Recycling Lead Engineer, Process

About Maaden

Maaden, founded in 1997, is among the world’s fastest-expanding mining companies and stands as the Middle East’s largest multi-commodity mining and metals business. The company is driving the evolution of mining into a major contributor to Saudi Arabia’s economy by creating a globally competitive, fully integrated mining value chain.

This opportunity is part of Maaden’s continued growth and offers the chance to help shape the future of mining in the Kingdom.

Role Overview

The Recycling Lead Engineer, Process will provide technical direction and operational leadership across the aluminum recycling value chain. The position is responsible for ensuring safe, dependable, efficient, and environmentally responsible operations from scrap intake and sorting through melting, alloy preparation, casting, and finished-product handling.

The role also leads process improvement efforts, supports the introduction of new technologies, strengthens product quality and compliance, and drives continuous improvement to increase metal recovery, productivity, energy efficiency, and cost competitiveness.

In addition, the role contributes to stronger recycling performance, lower environmental impact, and the long-term strategic growth of the business.

Job Details

• Business unit/function: Maaden Aluminum
• Department: Recycling – Production & Quality Engineering
• Job location: Ras Al Khair, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
• Working hours: 8 hours
• Job posting window: 14 June 2026 to 28 June 2026

Key Responsibilities

Health, Safety and Risk Management

• Champion a strong safety mindset across the operation.
• Ensure adherence to company HSE standards and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Take part in HAZOP reviews, risk assessments, and incident investigations.
• Support safe handling of high-temperature processes and molten metal systems.

Technical Leadership

• Provide expert guidance across the full aluminum recycling process, including scrap receiving and preparation, sorting, de-coating and pretreatment, melting and holding furnaces, alloying and metal treatment, casting, and product handling/packaging.
• Make sure operations align with industry standards, established operating philosophies, and recognized engineering practices.

Process Optimization and Continuous Improvement

• Identify and pursue improvements in metal recovery, yield, throughput, productivity, furnace performance, energy use, casting results, product quality, and waste reduction.
• Work to reduce dross generation and improve overall process efficiency.

Scrap Management and Sorting Performance

• Refine scrap blend strategies to maximize recovery while limiting contamination.
• Help define sorting philosophies and material flow approaches.
• Track and improve recovery rates, yield, purity, sorting efficiency, and residue generation.
• Assess advanced sorting technologies such as sensor-based sorting, XRT, LIBS, and eddy current separators.

Melting and Metal Treatment

• Improve furnace performance and charging methods.
• Raise energy efficiency, reduce melt losses, increase furnace productivity, and improve metal cleanliness.
• Support alloy chemistry control and molten metal treatment activities.
• Oversee the use of fluxes, degassing systems, filtration systems, and dross management/recycling.

Casting Operations

• Lead improvements in casting operations to protect product integrity, surface finish, dimensional accuracy, output, and metallurgical consistency.
• Support upgrades in casting tables, cooling systems, mold technology, and process automation.

Quality Assurance

• Set up and sustain effective quality systems and operating procedures.
• Develop quality KPIs and monitor performance against them.
• Ensure output meets customer requirements, internal standards, and international standards.
• Investigate quality issues and drive corrective actions.

Operational Excellence and Reliability

• Track plant performance and reliability indicators.
• Identify bottlenecks and operational constraints.
• Support improvements in availability and reliability.
• Contribute to FMEA, RCA, reliability studies, and operational readiness activities.

Sustainability and Environmental Performance

• Drive initiatives that lower carbon emissions, reduce energy use, increase recycled content, and cut waste.
• Promote circular economy practices.
• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations and sustainability targets.
• Support management of dross, salt slag, dust, emissions, and waste streams.

Qualifications and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in science or engineering is required, with Chemical Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering preferred.
• Professionals from other engineering disciplines may also be considered if they have relevant experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in aluminum recycling, secondary aluminum production, melting and casting, or a related metallurgical field is required.
• Background in one or more of the following areas is preferred: scrap sorting, de-coating technologies, melting furnaces, holding furnaces, alloy development, billet casting, slab casting, process optimization, or operations readiness and commissioning.

Competencies

• Ethical leadership
• Technical expertise
• Safety leadership
• Team leadership and development
• Communication and collaboration
• Quality orientation

Skills

• Aluminum recycling processes
• Scrap sorting and processing
• Melting and casting operations
• Metallurgy and alloy control
• Process improvement
• Root cause analysis
• Statistical process control
• Quality management systems
• Reliability engineering
• Project coordination

Additional Information

This is a full-time, onsite role based in Ras Al Khair, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The working schedule is 8 hours per day.

The posting window for this opportunity runs from 14 June 2026 to 28 June 2026.

No salary, stipend, or vacancy count was specified in the source details.