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My Story, Your Future | Meet Azada
Azada is a process and operations superintendent working near Whyalla in South Australia
She joined her current company in 2023 as a Process Engineer, progressing to Senior Process Engineer before moving into her current leadership role.
We spoke with Azada about her career journey, working across engineering, operations and leadership, and the advice she would give to someone considering a career in mineral resources.
Key Facts
Current Role: Process and Operations Superintendent
Location: Near Whyalla, South Australia
First Mining Role: ISR Mining Operation (Night Shift, FIFO)
Qualification: Pharmaceutical Engineering
Roster: Hybrid (office, site and home), generally Monday to Friday
Favorite Part of the Job: The technical challenges and learning from different people and perspectives.
Advice in One Sentence: Be flexible and open to opportunity, you never know where it will take you.
Tell us a little about your current role?
As Process and Operations Superintendent, my role is varied, with responsibilities spanning operations, engineering, project management and leadership. Because we are a small company, every role is actually a multifaceted role. A large part of my time is spent overseeing the operation of the pilot plant, making sure it meets technical, safety and regulatory requirements. I also work as a project manager on a bankable feasibility study, facilitating communication between subject matter experts and external consultants.
Alongside this, I continue to draw on my process engineering experience, contributing to process design, reviewing flow sheets, drawings and mass balances, and providing technical input into the project. My work looks different depending on whether I'm in the office or on site. In the office, my days can involve meetings and reporting, while on site I spend time talking with staff, checking process parameters and walking through the plant to make sure everything is operating as it should.
What are some of the key skills that you need?
Technical knowledge is only part of what makes someone successful in a leadership role.
Communication, leadership, people skills, organisation and time management are particularly important to me.
Being able to adapt the way you communicate with different people is a key part of my role. I work with everyone from operators and engineers to consultants and management, and each group may require a different approach.
My technical experience is also important, particularly because of the specialised nature of the work I'm involved in. You need to be able to change your communication style. I also think it's important to continually develop your softer skills. Technical knowledge can be built through study and experience, but leadership and communication are skills that continue to develop throughout your career.
For me, that means reflecting on what went well, what could have been done differently and how I can improve the next day.
What do you enjoy most about your role and the mineral resources industry?
The technical challenges are a big part of what I enjoy.
I'm a bit of a “chemistry nerd”, so I enjoy the challenge of developing a process from the ground up and working through the technical problems that come with it.
But my enjoyment of the industry goes beyond the technical side.
As I've moved into leadership, one of the things I value most is learning from different people and perspectives.
I'm a different person than I was 10 years ago. And that growth for me is priceless.
I enjoy the challenge of developing a process from the ground up and working through the technical problems that come with it.
What is your current roster and how does it fit into your lifestyle?
My current work arrangement is a hybrid of office, site and working from home. Because the operation runs 24/7, there are periods where the workload requires longer days, weekends or being available outside normal hours.
I've worked 12-hour days and late nights during busy periods, although I don’t work night shifts in my role. In general, my schedule is Monday to Friday, with some flexibility depending on what's happening with the operation.
What did you think you would be doing at age 15-16?
At 15, I wanted to become a doctor. After studying biology, though, I realised it wasn't the right fit for me. I've always seen myself as a problem solver, which led me towards engineering. Even then, I had a very different idea of what my career would look like.
My idea was I'll just be an engineer or be sitting in the office and just design things and build it. Instead, my career took me into operations and eventually into leadership. That's one of the things I enjoy about a career. You don't necessarily know where you'll end up, and being flexible can open the door to opportunities you may not have considered.
You don't necessarily know where you'll end up, and being flexible can open the door to opportunities you may not have considered.
What was the path to your current role?
My career journey has taken me through several different industries. I studied pharmaceutical engineering, which combined chemical engineering with biology subjects.
After graduating, my first role was as a laboratory technician, testing transformer oils for a third-party laboratory supporting SA Power Networks. I then worked in biotechnology before taking on a short-term role with Defence as a contractor.
When that role ended, I found an opportunity with an ISR mining operation in South Australia. The role involved night shift and FIFO work, but rather than seeing those conditions as a barrier, I was open to giving it a go.
"I said, that doesn't matter. I'm open for anything."
That opportunity became the beginning of my career in mining and eventually led to my current role.
What advice would you give someone considering a career in mineral resources?
I think the resources industry can be a great fit for someone looking for a challenging career that pushes them to learn and grow.
I'd also highlight the personal development that can come with working in mining, including independence and resilience.
While the work can involve long hours and challenging conditions, one of the things that stands out most to me is the people and the team culture.
There's a strong sense of teamwork and shared goals across mine sites, with people supporting each other when things don't go according to plan.
One of my biggest pieces of advice is to be flexible and open to opportunity.
Opportunities won't always look exactly how you imagined them. Being willing to try something different, consider where your skills could fit and step outside your original plan can lead you somewhere unexpected. If you are flexible and you say, I'll do anything... you never know where that opportunity will end up taking you.
Opportunities won't always look exactly how you imagined them. Being willing to try something different, consider where your skills could fit and step outside your original plan can lead you somewhere unexpected.
Thank you to Azada for sharing her career journey as part of RESA's My Story, Your Future campaign.
Every career journey is unique. Through sharing the stories of South Australians working across the resources sector, we're helping students, job seekers and career changers discover the many different pathways into rewarding careers in mining.
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