Underground Mine Planning Engineer

Job Description

The Underground Mining Engineer (Planning) is responsible for producing and delivering executable weekly mine plans that align with monthly plans. This role integrates input from multiple stakeholders across operations, geology, geotechnical, backfill, ventilation, and maintenance to ensure that all activities are coordinated, realistic, and achievable.

In addition, the planner contributes to the mine design of the AFM (Approved for Mining) workflows by generating OPEX centerlines and short-range stope shapes, which are then routed through the formal review and approval processes.

This position plays a key role in driving plan compliance, leading cross-functional planning workshops, and providing short-term scheduling support to maintain operational continuity. Reporting to the Senior Short Range Planning Engineer.

• Operational Responsibilities
  • Lead and facilitate the weekly pre-planning workshop with operations, maintenance, geology, geotechnical, ventilation, and services to resolve constraints and define the critical path.
  • Develop and publish the weekly mine plan (development, production, ground support, projects, and backfill), ensuring full alignment with the 3-month rolling plan/forecast and operational targets.
  • Chair the weekly planning presentation to Operations and Technical Services, clearly communicating objectives, priorities, and constraints.
  • Attend the daily 24-hour production meeting to monitor execution, track progress against plan, and report variances with corrective actions.
  • Ensure weekly plans are fully integrated with equipment availability, manpower schedules, considering all constraints.
  • Support plan compliance monitoring, preparing conformance reports and identifying opportunities for improvement.
  • Identify possible upcoming schedule risks within stoping or development, communicate potential control measures to mitigate effects on overall schedule.
  • Actively look for opportunities to accelerate or make processes more efficient to advance schedule and opportunities.
  • Ensure all works under area of control are completed to a standard that is fit for purpose and meets the end users’ requirements.
  • Other tasks as assigned by Senior or Superintendent.
• Design Contributions
  • Create OPEX development centerlines and solids for executable cut-sheets in Deswik MDM for review and approval.
  • Create short-range stope shapes via Deswik MDM considering most recent as-builts, grade optimization, and practical drilling & blasting requirements; submit for technical review.
• Operational Support
  • Provide short-term coverage for the Drill & Blast Engineer during planned or unplanned absences, including creating and peer reviewing drill, blast and timing plans.
  • Conduct regular field inspections of headings and stopes (minimum 3 per week), raising issues and work with supervisors to mitigate risks.
  • Prepare and maintain a rolling weekly plan.
  • Prepare and chair the spatial compliance to plan meetings (reconciling performance to plan and highlighting risks and opportunities).
  • Maintain and update the Stopes Priority Master Tracker, identifying trends and feeding back lessons learned into future plans.
• Collaboration & Improvement
  • Work closely with the Mid-Range Mine Planning Engineer and Short-Range Mine Planning Senior to ensure weekly and monthly activities align with 3 month plans/forecasts.
  • Contribute to weekly lessons learned from stopes reconciliation and pre-stope discussions.
  • Identify opportunities to optimize sequencing, accelerate schedules, or remove inefficiencies
• Health, Safety, and Environment
  • Comply with OceanaGold Health and Safety Policy and Environment Policy.
  • Promoting safety awareness and environmental responsibility amongst company and contract personnel.
  • Report all personal injuries and incidents and assist with investigations.
  • Actively supporting and participating in safety and environmental initiatives.
  • Accepting accountability to ensure personal safety and the safety of others whilst protecting the environment.
  • Monitor the reporting of workplace incidents and hazards to ensure effective risk mitigation is maintained.
  • Undertake workplace inspections and audits to ensure site standards are being adhered to.
  • Support incident investigations that occur within area of control.

Qualifications

• Education
  • 4-year degree in Mining Engineering
• Experience
  • 2+ years relevant experience in underground hard rock mining.
  • Experience in mine planning using DESWIK.sched or other scheduling software’s (previous experience with DESWIK.sched will be highly regarded).
  • Experience in Drill & Blast highly regarded.
  • Experience in Longhole Open Stoping highly regarded.
  • Experience in underground development planning highly regarded.

Physical Requirements:

• 8/6 Rotation
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, demonstrate manual dexterity, climb stairs, talk, hear and see.
• Must be able to work shift work with 12-hour shifts.
• Must be able to climb 25’ vertical ladder sections unaided.
• Occasionally may be required to lift moderately heavy objects (up to 50 pounds) during the workday.
• Work is in a surface mine plant setting, which may include exposure to extremes in temperature and humidity.
• Personal protective equipment is required when performing work in a mine environment, including hart hat, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety footwear, and as needed, respirator, rubber steel-toe boots, protective clothing, gloves and any other protective equipment as required.

Additional Information

WHAT'S ON OFFER:

• Competitive salary + short-term and long-term bonus
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, vision and dental insurance, 401K, and more
• Great residential location close to Charlotte, NC, and is located between the mountains and sea.
• Long service recognition
• Living Our Values recognition program
• In-office snack shop
• Monthly paid training available and professional development
• Supportive work environment with a focus on safety and teamwork
• Access to OceanaGold Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
   

YOU MATTER: OceanaGold is committed to providing equal employment opportunities. We believe a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to our success. Should you require any assistance applying for this opportunity, please contact us at [email protected]
 

PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS FROM AGENCIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED