Head of Process Optimisation Technology

By leveraging our heritage of invention and expertise in the mining industry, we are building intelligent solutions to connect mining assets, people, and processes helping our customers with improving their decision-making, optimising equipment performance, and reducing environmental footprint. 

The Head of Process Optimisation Technology is a senior technical and engineering manager responsible for the process optimisation applications development and all the workstreams related to AI based process optimisation.

Reporting to the Director of Process Optimisation he/she is responsible for stakeholder management, resource management and prioritisation for a successful application development.

He/she manages a multidisciplinary team formed by data scientists, process engineers / metallurgists and control systems engineers, leading the team to a forward-thinking development strategy aligned with the business decisions.

Additionally, plays an active role on the definition of the end-to-end aspects of the process optimisation solution from customer connectivity to equipment and process modelling, and from QA processes to SaaS operations.

This role is intended to work in partnership with platform architecture team for cloud and edge, as well as other digital applications development teams and owners. Also, will be interacting with Product Strategy, local offices staff and Weir product line managers.

Visit to customer sites may be required for critical site investigations and application deployment / sign off.

Key Responsibilities and Specific Accountabilities:

· Overall Process Optimisation application ownership.

· Alongside data science team and other stakeholders, defining, prioritizing, and guiding the development of features and functionalities that meet the needs of users and stakeholders.

· Align the product roadmap with the company’s objectives and market opportunities.

· Define and communicate the product vision and strategy to stakeholders, development teams, and users.

· Act as the primary liaison between the development team and stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and understanding of product goals.

· Ensure that all product documentation is up-to-date and accessible to relevant stakeholders.

· Stay informed about industry trends, market conditions, and competitor products to identify opportunities and threats.

· Provide regular updates to stakeholders on product progress, roadmap, and performance.

· Manage expectations and address any concerns or feedback from stakeholders.

· Supervise plant data analysis to identify opportunities for process optimization.

· Supervise the equipment and process modelling and simulation required for process optimisation workstreams

· Identify trends and patterns in data and be able to use analytics to better understand the data we have in order to make data-driven decisions.

Education and/or Experience:

· Bachelor’s degree or diploma in engineering preferably in Control Systems, Electronics, Chemical or Metallurgic Engineering.

· 10+ years of experience in automation and process control applied to mining and metals sectors including PLC/DCS programming.

· 5+ years working on implementation projects or maintenance of advanced process control solutions for minerals processing sites in DCS or APC systems.

· Domain knowledge in minerals processing or related industries is mandatory.

· Product development experience of AI software products. Including life cycle management. Preferably for the mining industry.

· Understanding of cloud-based technologies and their applications to smart products and factories is preferred. The list includes but is not limited to intelligent control, AI, ML/DL, cognitive solutions, digital twins, etc.

· Experience in Agile development methodologies essential. Experience with Agile methodologies and tools (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Jira) as product owner or product manager.

Communication Skills:

Given the matrix nature of the role, the candidate should bring exceptional influencing skills and the ability to navigate a complex global company. To drive alignment of new digital capabilities, the candidate must foster strong relationships with leaders across the organization and be a strategic partner and trusted advisor.

Technical Skills:

Experience in Advanced Process Control and simulation tools applied to minerals processing is a must.

Highly capable in industry 4.0 technologies applied to smart factories: intelligent control, AI, ML/DL, cognitive solutions, digital twins, etc.

Work Environment:

Office based with potential for some international travel (dependent on current travel guidance) and flexibility to work non-standard hours regularly due to the global nature of the role.

Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions and alignment to profitability. Gains respect and trust on the external marketplace and competition knowledge and can identify ways to achieve the departmental and company strategic goals.

Drive & Initiative - Focused on results and desired outcomes. Sets ambitious goals for self and others and tackles them with enthusiasm. Initiates and generates activity, making things happen quickly.

Technological Leadership - Displays passion and optimism for technology. Gains respect and trust in Industry 4.0 technologies. Communicates a compelling technological vision and motivates and inspires others to fulfill this.

Project and Product Management - Develops robust project plans and effectively coordinates tasks; communicates changes and progress to key stakeholders; completes projects on time and budget; successfully manages project team activities.

Innovation -

Strategic Thinking -

Role involves travel ability globally.