Senior Underground Planning Engineer At AngloGold Ashanti

Key Responsibilities & Duties:

A. Operational / Technical / Core Duties:

Production Scheduling & Plan Deployment

• Develop 3-month, quarterly, and annual production schedules aligned to the approved LOM plan and resource constraints.
• Integrate development, stope sequencing, backfill, equipment availability, and geotechnical constraints to optimise ore delivery.
• Issue plan assumptions, targets, and sequencing guidance and coordinate execution alignment with UG operations and support teams.

Drill & Blast Design Oversight

• Design and optimize drill patterns, charging plans, and firing sequences to achieve fragmentation, recovery, and dilution targets.
• Validate designs against ground conditions, stope geometry, and geotechnical inputs to minimise overbreak and rework.
• Review blast performance and adjust parameters using reconciliation and operational feedback to improve outcomes.

Ventilation Engineering & LOM Modelling

• Maintain life-of-mine ventilation models and translate requirements into practical controls for active production areas.
• Define airflow, contaminant control, and re-entry requirements for headings, stopes, and development to sustain safe conditions.
• Coordinate ventilation improvement priorities with ventilation, maintenance, and projects teams, including efficiency opportunities.

Plan Compliance & Production Performance Review

• Monitor weekly/monthly performance versus plan and identify variance drivers in tonnes, grade, dilution, and cycle-time.
• Lead technical problem-solving to remove constraints, adjust sequencing, and recover production while sustaining compliance.
• Produce decision-ready dashboards and technical reports for UG leadership covering risks, actions, and forecast impacts.

Technical Guidance & Cross-Functional Integration

• Provide technical direction on planning standards, design criteria, and execution controls to engineering and operational stakeholders.
• Coordinate with geology, survey, ore control, and geotechnical functions to ensure designs reflect validated data and constraints.
• Support stope/development readiness through design reviews, integrated work packs, and controlled approval workflows.

B. Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) / Compliance Duties:

Risk-Based Design & Critical Control Verification

• Embed ventilation, blasting, and ground control critical controls into designs and schedules to reduce exposure and prevent HPIs.
• Conduct underground inspections to verify conditions, readiness, and control effectiveness prior to execution where required.
• Raise hazards and non-conformances in site systems and track corrective actions to closure with accountable owners.

Explosives, Blasting & Statutory Compliance

• Ensure designs define controls for charging, exclusion zones, fume management, and re-entry requirements.
• Support investigations of blast/ventilation-related incidents and implement corrective actions and lessons learned.
• Maintain audit-ready technical records, approvals, and change documentation in line with governance and legal requirements.

Energy Efficiency & Environmental Considerations

• Apply dilution minimization and waste reduction principles to reduce unnecessary material movement and associated energy use.
• • Support ventilation efficiency initiatives by modelling airflow needs and identifying improvement opportunities without compromising safety.

C. Leadership / People / Team Management (if applicable):

Coaching, Mentoring & Technical Review

• Coach junior UG mining engineers, ventilation engineers, and operation engineers on planning workflows, modelling standards, and quality requirements to build sustainable capability.
• Review technical work products (designs, schedules, models, reports) to ensure accuracy, compliance, and decision quality.
• Capture and share lessons learned from reconciliations and incidents to improve standard work and performance.

Stakeholder Alignment & Communication

• Facilitate cross-functional alignment on priorities, constraints, sequencing, and required approvals to minimise disruption.
• Communicate plan changes, risks, and mitigations early to UG leadership and execution teams to support disciplined delivery.
• Represent UG Technical Services in interfaces with OP mining and supply chain where planning impacts production continuity.

D. Financial / Budget / Asset / Resource Management (if applicable):

Cost Optimization & Value Protection

• Optimize schedules and designs to reduce rework, improve productivity, and protect unit cost performance ($/t).
• Monitor key cost drivers (explosives consumption, dilution, ventilation energy drivers) and recommend corrective actions.
• Support budgeting and forecasting inputs with validated assumptions and evidence-based improvement opportunities.

Resource & Software License Stewardship

• Maintain discipline over engineering software licences and controlled datasets to ensure availability and governance compliance.
• Define requirements for specialized tools/systems and ensure fit-for-purpose use to improve planning accuracy and reporting reliability.

Job Requirements :

🔹 Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering (or equivalent).
• Preferred:
• Mine planning software training (Deswik / Surpac).
• Underground drill & blast training.
• Ventilation modelling (VentSim).
• Data analytics (Advanced Excel / Power BI).

🔹 Licenses & Permits

• Medical fitness for underground work (mandatory).
• Underground driving authorization (if required).
• Blasting Certificate & Explosives Permit.
• Mine Ventilation Certificate (preferred/required per site).

🔹 Experience

• 6–8 years in underground mining.
• Experience in:
• Planning & scheduling.
• Drill & blast design.
• Ventilation modelling.
• Cross-functional coordination (operations, geology, HSE, etc.).

🔹 Technical Knowledge

• Underground mining methods (e.g., stoping).
• Orebody design, dilution, and recovery principles.
• Planning & scheduling (short/mid-term).
• Drill & blast principles and explosives usage.
• Ventilation systems and air quality control.
• Ground control and geotechnical basics.
• Mining KPIs, cost drivers, and reconciliation.
• HSE risks and critical control measures.
• Data integrity, reporting, and design governance.

🔹 Technical Skills

• Build and manage mine schedules (Deswik or similar).
• Translate plans into daily/weekly execution.
• Design and optimize drill & blast activities.
• Perform ventilation modelling and analysis.
• Conduct underground inspections (“good to mine” checks).
• Analyze operational data and produce reports/dashboards.
• Maintain documentation, version control, and approvals.
• Coordinate across multiple departments effectively.

🔹 Soft Skills

• Strong safety awareness and risk management.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving.
• Clear communication and reporting.
• Team collaboration and stakeholder coordination.
• Technical leadership and mentoring.
• Adaptability and ability to work under pressure.

🔹 Language Requirements

• Arabic: Professional level (required).
• English: Professional level (required).

🔹 Other Requirements

• Physically fit for underground work.
• Ability to work in harsh conditions and conduct site inspections.

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