Laboratory Technician

The role

The Laboratory Technician runs high-temperature processing equipment in the Deep Sea Nodule Lab. This role involves preparing feed, operating a rotary kiln, electric arc furnace and induction converter, and sampling products.

What you will do

• Crush, screen, dry, split and weigh nodule and calcine samples
• Run nodule wash trials
• Operate the rotary kiln and its off-gas train
• Prepare charges, monitor and tap electric arc furnace heats
• Run box furnace screening melts
• Run induction converter heats
• Monitor temperatures, arc power, gas flows and cooling water
• Verify exhaust fans and scrubbers before hot work
• Record run data in batch sheets and spreadsheets
• Track samples through shipment to external labs with chain-of-custody records

Required qualifications

• Associate degree or technical diploma in chemistry, materials, metallurgy or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
• 2+ years' experience in a lab, foundry, smelter, refinery or similar high-temperature setting
• Comfort operating furnaces, gas cylinders and pressurized or water-cooled equipment
• Careful record-keeping and working knowledge of Excel
• Strong safety habits and willingness to stop work when conditions are unsafe
• Able to lift up to 50 lb (23 kg), stand for long periods, and work near radiant heat, molten material and process gases
• Medically cleared and fit-tested for respirator use

Nice to have

• Experience with molten metal handling, tapping or crucible melting
• Familiarity with induction, arc or tube furnaces, off-gas sampling or wet scrubbers
• Sample preparation for XRF or ICP analysis

About the company

Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies.