Mining Engineer - Mine Planning

The Short-Range Mining Engineer is responsible for developing and maintaining rolling mine plans spanning from monthly to 12-month horizons, with a focus on operational accuracy, geotechnical soundness, and production efficiency, within an open-pit copper mine that processes sulfide ore. This role translates mid-range planning objectives into detailed, executable designs that guide daily production activities. Reporting directly to the Chief Mining Engineer, the Mining Engineer works cross-functionally with Geology, Survey, Operations, and Processing Teams to generate practical bench layouts, material routing strategies, and shovel-ready instructions that support safe and continuous production.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of mine planning systems, short-term sequencing, and field-level operational constraints, ensuring plans are both technically sound and operationally executable. Rotation and cross-training within other mine planning roles is expected.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a rolling short-range mine plan (1 to 12 months) that aligns with mid-range strategies, production goals, and operational constraints.
• Design and sequence pit advances, including bench layouts, dig polygons, ore control boundaries, and blast patterns, ensuring alignment with geotechnical, operational, and safety requirements.
• Design and coordinate closely with the Drill and Blast team to define burden, spacing, timing, and initiation designs that optimize fragmentation, minimize dilution, and reduce ore loss, which are executable.
• Collaborate with Mine Geology to ensure accurate grade boundaries, reconciliation inputs, and material classification are incorporated into dig plans and routing instructions.
• Prepare detailed material movement plans, including routing of sulfide ores to crushers and stockpiles, ensuring delivery of the correct material type and blend.
• Generate shovel instructions, blast release maps, and haulage plans, and communicate these effectively to Mine Operations and Controllers.
• Monitor plan execution, validate against survey pickups, and make timely adjustments for real-world conditions such as ground control issues, equipment availability, or changing priorities.
• Utilize Hexagon Mine Plan 3D, Activity Scheduler, and haulage tools to model, visualize, and update mine plans and track performance against targets.
• Participate in daily and weekly operations meetings, reporting on short-term forecast accuracy, compliance, and corrective actions as needed.
• Contribute to the monthly forecast, budget updates, and production analysis by providing data-driven updates and reconciliation support.
• Work collaboratively and cross-train with Mid-Range and Long-Range Engineers to ensure planning continuity and feedback on plan execution.
• Maintain clear documentation of assumptions, changes, and plan decisions for operational transparency and continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering or related discipline
• Minimum 2 years of experience in open pit mine engineering or operations
• Proficient in Hexagon Mine Plan 3D, including Planner or Activity Scheduler, MPSO, Haulage, and short-range design tools
• Strong understanding of open pit mining operations, drill and blast practices, ore control, and material logistics
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and interface effectively with field and technical teams
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills