Lab Supervisor, DRC

Laboratory Supervisor – Sample Preparation and Measurement, DRC

About the Company 

The mining industry has steadily become worse at finding new ore deposits, requiring >10X more capital to make discoveries compared to 30 years ago. The easy-to-find, near-surface deposits have largely been found, and the industry has chronically under-invested in new exploration technology, relying on the manual techniques of yesteryear – even as demand accelerates for copper, lithium, and other metals to build electric vehicles, renewable energy, and data centers.

KoBold builds AI models for mineral exploration and deploys those models—alongside our novel sensors—to guide decisions on KoBold-owned-and-operated exploration programs. In the six years since founding, KoBold has become by far both the largest independent mineral exploration company and the largest exploration technology developer. Our data scientists and software engineers, who come from leading technology companies, jointly lead exploration programs with our renowned exploration geologists.

KoBold has proven its first discovery with materially less capital than the industry average and found one of the best copper deposits ever discovered: the copper is far more concentrated than the global average of copper mines, and this asset alone is expected to generate meaningful revenue for decades. KoBold has a portfolio of more than 60 other projects, each of which has the potential for another high-quality discovery.

KoBold is privately held; investors include institutional asset managers T. Rowe Price and Canada Pension Plan Investments; technology venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BOND Capital, Durable Capital, StepStone, and Standard Investments; and natural resources companies Equinor, BHP, and Mitsubishi.

About the Role

In the role of Laboratory Manager you will be instrumental in establishing and managing our first in-country sample preparation and measurement laboratory in Manono, DRC. You will be responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations of the new facility, ensuring the efficient and high-quality processing of diverse mineral exploration samples (soil, stream sediment, and rock). This will include oversight and management of samples from receipt through preparation, analysis, and eventual shipment. You will collaborate with colleagues around the world to guide and improve software and hardware development that supports the laboratory. You will lead a team of technicians and act as the primary technical expert, driving continuous process improvement and ensuring the laboratory delivers accurate, timely, and traceable data to support KoBold’s exploration programs.

Responsibilities

• Laboratory Management & Oversight: Direct and manage all operational aspects of the new sample preparation and measurement laboratory in Manono, DRC.
• Team Leadership: Supervise and mentor a team of 2-6 laboratory technicians, managing schedules, training, performance, and adherence to safety and operational protocols.
• Process Optimization: Continuously evaluate and improve sample preparation and measurement procedures (crushing, splitting, grinding, puck-pressing, and automated analysis with analytic instruments) to increase efficiency, precision, and turnaround time.
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC): Implement and maintain rigorous QA/QC protocols, utilizing specialized software to track every sample through each stage of the process, ensuring data integrity and traceability.
• Technical Collaboration: Serve as the main point of contact for the software team, providing critical feedback on the QA/QC software and communicating needs for technical improvements and new feature development.
• Equipment Maintenance: Oversee the maintenance and calibration of all laboratory equipment, minimizing downtime.
• Stakeholder Communication: Report on laboratory performance, capacity, and quality metrics to the exploration and operations leadership teams.

Qualifications

You must have:

• At least 5 years of experience in laboratory management in mineral exploration & mining, oil & gas or a related industry.
• Proven, extensive experience in managing a commercial or exploration mineral laboratory, with a strong focus on sample preparation techniques for geochemical analysis.
• Deep knowledge of sample preparation methods for various sample types (soil, sediment, rock/drill core).
• A track record of identifying inefficiencies and successfully implementing process improvements in a laboratory or operational environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to and familiarity with developing and implementing high standards of health & safety in the workplace
• Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, and develop a technical team of 2-6 laboratory technicians in a remote or international setting.
• Must speak, read, and write in English; French is an asset 
• A high degree of independence and the ability to work effectively with limited supervision
• Excitement about joining a fast-growing, early-stage company, comfort with a dynamic work environment, and eagerness to take on an evolving range of responsibilities.
• Experience working with QA/QC software or Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to ensure sample traceability and data quality; high comfort level in interfacing with software development teams.
• Enjoyment in working with people in a wide variety of disciplines and different parts of the world
• Ability to explain technical problems to and collaborate on solutions with domain experts from different disciplines. A strong communicator who enjoys working with colleagues across the company.
• A valid passport and willingness to travel to observe our work at Mingomba or at an exploration site around the world. Travel for this role typically does not exceed 2-4 trips per year.

It is helpful but not required to have:

• Worked in a small company or as a member of a very small team with a broad mandate working in a fast paced project environment. 

KoBold Metals is an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity for people of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Location: Manono/Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. All candidates must be legally authorized to live and work within Democratic Republic of Congo.

Contract: Indefinite

Please submit your application to JOBS@koboldmetals.com by February 29, 2026.