Senior Mining Engineer

Senior Mining Engineer

Site Location

Sahuarita, Arizona, United States

Job Details

The Senior Mining Engineer is responsible for developing and managing short-, mid-, and long-range mine plans at an open-pit copper operation processing approximately 60,000 tons per day (tpd) of leach material. This role ensures optimized mining sequences, haulage, and leach cycle placements, cost-effective operations, safe working conditions, and efficient leach pad utilization, while mentoring junior staff and coordinating with operational and technical teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage daily and weekly mine plans for material extraction, including designing, drill & blast sequence, haulage, and leach pad placements.
• Monitor and reconcile operational performance against short-range plans; implement corrective actions as needed.
• Coordinate closely with operational teams (mining, drilling/blasting, pad stacking, metallurgy) to ensure smooth execution of daily plans.
• Prepare rolling monthly and quarterly forecasts, and annual mining budgets (tonnage, grade, stripping ratios, equipment utilization, and reagent usage).
• Optimize pit sequencing, leach pad lift designs, haulage routes, and waste management strategies.
• Identify and recommend operational improvements to increase productivity and cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with Geotechnical Engineering on slope and dump stability
• Model and steward site water/acid inventories and solution‑management infrastructure
• Generate and regularly update life-of-mine plans based on evolving pit designs, geologic models, and economic parameters.
• Conduct pit optimization studies using industry-standard software.
• Provide technical analysis for strategic projects, expansions, and regulatory filings
• Initiate Kaizen/LEAN projects that deliver quantified $/t mined savings
• Mentor and support junior mine planning engineers, facilitating their professional growth.
• Interface effectively with cross-functional teams, including geology, metallurgy, Mine Operations, environmental, and safety.
• Promote and enforce high standards of safety and environmental responsibility across mine planning activities.

Requirements

Job Requirements:

• Education & Certification: Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering
• Minimum 5 years' experience in open-pit mining engineering with direct experience or responsibility for short-, mid-, and long-range mine planning.
• Specific experience in large-scale copper operations utilizing heap or dump leach processes is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in mine planning software: MineSight/Hexagon, including Planner, MPSO and pit optimization tools.
• Proficiency with fleet‑management/dispatch systems and data analytics tools (SQL, Python, Power BI)
• Strong knowledge of haulage modeling software
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with expertise in mine scheduling and cost optimization.
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills; capable of clearly presenting technical data to various stakeholders.
• Comprehensive understanding of regulatory compliance
• Commitment to a strong safety culture and responsible environmental management practices.

*All employees are subject to annual physical examinations as a condition of employment.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates must possess a current and valid driver's license. Offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check and pre-employment physical including a drug screen.

Our client offers an excellent low-cost benefits package for medical/prescription/ dental/vision, disability coverage, life insurance and other optional coverage and 401(k) plan with company match.

Pay Type

Salaried