Senior Engineer - Site Closure

About the role

As a Senior Engineer within Alcoa’s Transformation group, you will provide strategic technical leadership for the operation, maintenance, and closure of tailings impoundments. The role ensures alignment with the Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM) and Alcoa’s Impoundment Management System (IMS), while serving as the geotechnical lead for the Integrated Closure Committee to enhance global site closure planning and Asset Retirement Obligation cost estimating.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical input into the development of global policies, standards, and guidelines to ensure cost-effective closure solutions that meet regulatory and Alcoa requirements.
• Perform technical gap assessments of site closure plans and associated cost estimates; support development of gap closure plans.
• Provide recommendations to optimize geotechnical designs, construction, and monitoring of global closure strategies.
• Conduct risk assessments and readiness reviews for closure execution.
• Perform technical reviews of studies, data, and reports including geotechnical investigation reports, seepage analyses, closure designs, monitoring data, QA/QC protocols, and related documents.
• Provide technical guidance to locations for geotechnical site investigations, stability analyses, closure works, and maintenance and monitoring activities.
• Interpret monitoring data and recommend modifications to optimize operations and maintenance programs.
• Perform site visits to support development of closure plans, optimize O&M programs, and provide technical support during active construction projects.
• Oversee program maintenance requirements to ensure conformance with Alcoa requirements while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce risk.
• Coordinate internal assurance reviews and external audits related to impoundment management with project teams.
• Update technical standards, guidelines, and procedures based on lessons learned and industry best practices.
• Coordinate collection of relevant site data to support internal reporting requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Geology, Civil Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Geological Engineering, or a similar field preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Geologist (PG) license preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years’ progressive engineering experience in an industrial, mining, process, manufacturing, or similar environment.
• Sound knowledge of internationally recognized tailings management standards and industry guidelines such as ICMM, ANCOLD, MAC/CDA, and GISTM.
• Demonstrated experience in geotechnical engineering aspects of tailings dam closure planning, execution, and monitoring.
• Experience performing geotechnical investigations, slope stability analyses, and consolidation modeling.
• Experience performing geotechnical risk assessments, including evaluation of structural stability and long-term performance of legacy impoundments.
• Strong verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills with demonstrated ability to challenge effectively and drive outcomes.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; capacity to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and drive aggressive implementation plans.
• Commitment to safe work practices and risk awareness when reviewing designs, assessing field conditions, and providing on-site support.

Schedule

Travel requirements up to 15% of the time.