Senior Underground Geotechnical Engineer

Northern Goldfields - FIFO

The organisation

 

Our client owns numerous mines and is an established gold producer, has next to no debt, retains a well known and visible leadership team, both impressive and stable. A great future, with impressive financial fundamentals and solid expansion plans in place.

 

Highgrade Personnel is a privately owned & operated labour hire & professional recruitment company based out of Kalgoorlie, WA. With a focus on mining, our recruitment & management team all come from mining backgrounds in both underground & open pit operations, providing an enhanced understanding of the environments we are recruiting for.

 

A nice place to call home with great camp life to boot, this mine has a super long life with significant resources and mine reserves. It’s a high volume operation and is now moving to a high grades phase, plus has a low cost (AISC running just over $1,000.) Recent drilling has returned 10s of metres at close to 10 grams of gold a tonne. We have an opportunity here with a substantial vista and visible promotional opportunities within the wider business.

 

A total remuneration package $150,000 - $178,000 depend upon your skillset is on offer, with bonuses (established and steady over numerous years) taking you over the $200,000 mark.

 

 

The position

 

With the visible and highly accessible support of geotechnical, engineering & mining leadership onsite, this role is responsible for mine planning, design and geotechnical support to optimise mine operations, and includes monitoring data collection, evaluation & interpretation.

 

Mining methods include stoping with paste backfill options being assessed.

 

Your general tasks will include

 

  • reviewing and communicate work practices to reduce the risk of injury from geotechnical hazards,
  • coordinating routine inspections, geotechnical monitoring and the documentation of inspections and data collection, whilst reporting all significant ground related incidents,
  • providing and analysing geotechnical designs, planning and guidance to ensure the safe and sustainable extraction of resources,
  • the review & optimisation of development plans, blast plans, stability analysis, scheduling recommendations and quality control / quality assurance specifications to ensure plans are in accordance with geotechnical standards,
  • carrying out geotechnical evaluations, risk assessments and make geotechnical recommendations,
  • obtaining rock samples at different depths across sites and testing samples through rock mapping of underground excavations and geotechnical logging of core to determine strength, and other factors that affect rock behaviour
  • planning and directing survey work to analyse the likely behaviour of rock when placed under pressure below ground,
  • timely validation and interpretation of geological data, through ongoing data collection and evaluation and analyse geotechnical data including effective recognition, investigation, analysis of rock fall events and ground control issues,
  • reviewing and update the Ground Control Management Plan (GCMP),
  • analysing ground support solutions for both static and dynamic loads,
  • developing and maintain an understanding of mining, planning, geological and operational issues to identify and communicate potential opportunities and concerns,
  • coordinating the use of consultants for geotechnical design and review and manage geotechnical contractors on site,
  • Support completion of monthly and other reporting on data gathering, evaluation, designs, monitoring and geotechnical performance,
  • providing meaningful input and revisions to the underground ground control management plan through the collection and analysing of geotechnical parameters,
  • assisting with the training and mentoring of junior geotechnical engineers to enhance site based geotechnical skills,
  • increasing the ground awareness knowledge of site personnel,
  • liaising with Mining Departments, Mine Planning team, Mine Geology and Surveying Departments, other engineers, managers, and operators and any onsite mining contractors ,
  • assisting with the development, implementation, analysis and communication of monitoring regimes with respect to ground water, rock mass conditions and backfill placement,
  • looking for, assessing & implementing business improvement and cost control opportunities.

 

Ideally you will be comfortable with promotion.

 

 

About You

 

This role, FIFO from Perth, is for a geotechnical engineer comfortable making geotechnical decision through having had a number of years experience, ideally in gold deposits and underground.  Your referees, holding Mining Manager, Technical Services Manager or Superintendent positions, will attest to your ability to make sound judgement and lead / mentor appropriately with the well developed ability to undertake geotechnical investigations, interpretation, reporting and risk management.

 

As a general rule, you will have

 

  • tertiary qualifications in Mining / Geoscience / Civil with major in Geomechanics or equivalent. Having as Masters in Geomechanics will be viewed as favourable,
  • experience using Deswik, Rocsience™ suite (RS2, 2D & 3D Slide, S-Wedge, Unwedge, RocFall, RocData) numerical modelling packages, with experience across other packages, including MAP 3D, 4D, Surpac, Vulcan and Sirovision etc. well regarded,
  • A strong understanding of statutory requirements and geotechnical considerations for underground and, of secondary benefit, open pit mining and backfill operations,
  • an understanding of the mine planning process through long term to short term,
  • established technical knowledge focus on structural geology and open stope/rock mechanics,
  • effective communication skills,
  • and are able to pass medicals, police checks and hold a WA manual licence

 

The reward

 

Our client is well aware of the factors that drive a motivated and engaged employee, and those factors include but also demand more than a solid salary. Whilst you will be offered a salary well above industry average, you will also be provided significant family and career package enhancements. You will be offered substantial career development mentoring, training and industry involvement and engagement.

 

Please apply now or call on 0478 644 655 to discuss further.