Chief Rock Engineer

Company Description

Valterra Platinum, formerly Anglo American Platinum, is a leading primary producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), with integrated mining, smelting, and refining operations in South Africa and Zimbabwe, marketing the metal we produce globally. Following our demerger from Anglo American plc, Valterra Platinum is now an independent, publicly listed company with a primary and secondary listing on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges respectively.

As we embark on this exciting new chapter, Valterra Platinum is positioned to define and pursue its own strategy, anchored in operational excellence, sustainability, and value creation for the long‑term. With full accountability for our performance and growth, we are focused on strengthening our capabilities across the entire PGM value chain, from mine to market.

Our independence empowers us to deepen our commitment to stakeholders and lead with purpose – to Unearth Value to Better Our World. We remain steadfast in our ambition to be the world’s foremost producer of platinum group metals, while embedding safety and sustainability in everything we do.

If you’re driven by purpose and the opportunity to make a lasting impact, we invite you to join us. Apply today and be part of something bigger.

This role is based at Amandelbult Complex, Tumela 15 East Mine, Thabazimbi, South Africa.

The purpose of the Chief Rock Engineer is to provide advanced Rock Engineering expertise, implement effective ground management strategies, and develop plans for complex mining operations. It involves creating and enforcing standards, participating in industry forums, optimizing efficiency, conducting geotechnical modelling, contributing to feasibility studies, ensuring governance, managing rock engineering services, performing risk analysis, supporting operational management, and overseeing quality assurance of support systems.

This role is on a Band 6/12 level reporting to the Mineral Resource Manager.

• Providing the Mine with high level and specialist Rock Engineering services and expertise.
• Implement Fall of Ground Management Strategies.
• Develop/contribute to tactics and plans for mining at increasing depth and complexity.
• Develop and Implement Rock Engineering systems, policies, protocols and standards to satisfy Regulatory, Valterra Group Geotechnical Standard and mandatory Fall of Ground Critical Control requirements.
• Participate in industry technical forums and liaison with external parties (e.g. local government, other mining companies).
• Benchmarking the state of rock engineering practice in relation to established best practice (technology).
• Review and sign off mandatory codes of practice and rock engineering related systems.
• Investigate opportunities to optimize efficiency and cost, driven by rock engineering input.
• Conduct and sign‑off geotechnical modelling for mine design and sequence purposes.
• Conduct/contribute to feasibility studies for new on‑mine projects.
• Liaison with Manager Geotechnical to facilitate Governance.
• Responsible for the rock engineering service at the Mine including Human Resource optimization and talent management.
• Business and technical risk analysis.
• Cross discipline (Mining, Planning, Safety, Geology, Hydrogeology and UG Geotechnical) input in mine planning.
• Support the overall operational management of the Mine.
• Manage QA/QC of support and rockfall systems in conjunction with Manager Rock Engineering.

• Legal requirement:
  Chamber of Mines Rock Mechanics Certificate
• Degree in Mining or Geology
• Member of South African National Institute of Rock Engineering
• Advanced Rock Engineering Ticket or MSc for the discipline would be advantageous.

• At least 8 years’ experience in rock engineering/strata control.

• Sound knowledge to integrate with mining, Safety & Health, legislation, ventilation, geology and planning disciplines.
• Experience in managing a team of qualified rock engineering/strata control staff.
• Working knowledge of specialist rock engineering computer programs and models.
• The understanding of and experience in asset management principles around mining,…