Geotechnical Superintendent at Newmont Mining Corporation

ABOUT THIS ROLE:

• The role is responsible for all geotechnical and backfill functions, systems, and processes at Subika Underground. This includes managing two teams, making critical decisions regarding safety and production aspects, and understanding the technical details of both functions\’ processes and systems.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL:

Geotechnical Operational Management and Execution 

• Be responsible for establishing and maintaining systems and processes to ensure compliance with the Newmont Subika Ground Control Management Plan (GCMP), Ground Control Standards, and the Fatality Risk management processes.
• Establish, implement, document, and maintain standards, systems, and processes to ensure ongoing updates to an integrated mine geotechnical model, containing interpretations of the geotechnical, hydrogeological, rock mass properties and behaviour data.
• Establish, implement, document, and maintain standards, systems and procedures for data collection, data management, data analysis, excavation design and mine design validation.
• Ensure compliance to design by monitoring actual excavations against the designs and collaborating with relevant stakeholders further to improve future designs, planning and execution activities.
• Ensure adequate geotechnical consideration is captured in all aspects of mine design, planning and scheduling, including short, medium, and long-range mine planning and Stage gate studies.

Backfill Operational Management and Execution

• Establish and maintain systems and processes to ensure compliance with the Newmont Subika Backfill Management Plan (BMP), the Newmont Underground Backfill Standard and Fatality risk management processes.
• Establish, implement, document, maintain and update backfill standards, systems and processes pertaining to:
  • Suitable rockfill material sources, particularly liaising between the Technical Services and Mine Operations teams.
  • Optimisation of the rockfill delivery system.
  • Backfill health and evolution of cavity profile.
  • Establishing, implementing, documenting and maintaining the backfill quality control system, particularly collection, management and documentation of rockfill placed versus ore extraction.
• Collaborate with Mining operations to ensure backfill activities are carried out safely in accordance with plan and budget.
• Ensure that effective processes exist for backfill to enable auditing and review of the mine design plan.
• Ensure backfill considerations are captured in all aspects of mine design, planning and scheduling.
• Establish, implement, document, and maintain backfill systems that monitor progress against the business plan and quarterly forecast.
• Identify and apply best practices, and continuous improvement to improve safety, increase efficiency, improve compliance to plan and reduce cost.

Functional Planning and Scheduling

• Develop functional work plans, operating budgets, data acquisition and analysis campaigns for all short and long-term deliverables.
• Be responsible for achieving annual business plans and quarterly forecast related to geotechnical and backfill through ongoing monitoring and improvement.

Reporting

• Ensure all required periodic monthly, bi-annual and annual reporting is completed and distributed on time.
• Generate operating and capital budgets for annual business planning.
• Generate capital requests such as Applications for Expenditure (AFE’s) and justification documentation.
• Document all geotechnical and backfill modelling parameters relevant to the generation of reserves and resources and annual business plans.

Safety and Environment

• The Superintendent Geotechnical and Backfill is responsible for many aspects that relate directly to safe production activities and will be responsible for making final decisions on the following in conjunction with the Technical Services and Productions Managers:
  • Mine extraction sequencing, which determines the buildup of stresses and rock behaviour such as seismicity.
  • Ground support selection to ensure safe working conditions for underground workers.
  • The appropriate response to ground behaviour such as rockfalls and seismicity.
  • Ensure the filling strategy is followed to ensure:
    • The integrity of the sill pillar, which require access for the life of mine.
    • Stope hanging wall stability, as excessive voids development could result in an air blast.
    • Rock fragmentation is suitable for the waste passes to limit hang-ups, which could cause the development of voids and impact on the sill pillar and hanging wall stability.

Personnel

• Manage and coordinate the Geotechnical and Backfill teams to ensure seamless integration with the other technical and operations departments.
• Ensure geotechnical and backfill staff are adequately trained, supervised, and developed through coaching, mentoring, and training.

YOUR TRAINING, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE CHECKLIST:

Formal Qualification (including Professional Registrations):

• Bachelors’ degree in Civil, Mining or Geological Engineering.

Additional Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of Mine design software, Dips, Unwedge, Phase2, Map3D, Deswik.

Experience: 

• Minimum of 10 years’ working experience in Geotechnical Engineering, preferably in a senior capacity on an operational mine.
• Experience in supervising a team is preferred.

Technical Skills:

• Extensive geotechnical engineering experience in underground mines, preferably in deeper mines with stress difficulties.
• A high level of competence in underground excavation design, rockfill design, risk management, and in the use of relevant geotechnical and backfill software.
• Proven project management skill set applied in a cross-functional setting.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced computer literacy skills – MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Advanced planning, organizing and prioritizing skills.

Behavioural Attributes:

• Safety conscious.
• Proactive and takes Initiative.
• Results driven.
• Attentive to detail.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Combination of office and underground mining conditions.
• Noise exposure within the requirements for earplugs or/and earmuffs.
• Dark environment which requires personal attachment of lit head gear.
• Underground conditions include steep decline with section of uneven terrain.
• Working with corrosive chemicals.