Mining Engineer (12-Month Contract)

Introduction

Location: Rustenburg, North West

Industry: Mining (Chrome & PGM)

Employment Type: 12-Month Fixed-Term

Contract Salary: Market-related, dependent on the successful candidate's current salary and experience.

Job Overview

Our client, a leading mining company, is seeking an experienced Mining Engineer to join their operations on a 12-month contract. This is an on-site role based in Rustenburg, North West, responsible for planning, designing, and optimising safe and efficient underground and surface mining operations within Chrome and Platinum Group Metals (PGM) deposits. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring production targets are achieved cost-effectively while maintaining compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.

Duties & Responsibilities

Mine Planning & Design 

  • Design safe and efficient underground mine layouts, including tunnels, shafts, stopes, ventilation systems, and associated infrastructure.  

  • Develop short-, medium-, and long-term mine plans for underground tabular ore bodies and surface mining activities.  

  • Optimise ore extraction while maintaining operational safety and productivity.  

Production Planning & Execution 

  • Develop, monitor, and update weekly, monthly, and annual production plans.  

  • Ensure production targets are realistic, achievable, and aligned with available resources.  

  • Monitor production performance and recommend corrective actions where required.  

Underground Operations Optimisation 

  • Design and optimise tabular mining methods, including Bord-and-Pillar mining.  

  • Improve face advance, panel utilisation, and mining cycle efficiency.  

  • Drive continuous operational improvements to maximise productivity.  

Equipment Performance 

  • Monitor the performance and utilisation of mining equipment.  

  • Recommend equipment selection, fleet optimisation, and productivity improvements.  

  • Support maintenance planning through operational feedback.  

Cost Control & Budget Management 

  • Monitor operational costs while maintaining production quality and efficiency.  

  • Track cost per tonne and cost per metre.  

  • Identify opportunities for cost reduction and operational efficiencies.  

Rock Engineering & Drill & Blast 

  • Design drilling and blasting patterns.  

  • Optimise blast fragmentation to improve loading, hauling, and crushing efficiency.  

  • Support ground control initiatives to ensure safe mining practices.  

Resource Management 

  • Work closely with Geology and Survey teams to optimise ore recovery.  

  • Monitor ore loss, dilution, and mine-to-mill reconciliation.  

  • Ensure accurate resource utilisation and grade control.  

Continuous Improvement 

  • Identify opportunities to improve mining methods, processes, and technologies.  

  • Implement industry best practices and innovation initiatives.  

  • Contribute to operational excellence programmes.  

Reporting & Stakeholder Management 

  • Liaise with Geologists, Surveyors, Environmental teams, Contractors, and Management.  

  • Prepare technical reports, production updates, and operational analyses.  

  • Provide leadership and guidance to mining teams and contractors.  

Safety & Compliance 

  • Ensure full compliance with the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) and company safety standards.  

  • Identify operational risks and implement mitigation measures.  

  • Promote a strong safety culture throughout mining operations.  

Desired Experience & Qualification

Qualifications 

  • Bachelor's Degree in Mining Engineering or equivalent.  

  • Mine Manager's Certificate of Competency (advantageous or currently in progress).  

 

Experience 

  • 5–8 years' Mining Engineering experience within Chrome and/or PGM mining operations.  

  • Proven underground mining experience (preferred).  

  • Experience with tabular mining methods, particularly Bord-and-Pillar mining.  

  • Strong understanding of the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC), including Merensky, UG2, and Chrome seams.  

  • Experience with mine planning software such as Deswik, MineRP, or Datamine.  

  • Experience in drill and blast design and optimisation.   

  • Experience in project development, scheduling, progress reporting, and project close-out.  

 

Knowledge & Skills 

  • Strong understanding of Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) regulations.  

  • Mine planning and production optimisation expertise.  

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.  

  • Excellent reporting and data analysis skills.  

  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.  

  • Leadership experience with the ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and contractors.  

  • Ability to work effectively within cross-functional mining environments.  

​​​​​​​

Key Competencies 

  • Mining Engineering Expertise  

  • Underground Mine Planning  

  • Production Planning & Scheduling  

  • Mine Optimisation  

  • Cost Control & Budget Management  

  • Drill & Blast Design  

  • Resource Management  

  • Safety Leadership  

  • Contractor Management  

  • Project Planning  

  • Technical Reporting  

  • Problem Solving  

  • Communication & Collaboration  

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Package & Remuneration

  • Opportunity to work on a significant Chrome and PGM mining project.  

  • Exposure to a large-scale mining development environment.  

  • Collaborative and technically challenging role.  

  • Market-related remuneration based on experience and current earnings. 

Back to blog

Other Jobs To Apply

No other job posts for this day.

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...