Chief Geotechnical Engineer - Kinross Gold Corporation

Chirano is located in southwestern Ghana, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city. The mine is within the Bibiani gold belt and consists of 11 deposits. Open-pit and underground ore are processed at the Chirano plant. The capacity of the mill is approximately 3.5 million tonnes per annum. Processing involves crushing, ball mill grinding, leaching, and CIL.

Job Description

Reporting to the Technical Services Manager, the role will focus on maintaining and developing strategic geotechnical functions at both Underground & Open Pit Operations to maximize operational efficiencies and profitability.

To provide geotechnical advice regarding mine design, schedule, and ground/ wall support for both Underground & Open Pit mining Operations.

Evaluate and propose optimum geotechnical engineering solutions in achieving the planned objectives and assess geotechnical risks and develop mitigation plans.

Job Responsibilities

• Ensure relevant Safety, Mining and other statutory Codes and Regulations remain in full compliance at every workplace.
• Practice and promote Company environmental, health, safety and operational policies and procedures and actively participate in the Company’s Continuous Improvement Programme.
• Ensure underground/pit wall stability and quality control of support measures through the supervision of ground control, quality and testing programs;
• Refine stope designs and extraction sequences to optimize mine longevity and ore recovery
• Execute intermediate and long-term strategies that support the growth of the geotechnical function.
• Lead execution of strategies to enhance current geotechnical practices and performances in achieving the organization’s overall strategy.
• Contribute to the business’ capability to mine safely by actively identifying risks and threats to achieving targets and develop & manage programs to minimize or eliminate those risks
• Develop systems & measures that appropriately assess geotechnical performance and review progress to ensure achievement of targets.
• Inspect underground geotechnical activities at the start of shift to ensure correct procedures are being followed.
• Coordinate the collection of data, its analysis and evaluation of reports in order to ensure sound geotechnical designs
• Evaluate and propose optimum geotechnical engineering solutions in achieving the planned objectives and assess geotechnical risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Conduct analysis of stope and pillar designs, mining sequencing, and ground support design
• Implement management tools for the geotechnical process workflow.
• Review, audit, and sign off geotechnical databases and models
• Manage the overall Geotechnical functions on-site comprising both open pit and underground operations and their associated teams.
• Build the capabilities of the team to enhance the function’s ability to achieve financial and operating strategy; identify succession role requirements and high potential talents and actively develops key talent.

Education and Experience

Education

• Degree in Geological, Mining / Civil Engineering, preferably with specialization in Geotechnical Engineering or Rock Mechanics.
• MSc (Geological Engineering / Rock Mechanics) or its equivalent is preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years mining experience, of which the majority will be in underground hard-rock mining, preferably in precious metals.
• Knowledge of various underground, narrow vein mining methods.
• Geological and resource modelling experience

Skills

• Good operating knowledge and interpretation skill of numerical modelling tools such as DIPS, UNWEDGE, MAP3D and PHASE2
• Aptitude and interest in regulatory affairs and research development
• Management and Planning Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Report Writing and Presentation Skills
• Good Communicative and Interpersonal Relations Skills

Kinross is a Canadian-based gold mining company with mines and projects in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Ghana and Mauritania, employing approximately 9,300 people worldwide. Our core purpose is to lead the world in generating value through responsible mining.