening internal capability and ensuring alignment with performance, cost, and ESG objectives.

This is a strategic leadership opportunity for a senior metallurgical or processing executive experienced in large-scale copper operations, operational transformation, and business performance delivery within complex mining environments.

Role Purpose

To lead and optimise the Smelters & Refinery business unit by delivering safe, reliable, and efficient copper processing operations while maintaining full Profit & Loss accountability and driving operational, financial, and cultural performance improvements across the processing value chain.

Principal Accountabilities

Business Leadership & Financial Performance

• Own full P&L accountability including cost control, EBITDA performance, cash flow, and capital efficiency
• Deliver processing strategy aligned to production targets of up to 500 KTPA
• Drive margin expansion through throughput improvement, recovery optimisation, and cost discipline
• Establish strong financial governance and operational performance transparency

Strategy & Operational Excellence

• Define and execute long-term copper processing and refinery strategy
• Ensure safe, stable, and high-reliability smelting and refining operations
• Lead continuous improvement, benchmarking, and technology adoption initiatives
• Improve metallurgical recovery and plant performance

End-to-End Business Partner Governance

• Govern outsourced and contractor-led operations through performance-based frameworks
• Drive accountability for safety, productivity, reliability, and cost performance
• Strengthen commercial governance and operational risk mitigation

Benchmarking & Transformation

• Benchmark processing operations against global mining and metallurgical best practices
• Lead operational transformation and technology modernisation initiatives

Capital & Growth Enablement

• Prioritise and deliver capital investment programmes supporting expansion and reliability
• Ensure project delivery achieves operational readiness and targeted returns

Leadership & Capability Building

• Build leadership depth and succession capability within processing operations
• Embed a high-performance, accountability-driven culture
• Strengthen metallurgical and operational technical capability across teams

Qualifications

• Engineering Degree in Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or Process Engineering (Preferred)
• MBA or postgraduate business qualification (Advantageous)

Experience Required

• Minimum 15+ years’ experience in copper smelting and refinery operations
• 8–10 years senior operational or business leadership experience
• Demonstrated success in operational turnaround and production scale-up environments
• Experience managing large outsourced or contractor-operated processing operations
• Strong track record in cost optimisation, operational efficiency, and performance improvement
• Proven safety leadership within large mining or metallurgical operations

Key Competencies

• Strategic leadership and commercial acumen
• Metallurgical processing expertise
• Operational transformation and performance optimisation
• Financial and capital management
• Stakeholder and contractor governance
• ESG and safety leadership
• Change management and organisational capability development
• High-level decision-making and business partnership skills

Remuneration

Co…