Social Responsibility Specialist - Newmont Mining Corporation

Newmont Mining Corporation is a leading global gold producer with key assets in Nevada, Peru, Australia, Ghana and Suriname.

Newmont’s Africa Operations holds two gold mining operations in Ghana: the Ahafo Mine located in the Brong-Ahafo region and the Akyem Mine located in the Eastern region. There is also near mine exploration and development focus in Ghana to annually replace gold reserves. Newmont Africa also has early-stage exploration programs in the African countries of Ethiopia and Morocco.

Our Africa operations employ approximately 5,900 employees and contractors, with the majority working at the Ahafo Mine. We offer an unparalleled blend of opportunity and career satisfaction with all the benefits you would expect from a global company. This, combined with our growth opportunities, makes Newmont a great company to work for.

Our Akyem and Ahafo mines have made significant sustainable community development investments in our host communities. These include establishing Development Funds at our Akyem and Ahafo operational areas with each mine contributing US$1 per ounce of gold sold and 1% of net pre-tax annual profit into its community development fund.

The only gold company listed in the S&P 500 index, Newmont in 2007 became the first gold company selected to be part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Newmont’s industry-leading performance is reflected through our Africa operations’ high standards in environmental management, health and safety for our workforce and creating value and opportunity for our employees, host communities and Newmont’s shareholders.

About This Role

• To support the Social Responsibility Manager to develop and implement Newmont’s social performance programs/activities for the Ahafo South Mine, and to build and maintain effective and cooperative relationships with the host / surrounding communities and other stakeholders.

In This Role You Will

Develop and Sustain Productive Relationships

• Build productive and mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain trust between the Company and stakeholders.

Stakeholder Management

• Proactively engage communities to voice issues, concerns and expectations in a consultative and productive manner, with minimal operations disruption.
• Implement a youth engagement strategy to ensure open and transparent communication channels.
• Liaise with local, regional and traditional authorities to align with community relations needs and requirements.
• Attend invitations made by community stakeholders and participate in fruitful diagnostic meetings.
• Mobilize community groups (i.e. youth, assemblymen, farmers) in support of mine-related activities.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with relevant community stakeholders and local NGOs / CBOs to enable smooth implementation and operation of community programs.
• Proactively assess the impacts of the Ahafo South operation and exploration activities on fenceline communities, and take action to mitigate impacts and foster positive relationships with stakeholders.

Social Performance and Standard Implementation

• Collaborate closely with the Newmont Community Development Unit, Newmont Ahafo Social Responsibility Forum and local community leaders to assist with the implementation of the Ahafo Social Responsibility Relationship, Foundation and Local Employment Agreements Commitments.
• Work closely with the Security department to assess risks of illegal mining to Newmont operation and exploration, and support responsible removal of the activities in the mine-take area.
• Collaborate with responsible internal and external stakeholders to implement alternative livelihood programs for the local operators in illegal small-scale mining who want to opt out of the sector.
• Collaborate with the Human Resources and Supply Chain departments to ensure the implementation and reporting of the Ahafo Local Employment Agreement.
• Support the implementation and reporting of Newmont Cultural Heritage, Human Rights, Local Procurement, Local Employment and Stakeholder Relationship Management Standards.
• Represent Newmont in Business Partners recruitment processes and report outcomes to Newmont Human Resources and Social Performance departments, to improve transparency and trust in local recruitment processes.

Land Access and Resettlement

• Develop and implement strategies for community entry to gain land access for exploration activities within both near mine and off-site prospecting licenses.
• Support the Land Access unit to negotiate resettlement entitlements for project affected people.

Implementation and Monitoring

• Implement and monitor community relations programs and activities, including continuous assessment of the community’s perception and expectations of the company, and convey findings to management to inform site adaptive strategies and practices.
• Oversee the consistent application of programs, policies and procedures, in accordance with Newmont business objectives to achieve community acceptance.
• Identify areas for improvement to enhance relationships between Newmont and community stakeholders.

Conflict Management

• Collaborate with the Complaints and Grievance unit to develop and implement conflict resolution strategies.
• Proactively identify potential conflict situations in the communities by instituting early warning system in all operational and exploration communities.
• Act as a mediator to resolve disputes or conflicts between the Company and the local communities including fenceline communities.
• Engage in a dual dialogue with the community and Senior Management, Newmont to facilitate the addressing of such conflicts.

Team Leadership and Sustainability Reporting

• Lead the Community Relations unit within the Social Responsibility section of the Sustainability department and recommend clear direction for the company in managing communities in the Ahafo South mine.
• Lead and coordinate the activities of the Community Relations Officers and provide support, coaching and training to Community Relations teams to embed Community Relations best practices.
• Support relevant internal community relation data collection and analysis to inform Newmont Sustainability reporting.
• Support the compilation of monthly and annual key performers indicator (KPIs) reports for Regulators and Corporate Office.

Health, Safety and Environment

• Contribute to a fatality, injury and illness-free performance and culture of Ahafo South mine with a focus on quality Safety Inspections, Audits, Risk & Impact Assessments.
• Implement appropriate risk mitigation and controls.
• Become familiar with and strictly adhere to Newmont’s Health, Safety, Environmental and Sustainability Standards. Act as a role model and ambassador in complying with and supporting these standards and practices.

Your Training, Skills & Experience Checklist

Formal Qualification (including Professional Registrations):

• A Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as Social Sciences, Social Work, Sociology, Public Relations, Communications, Social Risk Management, Anthropology, or a related discipline.

Additional Knowledge

• Proficiency in languages commonly spoken in the local Ahafo communities where the mining operates.
• Strong knowledge of local Ahafo culture and practices.
• Drivers’ License Class C.
• Having pre-existing relationships or a network within the local community where the company operate can be a valuable resource.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in Community Relations, Community Development, Social Performance, Public Affairs, or Stakeholder Engagement.
• Minimum of 3 years experience in a supervisory role.
• Experience within the mining sector is highly beneficial.

Technical Skills

• Demonstrated success in managing community relations, especially in the context of the mining sector.
• Ability to lead community relations initiatives, work effectively with cross-functional teams, and manage business partners.
• Advanced interpersonal skills (interacting with diverse functional and cultural backgrounds).
• Strong understanding of local culture, customs, and languages, as well as the regulatory framework in Ghana.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team, with a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.
• Strong communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Strong planning, prioritizing and coordination skills.
• Excellent reporting skills.
• Strong understanding of social and environmental risk assessment and management.
• Experience in crisis management and response.
• Strong conflict management skills.
• Strong analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Strong consultation skills.
• Strong understanding of environmental regulations and practices, especially those relevant to the mining industry.
• Strong public relations and marketing skills.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Strong facilitation skills.
• Strong relationship management skills.
• Sound coaching and mentoring skills.
• Sound computer literacy skills – MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).

Behavioural Attributes

• Act professional and show respect.
• High level of integrity and trustworthiness.
• Cultural Sensitivity.
• Empathy.
• High level of transparency.
• Accessible and Approachable.
• Assertive and influential.
• Always maintain confidentiality.
• Reliable and independent.
• Safety conscious.
• Show initiative, be proactive and results-driven.

Working Conditions

• The position is located at the Ahafo South Mine site.
• Incumbent’s work involves travel to nearby and exploration communities of the mine to attend meetings and undertake community entry engagements.
• Incumbent engages with many external stakeholders such as traditional leaders, Local Government officials, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Youths, Assemblymembers, and Women’s Groups, and will have to work according to their availability, which does not always fit within the normal working hours.