Mariana Minerals · 4 months ago
Senior Mine Engineer
Moab Office
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
8+ years expMariana Minerals is seeking a seasoned Senior Mine Engineer to provide technical leadership and drive operational excellence at their surface heap leach copper operation in Utah. The role involves mentoring a team of engineers, developing Standard Operating Procedures, and optimizing mine plans to maximize ore recovery while ensuring safety and compliance.
Mining & Metals
Responsibilities
Provide leadership, mentorship, and professional development for a team of mine engineers
Foster a culture of safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement within the technical services department
Develop, implement, and audit Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for mine planning, design, and survey field execution
Own the mine planning process, developing robust short, medium, and long-term mine plans using industry-standard software (e.g., MineSight, Vulcan, Deswik)
Design and optimize pit phases, waste dump configurations, and haul road networks with an unwavering priority on geotechnical safety and pit slope stability
Conduct detailed mine sequencing and fleet analysis to ensure efficient material movement and achieve production targets
Integrate dewatering plans and understand the crushing/conveying system as it pertains to feed to the heap leach pad
Work intimately with the Geology team to develop and implement effective grade control strategies
Utilize blast hole sampling data to create accurate block models for ore/waste delineation
Lead the effort to minimize ore dilution and maximize ore recovery through precise design, field layout, and operator communication
Collaborate with Blasting Operations to ensure drill and blast patterns are designed and executed to achieve designed dig lines, fragmentation goals, and wall control
Own and manage the monthly reconciliation process, comparing planned vs. actual data across multiple sources: blast hole models, survey data, truck counts, and the resource model
Establish, monitor, and report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including, but not limited to: Ore Dilution & Ore Loss percentages, Total Material Moved (Ore & Waste), Grade Control Accuracy (Planned vs. Actual Copper Grade), Fleet Utilization & Availability, Drill & Blast Cost Efficiency ($/ton) and Fragmentation, Crusher Throughput (tons per hour)
Use reconciliation results to identify areas for improvement and drive changes in planning and operational practices
Research, evaluate, and recommend new technologies (e.g., UAV surveying, GPS machine guidance, proximity detection, advanced modeling software) to improve safety, efficiency, and data accuracy
Implement technological solutions for slope monitoring, field mapping, and production tracking to enable rapid reporting and decision-making
Champion safety as the absolute first priority in all planning and operational activities
Ensure all mine designs and plans meet or exceed MSHA regulations and company safety standards
Incorporate best practices for geotechnical pit design, haul road safety, and dump stability into all mine plans
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering or related field; Master's degree preferred
8+ years of progressive experience in open-pit mine engineering, with significant experience in copper heap leach operations
Proven leadership experience with a demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and mentor a team of engineers
High proficiency in mine planning software (e.g., MineSight, Vulcan, Deswik) and grade control modeling
Expert knowledge of resource and reserve estimation techniques, pit and dump design, and mine sequencing
Strong understanding of drill & blast, haulage, crushing/conveying, and leach pad operations
Extensive experience with mine reconciliation processes and KPI development
Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills with the ability to work effectively with operations, geology, and maintenance teams
Company
Mariana Minerals
Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company focused on supplying the minerals critical to modern energy, AI, and defense technologies.
11-50 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Mariana Minerals has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (7)
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase