Director of Mine Geology
at
Confidential
in Denver, Colorado
posted by Search Firm
Published at 09-01-2010
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POSITION: Director of Mine Geology
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Our Client has an industry leading performance that is reflected through high standards in environmental management, health and safety for its employees and creating value and opportunity for host communities and shareholders.
The purpose of the Director Mine Geology:
- Provides world-class, senior technical leadership, functional leadership and multi-faceted industry knowledge of diverse ore deposit geology, mine development methods, risk & opportunity recognition and technical support interactions. Actively engages at any level, in any discipline on global natural resource-development related projects to provide technical insight, experience and creative issue resolution.
- Act as highly accountable, internal, master consultants and technical/functional leaders on multiple, varied, small-to-large-scale projects on a global basis. Expert, detailed interpretation of multi-functional results are expected to be delivered globally in a timely manner.
Essential Duties include:
- Recognize, promote and implement global best practices in technical deposit evaluations, geologic interpretation, 3D digital modeling, drill & assay data quality assurance / quality control, metallurgical definition sampling, and functional Stage Gate processes.
- Cooperatively creates, implements and enforces global corporate standards for quality of global geology on Stage 3-5 projects and at operating mine sites.
- Business readiness planning – Draft and implement plans to transition to operations and summarizes project systems and documentation for sustained future operations. During startup and commissioning provide required geologic input and support for all aspects of mining production including ore control, geologic mine mapping, geotechnical & hydrological data and near mine development drilling.
- Concise and unbiased presentation and communication of technical opportunities and candid & honest feedback recommendations to senior corporate (VP+), other functional Lead or project/site managers expected.
- Provide expert staff or personally act as senior technical mentor through peer review/assist audits at operating mines and Stage 3-5 major projects, technical applications training and group leadership in an international setting.
- Coordinate and/or collaborate as technical/functional peer assist on functionally and globally diverse teams for major capita projects valued at $20M to $2Bn. Expected to recognize, quantify and capture existing and future value of opportunities and manage risks.
- Develops scope-of-work documentation, budgets and manages outside engineering contractor houses (AMEC, SRK, Runge) and industry-specialized individual geologic consultants.
- Accountability for leading design & development of late-stage drill programs ranging from $1MM to $20MM each on an annual basis where/when required (as for integration of operations acquired via M & A). Responsible for direct management of ~$1MM annual TS staffing budget and subordinate staff. Able to act given only directional functional guidance to do what makes sense in the near-term.
- Generalist in all aspects of mining & processing operations, geologic resource evaluation, development and management of advanced mineral project opportunities.
- Specialist in geologic models, metallurgical processing and geologic operations support (mapping, reconciliation, ore control) of large, bulk mineable gold-rich polymetallic porphyry deposits, disseminated gold deposits, small high-grade underground deposits, applied knowledge of orogenic gold deposits. Defines new concepts to solve problems, capture value on any global project.
- Able to conduct and deliver results with only a general strategic guidance framework. Position requires ability to work under a wide degree of freedom to think through problem resolution alternatives and options, all within a broadly defined project scope.
- Ability to work with complex digital geologic and assay databases and knowledge of industry-standard audit procedures.
- Knowledgeable of commonly used mineral industry geologic modeling software. Highly creative 3D visualization, geologic modeling skills and complex problem-solving a necessity. Periodically updates geologic and resource models.
- Contributes to strategic outlooks and geologic advice for short- and long-term planning.
- Provides reserve addition forecasts and production profiles with engineering to keep geologic progress in sync with site production profiles and cash flow needs.
- Within approved program, exercise technical and administrative control, including but not limited to preparing budgets, tracking costs, completing tasks within budget and planned timeframes, achieving performance measures, and coordinating and directing personnel
- Coordinates with ESR to understand requirements for obtaining permits for drilling activities. Provide support as necessary for other operational permits.
- Defines and implement operations geology roles and reporting systems, including required interactions with other operations and support groups for the project.
- Work with Mine Engineering group to develop and institute deposit appropriate sampling systems, ore control procedures and computing systems.
- Ability to develop Stage 4 & 5 final reports that include verification of production geology, procedures, databases for local regulatory or reporting jurisdiction documentation (i.e. 43-101 documentation, JORC and Client Resource and Reserve reviews).
- Strong interpersonal skills for collaborating with, working within, leading, and/or managing aligned cross-functional teams. Works seamlessly with, and to improve, own and other teams. Consistent & direct involvement with inter-disciplinary teams. Recognizes & draws value from others, disperses credit.
- Global monitoring and development guidance of Mine Geology Organizational Staffing & Talent Management Plans. Demonstrated ability to identify, mentor and develop high potential technical staff.
Working Conditions
- Significant domestic and international travel expected, often to remote/hazardous locations, often on short-to-no notice. Digital technical work is conducted primarily in the corporate office, but position will often require exposure to global, remote conditions (arctic/high altitude sites, poor food, high disease risk, long working hours) and operations hazards (underground and surface mining, drilling, blasting, groundfall risk, etc).
- Position is expected to function with a minimum of guidance and to align with current corporate & project strategic input.
- Position defines new concepts to solve problems, capture value. Expert, detailed interpretation of multi-functional results expected.
- Emphasis is placed on establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with site Chief Geologists, operations staff (engineers, process, other site department heads, etc…) and Mine Geology groups. Secondarily, technical relationships with TS Functional Leads, peers in Exploration Geology, ESR, BOD, and BOC must be established and maintained.
Qualifications
- Broad, sustained mining industry experience must include multi-mine operations geology (mapping, ore control, multi-department interactions), extensive multi-site mine development geology, geotechnical/hydrologic evaluations, digital resource modeling, planning & coordination of metallurgical characterization, planning and coordination of small-to-large-scale development drilling campaigns. Recognized Functional Expert (multi-metals/OP+UG/multi-sites).
- Minimum 15 to 20 years experience in various resource development positions including district exploration, large development programs, feasibility studies and mine operations support. Must include 5-10 years of direct operations experience in various mining & processing methods and management responsibility at the chief geologist/superintendent/manager level. Problem-solving and technical knowledge of the position are recognized to be highly creative, at or near the highest levels possible in the corporation. Experience should include both domestic and international work.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate multiple mine geology activities and teams in support of mine operations.
- Proven ability to work independently and/or interact constructively with and/or lead technical teams from various cultures, think innovatively, execute projects of any scale, communicate effectively, demonstrate selfless honesty, work within a Matrix Management system and deliver results in a timely manner. Must be able to progress high-quality, creative technical work under tight time constraints with limited staff.
- Proven ability to prepare, edit and review AFE justifications; plan, budget, execute and manage large, multi-mine development programs and associated staff. Prior or current record of professional publications is a plus.
- Proven ability to work with hourly labor, contracted technical experts, drill contractors, local and corporate technical staff and local and corporate management in highly varied global settings.
- Minimum education: BS or MSc in Geology, Mining, Metallurgy or Engineering.

