Workplace Type: Onsite
About Newmont
At Newmont, we’re not just a world-leading gold and metals producer – we’re a team united by our commitment to shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and responsible mining industry. Joining us means becoming part of a global, diverse workforce where everyone is valued, empowered, and encouraged to grow. Our people are the heart of our success, bringing exceptional skill, integrity, and dedication to everything we do as an organization and we’re dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.
About Lihir
Our Lihir Operation, located on the beautiful island of Niolam, approximately 800km north of Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby, is one of the world’s largest gold mines. Set within a geothermically active, extinct volcanic crater, Lihir operates an open-pit mine producing refractory ore, which undergoes pressure oxidation and conventional leaching to recover gold. Our workforce includes both residential and commute rosters, creating a diverse and dynamic team. Lihir offers a range of recreational facilities, including a gym, sports club, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, and a 9-hole golf course. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the Lihir fishing and boating clubs provide access to pristine waters and beaches, while our onsite deli and café serve fresh local and imported produce, barista-made coffee, and freshly baked goods.
We are proud to work closely with the local Lihirian community and value its vibrant culture. Through initiatives like our School to Mine program, we offer meaningful employment, training, and development opportunities for Lihirian men and women, as well as scholarships and vocational apprenticeships. We also partner with the New Ireland Province to ensure economic benefits flow directly to the community, strengthening our commitment to sustainable development and positive local impact.
Dimensions
The NCA Process Technician operates and monitors Neutralization, Cyanidation, and Adsorption circuits to ensure safe, efficient gold recovery. The role requires strict safety compliance, teamwork, and technical expertise in gold leaching, cyanide handling, and carbon adsorption, while supporting daily operations, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement
Purpose
The NCA Process Technician operates and monitors processing plant equipment in the Neutralization, Cyanidation, and Adsorption circuits to ensure safe, efficient gold recovery. The role supports production targets by maintaining operational discipline, compliance with safety standards, and effective housekeeping.
Essential Duties
Safety & Sustainability
• Ensure compliance with all HSE requirements, including Fitness for Work and adherence to Newmont Safety Systems and PNG Mine Safety Act.
• Perform tasks only after hazards and potential consequences are identified and mitigated.
• Demonstrate behaviors aligned with Newmont Values.
People
• Work collaboratively with a diverse team and maintain clear communication during shift handovers and toolbox meetings.
• Take accountability for personal development and assist in team training initiatives.
Production
• Operate and monitor NCA circuit equipment, including neutralization tanks, cyanide dosing systems, adsorption columns, and elution circuits.
• Execute daily plans, inspections, and routine schedules, reporting defects and hazards promptly.
• Maintain housekeeping standards across NCA areas and ensure compliance with SOPs and environmental guidelines.
Technical Capabilities
• Apply knowledge of gold leaching chemistry, cyanide handling, and carbon adsorption principles.
• Conduct regular inspections of NCA plant areas, ensuring operational integrity and process efficiency.
• Participate in troubleshooting and optimization activities to improve recovery and reduce reagent consumption.
Training & Experience
- Gold Processing Principles: Understanding of gold leaching chemistry, cyanide handling, and carbon adsorption/elution processes.
- Safety Standards: Comprehensive knowledge of HSE requirements, Newmont Safety Systems, and PNG Mine Safety Act compliance.
- Process Control: Familiarity with operating and monitoring NCA circuit equipment, including neutralization tanks, cyanide dosing systems, adsorption columns, and elution circuits.
- Environmental Compliance: Awareness of SOPs and environmental guidelines for processing operations.
- Technical Troubleshooting: Ability to identify and resolve process inefficiencies and optimize recovery while reducing reagent consumption
- Metallurgy or Chemistry Background (essential).
- 1–3 years’ experience in gold processing or similar heavy industry environment.
- Working at Heights, Confined Space Entry, Overhead Crane, etc.
- Strong understanding of cyanide safety and adsorption/elution processes.
Working Conditions
- Location & Roster: FIFO role based on Lihir Island with a 28/14 roster (28 days on-site, 14 days off).
- Environment: Heavy industrial setting within gold processing facilities, specifically Neutralization, Cyanidation, and Adsorption circuits.
- Physical Requirements: Tasks may involve working at heights, confined spaces, and operating overhead cranes.
- Safety Compliance: Strict adherence to HSE standards, cyanide safety protocols, and Mine Safety Act requirements.
- Exposure: Potential exposure to hazardous chemicals (cyanide), high-temperature processes, and noisy environments, requiring PPE such as dust masks, goggles, and other protective gear.
At Newmont, our commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that everyone can work to their full potential, free from discrimination, while respecting the cultures, religions, and governance of the regions in which we operate. Guided by our values of Safety, Integrity, Sustainability, Responsibility, and Inclusion, our Lihir team – 90% of which are Papua New Guinean – is dedicated to creating a culturally rich and supportive environment where meaningful, long-term connections can be formed within the industry.
We believe in the strength of our people and the positive impact we can create together. Newmont employees are rewarded with a competitive salary, flexible packaging options, and programs that recognize those who go above and beyond. We know no candidate meets every qualification listed, so if you share our values and feel you can make a meaningful contribution, we encourage you to apply – we’d love to hear from you!
