Position

Vice President Lithium Salt Plant

Company

Our client is a global mining and mineral resources group operating a fully integrated industrial chain across exploration, mining rights development, processing, and specialist mineral salts. The business has an established international footprint with operations and offices across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Oceania.

Location

Zimbabwe/Jiangxi, China

(First few months in China then 3-5 years in Zimbabwe - Jiangxi Province/ Masvingo Province)

Full accommodation and relocation package provided where required

Responsibilities

Ÿ   Develop and deliver the integrated production plan, coordinating plant operations to ensure OEE, yield, cost/tonne, and output targets are achieved

Ÿ   Establish and embed a proactive safety culture and drive the implementation of a robust quality system

Ÿ   Lead investigation, analysis, and corrective action for major customer complaints and quality deviations

Ÿ   Build, train, and motivate high-performing plant leadership teams, supporting capability growth across both locations

Ÿ   Drive lean cost control, cost reduction, and efficiency improvement initiatives across operations

Ÿ   Optimise equipment and asset performance through TPM, maintenance strategy, and reliability improvement

Ÿ   Introduce new technologies and process optimisation, accelerating automation and digital transformation

Ÿ   Coordinate cross-functional work to strengthen process standards, SOPs, and management systems

Requirements

Essential qualifications and experience

Ÿ   Bachelor’s degree or above in Mechanical, Chemical, Materials, or related discipline (may be relaxed to junior college in exceptional cases)

Ÿ   16+ years management experience within the chemical / process manufacturing industry

Ÿ   3+ years as Production Director (or equivalent) within a 10,000+ tonne lithium salt plant environment

Ÿ   Demonstrable full-cycle experience delivering new factory preparation, commissioning, and ramp-up to production standards

Ÿ   Prior overseas leadership experience, ideally within Africa

Ÿ   Strong capability across production data analysis, cost accounting, and management reporting

Ÿ   Proficient with Microsoft Office and able to interpret equipment drawings

Ÿ   Mandarin is mandatory – native Mandarin speaker with business-level fluency, able to chair meetings, lead cross-functional workstreams, and manage stakeholder communication with domestic teams and Group HQ

Preferred

Ÿ   Relevant safety production certifications (e.g., Certified Safety Engineer or equivalent)

Ÿ   Experience leading TPM, automation, and digital transformation within process manufacturing

Personal attributes

Ÿ   Strategic thinker with strong execution, leadership, and continuous improvement mindset

Ÿ   Confident operating within a cross-cultural environment

Ÿ   Resilient, highly accountable, and able to perform under pressure