Senior Mining Engineer

Role Overview

• Serve as a leadership position within the mining engineer functional category and is responsible for the day-to-day direction of technical work as required by individual work orders
• Prepare comprehensive resource and reserve estimates for a variety of solid mineral deposits, including metal, coal, industrial minerals, and construction aggregates
• Develop detailed mine and reclamation plans for undeveloped mineral properties, specifying mining methods, equipment selection, staffing, production rates, and scheduling
• Conduct economic evaluations of solid mineral projects using methods like discounted cash flow rate of return and makes capital and operating cost estimates for proposed mining operations
• Act as a primary mining technical representative, assisting them in dealings with mining companies, contractors, and other government agencies
• Assist Indian mineral owners with mineral lease contract negotiations and reviews proposed agreements, with particular attention to royalty terms and environmental protection clauses
• Review and evaluate grant proposals from Tribal organizations for mineral assessment and development projects, assessing technical merit, feasibility, and alignment with program goals
• Monitor assigned grants throughout their full lifecycle, ensuring compliance, tracking project progress, and providing technical assistance to grantees
• Make presentations on mining fundamentals, regulations, mineral agreement structures, and NEPA requirements.
• May be expected to perform supervisory responsibilities, reporting to the On-Site Lead and Project Manager.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mining Engineering or a closely related field (e.g., Geological Engineering); Master’s degree preferred (mining, geotechnical, or mineral economics)
• FE required; PE strongly preferred (or ability to obtain within 12 months)
• 6-8 years of progressively responsible experience in mine planning, reserve estimation, and economic evaluation across surface and/or underground operations
• Demonstrated success in resource and reserve estimation (JORC/NI 43-101/SK-1300 familiar) across multiple commodities (metals, coal, industrial minerals, aggregates), including geostatistics, block modeling, and reconciliation
• Significant experience leading mine design and engineering: pit/UG layouts, phase design, haul road geometry, ventilation, dewatering, slope stability/ground control, drill-and-blast, materials handling, and backfill; creation of LoM plans, short-/mid-/long-range schedules, and production forecasts
• Reclamation and closure planning expertise, integrating geochemical considerations, water management, and post-mining land use into design and life-cycle cost models
• Economic evaluation & project finance support: cut-off grade analysis, pit optimization, sensitivities, NPV/IRR, cash-flow modeling, and contribution to prefeasibility/feasibility studies with defendable assumptions
• Experience representing mineral owners/operators in lease and royalty negotiations, surface use agreements, right-of-way, and regulatory processes (permit packages, NEPA/NHPA touchpoints), coordinating with legal, environmental, and governmental stakeholders
• Track record of executive-level presentations and clear decision memos for senior stakeholders (boards, Tribal leadership, investors, agencies), translating technical trade-offs and risk mitigations into actionable recommendations
• Supervisory/mentoring experience directing junior engineers/consultants and multi-disciplinary teams; establishing work plans, QA/QC of designs and calculations, and fostering safety-first culture
• Toolset proficiency: Deswik, Vulcan, MineSight/Hexagon, Surpac (or similar); Whittle/NPV optimizers; GIS familiarity; advanced Excel/Power BI; exposure to geotech packages (e.g., Slide, FLAC3D) a plus
• Strong MSHA knowledge, field auditing, contractor/OEM coordination, commissioning/start-up support, and willingness to travel to operating sites and community locations.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal benefits package available to full-time employees
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan participation