General Foreman - Mine Operations Execution Location:Stillwater Mine - Nye, MT
Schedule:7x7 Rotating
Job Responsibilities and Duties:The General Foreman - Mine Operations Execution directly leads frontline Supervisors and Dispatch and is accountable for safely delivering approved weekly and daily operating commitments across production, development, backfill, underground construction, rail haulage, rubber-tire haulage, road maintenance, and related material movement. Following formal handoff of the approved plan, the role confirms crew, equipment, route, work-front, material, and support readiness; removes execution barriers; controls operational variance and break-in work; and provides timely, validated feedback to the Planning General Foreman and Mine Operations Manager.
The General Foreman's primary duties are:
- Champion Group Minimum Standards, critical-control verification, lifesaving behaviors, and effective management routines through visible underground field engagement, crew interaction, recognition of compliant behavior, and immediate correction of deficiencies.
- Verify Supervisor effectiveness by observing pre-shift preparation, workplace examinations, crew line-out, work in progress, and completion quality, and document required coaching or corrective follow-up.
- Control unacceptable field risk by intervening immediately, stopping work when required, confirming effective controls with the Supervisor and crew, and escalating recurring or high-consequence deficiencies.
- Ensure investigations, audits, inspections, corrective actions, qualifications, and retraining are completed accurately and on time with accountable owners, due dates, evidence of completion, and escalation of overdue or ineffective actions.
- Directly lead frontline Supervisors by setting written and verbal expectations, defining decision and escalation boundaries, conducting routine one-on-one and shift reviews, and documenting coaching, recognition, and performance follow-up.
- Hold Supervisors accountable for clear crew line-out, workplace control, execution discipline, accurate reporting, and completion of recovery actions.
- Accept the formal planning-to-operations handoff, confirm crew and equipment allocation, commit operational resources within delegated authority, and communicate approved priorities, conditions, constraints, and open readiness actions to Supervisors.
- Lead daily and shift execution through handovers, pre-shift reviews, crew line-out, and the 24-hour operations review; compare actual progress with commitments, verify field performance and work quality, remove barriers, coordinate support, and assign timely recovery actions.
- Make operational adjustments by confirming urgency and impact, authorizing changes within delegated limits, documenting decisions and recovery actions, and escalating changes affecting approved sequence, technical requirements, or weekly commitments.
- Control execution-side labor utilization, overtime, contractor use, equipment allocation, consumables, and rework by comparing shift resource use with the approved plan and approving exceptions only when justified.
- Ensure accurate shift reporting and handoffs by reviewing entries before shift close and communicating work status, hazards, constraints, equipment condition, results, resource use, and required follow-up.
- Provide validated execution actuals and causes for daily, weekly, and 3MR performance reviews, including completed, missed, deferred, and changed work, delay reasons, and recovery actions.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Skills:- Leadership skills sufficient to direct work through frontline Supervisors, establish accountability, coach performance, manage conflict, and sustain consistent standards across shifts.
- Sound operational judgment, adaptability, and stress tolerance sufficient to assess changing risk, authorize adjustments within delegated limits, establish control during incidents or emergencies, coordinate emergency-response resources, and escalate issues affecting approved priorities, sequence, or technical requirements.
- Clear communication and influencing skills sufficient to direct work, conduct shift and performance reviews, secure timely cross-functional support, clarify ownership and need dates, challenge incomplete responses, escalate unresolved constraints, and prepare concise execution reports and handoffs.
- Experience in underground production and development mining cycles, including drill-and-blast execution, explosives controls, blast clearance and re-entry requirements, ventilation clearance, drilling, blasting, mucking, haulage, ground support, rehabilitation, services installation, work-area preparation, and coordination of downstream activities.
- Knowledge of MSHA requirements, site standards, and safety-management practices applicable to underground operations, including workplace examinations, task training, explosives, mobile equipment, critical controls, incident investigation, corrective actions, contractors, and emergency response.
- Leadership and workforce-management practices experience, including Supervisor development, performance management, staffing, succession, qualifications, labor relations, contractor oversight, and application of Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Education & Experience- High school diploma or equivalent
- Seven years of progressively responsible experience in underground production, development, mine support, or closely related mine operations, including at least three years leading mining employees as a frontline Supervisor or in a higher-level operating leadership role.
- Associate or bachelor's degree in mining, mine engineering, engineering technology, operations management, occupational safety, business with substantial mining-operations experience, or a related field preferred.
