Engineering Director – Copper Smelter Project (Expat)

About the role

The Engineering Director will lead the engineering function for a large copper smelter and refinery complex, overseeing design, construction and commissioning phases across office and remote site locations.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee engineering functions of the EPC contractor during layout and detailed design phases.
• Manage the Owner’s Team Engineering Office and ensure discipline engineers deliver on schedule.
• Coordinate with contracts, procurement and construction teams on engineering issues.
• Provide on‑site engineering support during construction, verify installations against approved drawings and manage modifications.
• Lead detailed plant commissioning, troubleshoot bottlenecks and guide the smelter to steady‑state operation.
• Ensure all designs comply with safety, environmental and regulatory requirements and oversee documentation handover.

Required profile

• University degree in Chemical, Metallurgical or Process Engineering.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in large‑scale project engineering, preferably in copper smelters.
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary Owner engineering teams and EPC interfaces.
• Previous expatriate assignment in cold‑weather regions (Central Asia, FSU) is desirable.
• Fluent English; Russian or Mandarin an advantage.

Required skills

• Engineering management of EPC contracts.
• Feasibility study and detailed design of copper smelting and refining processes.
• Construction support and field engineering.
• Commissioning and ramp‑up of metallurgical plants.
• Quality, safety and regulatory compliance.