Business Development and Commercialization Specialist (Extractive Metallurgy Cluster) - 3 Year Fixed Term Contract

Introduction Mintek seeks a technically grounded Business Development and Commercialisation (BD&C) Specialist to drive the growth of the Extractive Metallurgy (EM) Cluster by bridging the gap between deep-tech innovation and market adoption. This is a BD&C role in the science-and-engineering field focused on commercialising intellectual property and creating new markets, not a generic sales or finance post. Duties & Responsibilities KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:Proactively identify, originate, pursue, and mature business, partnership, investor, and funding opportunities on behalf of the EM Cluster, with a strong emphasis on commercialising IP in metallurgical applications as well as treatment of mine impacted water.Scan the market for opportunities aligned with EXM capabilities across hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy and biometallurgy, and identify higher-value opportunities that can be positioned through broader Mintek integration.Work closely with the Executive Managers of Hydrometallurgy, Pyrometallurgy and Biometallurgy to extract, interpret, and package key technical insights into externally relevant value propositions.Integrate capabilities across the three EM cluster divisions and, where relevant, with other clusters (MPC and MMA) into coherent solution offerings. For example, combining Hydrometallurgy’s metal recovery solutions with Biometallurgy’s heap leach expertise for cost effective metal recovery from low grade ores.Develop commercially grounded business cases, pitch material, and commercialisation pathways forintellectual property, including licensing, spinouts, joint ventures, and technology transfer.Shape opportunities into structured programmes, projects, concept notes, and proposals with clear scope, deliverables, and commercial logic.Engage mining companies, industrial partners, government stakeholders (DMPR, DSTI), development finance institutions, funding agencies, and investors in a credible and wellstructured manner.Understand and engage confidently with techno-economic assessments and investor-facing metrics (NPV, IRR, payback) to position EM's offerings (e.g., chemical mine impacted water treatment options, low carbon reductive technologies for kilns, heap leach vs tank leaching) credibly to investors and strategic partners.Build and manage an opportunity pipeline that supports funding growth, revenue generation, and strategic partnerships for EM cluster and the wider Mintek platform. Desired Experience & Qualification JOB KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:Demonstrated ability to work with multidisciplinary technical teams and translate complex technical content into partner-facing opportunity narratives.Proven exposure to opportunity origination, proposal development, programme shaping, commercial scoping, costing, or strategic partnership development.Experience in or demonstrable understanding of technology commercialisation, IP management, and routes to market (licensing, spinouts, etc.).Working familiarity with techno-economic concepts and the ability to engage in discussions involving NPV, IRR, payback, discount rates, sensitivities, and scenario-based investment cases. Sound commercial reasoning and sufficient financial literacy to engage with business cases and pricing logic.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear business-facing and investor-facing material.Integrated solution development across divisions and clusters.Stakeholder engagement and relationship development. Familiarity with mining regulatory frameworks, including environmental, safety, permitting, andESG requirements.QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:A BCom or equivalent commercial qualification together with a relevant BSc Hons, BSc Eng, or equivalent in science or engineering, specifically in fields such as Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.A MSc/MEng in a relevant scientific or engineering field will be advantageous. MBA or postgraduate business/commercial qualification supported by a strong technical grounding will be advantageous.BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENSIES:Be able to work in a team.Excellent communication, presentation and organizational skills.Attention to detail, ability to follow up and take initiative.Initiative, judgment and delivery focus.