Chief Underground Mine Engineer

Are you a passionate and experienced Engineer seeking an extraordinary opportunity? Join our team as the Chief Engineer at an underground polymetallic/precious metals mine located in Alaska.

Responsibilities include supervising the Mine Engineering department, Project and Survey groups, while ensuring that safety, and environment remain top concerns, you would guide a team of engineers and surveyors with a focus on quality plans, in a rapidly changing day-to-day operating environment.

You would be collaborating closely with the Mine Geology group, as well as Operations to meet safe and productive tonnage targets to the mill, as you guide your staff in decision making processes using your industry knowledge and experience to identify hazards, risks, and potential improvements in process and method.

The planning group works closely with the geology, survey, and operations group in scheduling and managing the daily headings in this primarily overhand drift and fill mine.

Underground projects of various natures are managed by the project engineer, and engineering team at large.

The need for annual budgeting and planning would fall within your job duties, as well as mentoring and guiding others in mentoring the younger engineers, as well as planning training, special projects, and AFE preparations for the mine.

Here's what you can expect in this role:

• You would need to be self-motivated and possess a desire to assess and determine which projects will most benefit the business and personnel.
• You will review, study, and assess operational constraints and seek to drive process optimization, evaluating new approaches and methods, and encouraging continuous learning opportunities for the department.
• You will work with both short and long-range planners, assessing plans and schedules that meet business needs, with an eye to education and refinement of the process through iterative processes.
• You would prepare and analyze professional services contracts in conjunction with various members of the team, as well as maintenance, and operations personnel. Annual department budget reviews, and planning strategy evaluations, looking to resolve budget and scheduling challenges.
• You will prepare technical reports with team members, present project progress reports, and ensure a steady rhythm and cadence of planning and preparation work is ongoing, with a goal to present realistic plans, and having judicious reserve options to fill short term gaps arising from ore body variances to ensure mill feed always meets, and frequently exceeds mill requirements of 2,600 average tons per day throughput.
• You would be responsible for the annual review and support of department personnel in growing and expanding skills and knowledge to bolster the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the team.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Complying with all necessary requirements put in place to prevent incidents, injuries or losses.
• Ensuring the safety and health of themselves and others in the workplace by being responsible for their actions and taking due care while performing their work
• Identifying, eliminating, and reporting hazards as soon as practicable
• Reporting incidents and accidents as soon as practicable
• Disclosing all information regarding incidents and cooperating in incident investigations
• Assisting in the resolution of health and safety matters in a positive and timely manner
• Using and maintaining PPE
• Providing suggestions for improving work processes
• Assisting Management by supporting change to achieve desired targets
• Ensuring that plant and equipment operate within their safe working limits
• Ensuring that correct equipment is used for the job
• Participating in risk assessment methodology
• Participating in safety initiatives
• Receiving training and instruction as required
• Maintaining good housekeeping standards

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - Other Duties May be Assigned

Technical functions are executed at a subject-matter-expert level of capability with little to no supervisor input required.

Technical functions for the role include:

Mine planning:

o Understands and sets expectations for short-range and long range mine planning including development design, drift & fill and long-hole stope design, and backfill design.

o Recognizes mining safety problems during the planning phase; reviews mining plans to ensure they do not create hazards.

o Reviews and approves schedules for development, production, and backfill.

o Supervises surveying duties.

o Report's mining progress and KPIs; reconciles the schedule and plan with actual.

o Oversees reserves determination.

o Coordinates with geology, survey, and mine operations groups daily.

Mine utilities, projects, and ventilation:
o Plans and troubleshoots mine services including power, ventilation, compressed air, and water.

o Optimizes techniques for explosives utilization and storage; provides project management and project controls for underground construction activities.

o Creates AFE (authorization for expenditure) documents for capital projects and purchases. Provides recommendations for mine mobile equipment selection.

Geotechnical oversight:

o Reviews all designs and provides QA/QC for all ground control practices including various rock bolting methods, shotcrete, and backfill.

o Identifies and mitigates potential geotechnical hazards related to current activities and future mining plans through inspections, monitoring, and review of modeling.

Mine Automation & Technology:
o Assists with implementation and troubleshooting related to mine technology systems

o Systems within the scope of the role include autonomous and teleremote-operated equipment, underground WiFi networks, personnel tracking sensors, proximity detection, centralized blasting, distributed control systems, and other mine technologies which may not yet exist.

In addition to the technical functions above, the following behavioral functions are a key element of the role:

• Problem solving identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully.

Interpersonal Skills:
maintains confidentiality, remains open to others' ideas and exhibits willingness to try new things. Cross-trains with other roles in order to expand skillset of self and others.

Oral communication:
speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrates group presentation skills and conducts meetings.

Written Communication:

edits work for spelling and grammar, presents numerical data effectively and is able to read and interpret written information.

• Planning/organizing prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans.

Quality control:
demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure quality. Ensures technical deliverables are provided to customers within time and quality expectations.

Adaptability:

adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.

Dependability:
consistently at work, follows instructions, responds to management direction and solicits feedback to improve performance.

Safety and security:
actively promote and personally observes safety and security procedures and uses equipment and materials properly.

The Chief Mine Engineer is responsible for direct supervision of entry level to senior engineers, summer interns, and the surveying group.

In addition, a key component of this role includes informal mentoring, training and technical leadership of the mine department.

QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience Requirements

• B.S. in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, or equivalent degree.
• 8 years of engineering experience required in a mining or heavy industrial environment.
• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure preferred
• Supervisory experience preferred

Technical Competencies

Extensive experience and expert-level capabilities with any of the following skillsets:

• Underground mine planning software including Deswik, AutoCAD, VentSim, ShotPlus
• Underground surveying techniques
• Ground support techniques and geotechnical modeling
• Mine ventilation, dewatering, compressed air and electrical systems
• Project management techniques
• Autonomous mining equipment, centralized blasting systems and underground WiFi networks
• Mine costing and financial analysis techniques to explain variances, evaluate projects and prioritize allocation of resources

PERSONAL & LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES The following competencies are required:

Behavioral Skills

• Organizational/planning skills will be necessary to organize, schedule and prioritize work activities to manage time effectively and ensure timely completion of projects, programs, and objectives.
• Analytical and statistical skills are needed to evaluate opportunities for process improvement or optimization, process or quality trends.
• Interpersonal skills are necessary in order to facilitate teamwork while working with internal and external contacts.
• Self-motivation and initiative is necessary to insure that the work progresses independent of supervision. Being a self-starter is essential.
• Communications skills are necessary to ensure excellence in verbal and written communications, and effectively interact with associates at all levels of the organization as well as external contacts.
• Administrative skills are required to manage paperwork, meet reporting requirements, and oversee various systems.
• Detail-orientation and ability to multi-task.
• Planning skills are needed to ensure the timely completion of programs and objectives.
• Knowledge of safety, health and environmental methods, rules, regulations and procedures, and related behavioral competencies.
• Knowledge of developing technology, preferably specific knowledge of the mineral/metals business.

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively to employees of the organization.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Reasoning Abilities Good decision-making skills, working with limited oversight based on conceptual end goals. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Ability to deal with ambiguity, incomplete information. Ability to prioritize based on conflicting criteria.

Other Qualifications

ATF possessor's clearance required.

Must complete MSHA 40-hour training or provide documentation of completed training.

Must pass pre-employment physical and drug screen.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, employees may be frequently required to stand, walk, or sit for extended periods of time; use hand and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb and balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl.

The employee must be able to talk and hear.

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