The Senior Underground Mine Engineer is responsible for developing, evaluating, and optimizing long-range mine plans that support the safe, efficient, and economic development of the operation. This position will have a strong focus on strategic mine planning, underground mine design, stope design and optimization, production scheduling, and life-of-mine planning.
Works closely with Geology, Resource Modeling, Geotechnical, Operations, Processing, Projects, and other Technical Services functions to translate geological resources and business objectives into practical and economically viable mine plans.
Strong technical mine planning capabilities, including underground mining experience, will play an important role in evaluating future mining opportunities, mine development strategies, production scenarios, and optimization initiatives.
Requirements
• Adhere to the Hycroft policies and disciplines.
• Develop and maintain long-range and life-of-mine (LOM) plans aligned with company production, financial, and strategic objectives.
• Develop annual, multi-year, and life-of-mine production schedules incorporating mining, development, processing, and operational constraints.
• Evaluate alternative mine plans, production rates, mining sequences, development strategies, and operating scenarios.
• Perform strategic mine planning and optimization studies to maximize resource value and improve project economics.
• Support development of mineral reserve estimates and life-of-mine planning assumptions.
• Integrate geological models, resource models, geotechnical parameters, metallurgical assumptions, operating costs, and equipment/productivity assumptions into mine plans.
• Identify opportunities to improve resource recovery, production sequencing, equipment utilization, and overall mine economics.
• Conduct sensitivity and scenario analyses to evaluate changes in commodity prices, costs, recoveries, production rates, and other key planning assumptions.
• Develop underground mine designs, including mine access, declines, ramps, levels, development headings, ventilation infrastructure, haulage routes, and other underground infrastructure.
• Develop and optimize stope designs based on geological, geotechnical, operational, and economic parameters.
• Support economic evaluations, trade-off studies, scoping studies, pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, and other technical evaluations.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Mine Engineers and other Technical Services personnel.
• Review mine designs, schedules, calculations, and technical work completed by other engineers.
• Identify and implement improvements to mine planning processes, tools, and methodologies.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation supporting mine designs, schedules, assumptions, and recommendations.
• Ability to work in adverse weather conditions when necessary
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Valid driver's license required
Experience and Training
- Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering or equivalent required
- A minimum of six (6) to ten (10) years' experience in underground mine operations.
- Strong background in underground mining operations, mine design, and production optimization
- Proficiency in mine planning and design software, preferably with Vulcan and or Deswik
- Experience with budgeting, cost control, and financial evaluation of mining projects and operations
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate complex technical and operational issues
- Experience analyzing large datasets and utilizing data-driven approaches to improve performance
- Familiarity with fleet management systems, dispatch systems, Trimble technologies, and AutoCAD is considered an asset
- Demonstrated leadership, mentoring, and project management capabilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical information to diverse audiences
- Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment and influence decision-making across departments
Safety, Environmental, Compliance
- Strictly adheres to all safety and environmental disciplines.
- Have an unconditional commitment to safe working practices.
- Is alert and observes, corrects, and reports unsafe conditions.
- Follows operating procedures and complies with all regulatory requirements.
