Senior Engineer, Mine Services
About the role
The Senior Mine Services Engineer plays a critical leadership role within the Technical Services team, overseeing the planning, design, implementation, and optimization of underground infrastructure systems required to support mine development and operations. This position provides technical leadership for underground electrical distribution, utility networks, instrumentation, paste distribution systems, and capital infrastructure projects. The role leads cross-functional collaboration between operations, planning, engineering consultants, and contractors to ensure infrastructure systems are designed, installed, and maintained safely, efficiently, and in alignment with operational objectives.
This role is based at the Hermosa Project site, near Patagonia, Arizona. Other key responsibilities include, but aren't limited to:
- Liaise with planners operations to ensure timely and efficient paste delivery.
- Maintain daily, weekly, monthly, and annual records of paste pours and backfill reports.
- Keep as-built schematics, level plans, and flow models current; use Deswik and Backfill Pro software.
- Design paste parameters (e.g., binder %, slump, TPH) to meet strength and efficiency targets.
- Develop and update pressure flow models; provide engineered drawings and procedures for distribution systems and barricade construction.
- Conduct inspections of backfill quality, stope prep, barricade construction, and piping.
- Analyse and optimize paste characteristics (UCS strength, density, slump); maintain pastefill database and perform reconciliations.
- Train underground backfill operators on best practices.
- Lead pastefill system upgrades and expansion projects; manage budget, inventory, and project execution.
- Underground Electrical Distribution & Utilities
- Provide technical leadership for underground electrical distribution systems, including load center placement, feeder routing, and power distribution planning.
- Develop and maintain underground power distribution strategies supporting mine development and operational requirements.
- Review mining equipment, pumping systems, and infrastructure power requirements to ensure adequate electrical capacity and reliability.
- Manage underground utility corridor strategies and utility borehole designs for power, communications, water, paste, and other mine services.
- Develop and maintain utility schematics, single-line diagrams, and infrastructure design standards.
- Cook with electrical consultants, contractors, and operations teams on installations, upgrades, and commissioning activities.
- Support implementation of SCADA, instrumentation, telemetry, and monitoring systems for underground infrastructure.
- Ensure compliance with applicable safety standards, regulations, and engineering best practices.
- Infrastructure Projects & Engineering
- Lead underground and surface infrastructure projects from concept development through commissioning and operational handover.
- Develop project scopes, budgets, schedules, cost estimates, and technical specifications.
- Manage engineering consultants and contractors supporting infrastructure development activities.
- Plan and oversee installation of underground power, communications, water, paste distribution, instrumentation, and related infrastructure systems.
- Lead infrastructure design reviews and ensure alignment with life-of-mine development plans.
- Cook infrastructure requirements with mine planning, operations, maintenance, and project teams.
- Support annual capital planning and budget forecasting activities.
- Leadership & Continuous Improvement
- Lead, mentor, and develop Mine Services engineers and technicians.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on infrastructure reliability, safety, and operational efficiency.
- Develop, review, and update SOPs, engineering standards, and technical procedures.
- Foster collaboration between Technical Services, Operations, Maintenance, Projects, and external stakeholders.
About Hermosa
Hermosa, located approximately 75 miles south-east of Tucson, Arizona, is the only advanced mining project in the United States as of 2023 that could produce two federally designated critical minerals—manganese and zinc—as well as silver and lead. The project has the potential to help power the nation’s clean energy future, strengthen the domestic supply chain of critical minerals, grow the local economy, and improve lives in Santa Cruz County and the surrounding community for generations to come.