LR_Blend Planning MT Mining Engineer (400620)

Duties and Responsibilities / KPI’s

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Develop and maintain medium-term mine plans, including rolling 3-month, 6-month, 12-month, quarterly, and annual schedules.
• Ensure medium-term plans are aligned with the Life of Mine plan, production targets, resource availability, and operational priorities.
• Use Deswik scheduling software to generate, update, analyze, and communicate medium-term mine schedules.
• Develop practical mining sequences covering ore, waste, rehandle, stockpile, dump movements, and pit phase advancement.
• Coordinate with Mine Operations, Geology, Survey, Drill & Blast, Geotechnical, Mine Maintenance, Processing, and Technical Services teams to validate planning assumptions.
• Prepare medium-term equipment requirements, productivity assumptions, material movement schedules, and resource allocation plans.
• Identify medium-term risks, constraints, and opportunities related to ore supply, waste movement, equipment availability, haulage, access, dumps, and stockpiles.
• Conduct scenario planning and schedule optimization to improve production delivery, cost efficiency, and operational flexibility.
• Monitor actual performance against medium-term plans and update schedules based on operational progress and changing business requirements.
• Support monthly and quarterly plan reconciliation, including planned versus actual tonnes, grades, strip ratio, survey volumes, plant feed, and stockpile movements.
• Prepare medium-term planning reports, variance analysis, compliance summaries, and management presentations.
• Maintain planning data, Deswik schedule files, assumptions, reports, and version control with high technical discipline and audit readiness.
• Support continuous improvement in medium-term planning systems, templates, reporting tools, and scheduling processes.
• Mentor junior planning engineers and support development of planning capability within the team.
• Ensure all medium-term plans comply with safety, geotechnical, hydrological, environmental, operational, and company planning standards.

Key Stakeholders and Relationships to Manage

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Collaborate closely with Mine Maintenance Team to ensure proper Equipment scheduling.
• Engage with Mine Operation Team to time deliver Plans and ensure compliance to safety and environment standards.
• Engage with Crushing Plant and Concentrator Operation Team for procedural guidance and safety monitoring for production.
• Build strong relationships with learners, providing mentorship and guidance throughout their learning journey.
• Collaborate with department heads from estates, plants, and port operations to ensure process diagrams are effective.

Measures of Success KPIs

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Medium-Term Plan Accuracy: Variance between planned and actual ore tonnes, waste tonnes, total movement, grade, strip ratio, plant feed, and stockpile movements.
• Timely Plan Delivery: On-time submission of rolling 3-month, 6-month, 12-month, quarterly, and annual mine plans.
• Plan Compliance: Percentage compliance to medium-term mining sequence, production targets, material movement, equipment allocation, and dump / stockpile strategy.
• Schedule Quality: Practicality, robustness, and executability of medium-term schedules developed in Deswik.
• Resource Alignment: Accuracy of equipment productivity assumptions, fleet requirements, maintenance allowance, and resource allocation.
• Risk Identification: Timely identification and communication of medium-term risks, constraints, and recovery actions.
• Reconciliation and Variance Control: Timely completion of plan-versus-actual reconciliation and quality of variance explanations.
• Scenario Planning: Number and quality of planning scenarios, trade-off studies, and schedule optimization options prepared.
• Reporting Quality: Accuracy and clarity of monthly / quarterly planning reports, management presentations, and compliance reviews.
• Planning System Utilization: Effective use of Deswik and proper control of planning data, assumptions, schedule files, and reporting outputs.
• Compliance to Standards: Adherence to safety, environmental, geotechnical, operational, and internal planning standards.

Consequences of Unsuccessful Execution

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Failure to comply with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) could lead to penalties or loss of contracts.

Employee Development

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Ensure Comprehensive Training: Provide coaching and mentorship to junior engineers and supervisors.

Qualifications / Experience / Technical Knowledge

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Bachelor’s degree in mining engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum 7–10 years’ experience in open-pit mine planning, with strong focus on medium-term production planning and scheduling.
• Strong hands-on proficiency in Deswik scheduling software is essential, particularly for open-pit medium-term scheduling workflows.
• Proven experience in preparing rolling 3-month, 6-month, 12-month, quarterly, and annual mine plans.
• Practical experience in pit phase planning, pushback sequencing, dump planning, stockpile strategy, haulage considerations, and production schedule development.
• Strong understanding of open-pit mining methods, mine sequencing, pit optimization, equipment productivity, material movement planning, and operational constraints.
• Demonstrated ability to convert Life of Mine and long-term plans into practical and executable medium-term mine schedules.
• Experience in plan-versus-actual reconciliation, including planned tonnes, actual mined tonnes, survey volumes, grade control data, plant feed, and stockpile movements.
• Ability to integrate geotechnical, hydrological, environmental, operational, and safety constraints into medium-term mine plans.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with ability to identify medium-term risks, explain variances, and recommend corrective actions.
• Working knowledge of Maptek Vulcan, Datamine, MineSight, or similar mine planning software would be an advantage.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or supporting planning team capability development would be an advantage.

Specific Skills

The successful candidate will be required to:

• English: Must have excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Computer Skills: Good computer skills with the ability to use integrated management systems, word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet applications, Mine Planning and design Software.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate effectively across all levels.
• Reporting: Strong report writing and presentation skills.

Personal Qualities / Behavioral Traits

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Physical posture: Be physically fit and be able to pass a pre-employment medical examination.
• Attention to Detail: Exhibits a meticulous approach to designs accuracy.
• Adaptability: Flexible in responding to changing conditions, including updates in industry standards or shifts in Mine Planning needs.
• Integrity and Professionalism: Upholds high ethical standards, ensuring fairness and transparency in all interactions with stakeholders.
• Resilience under Pressure: Remains calm and composed in high-pressure situations, especially when managing competing priorities.

Working Conditions

The successful candidate will be required to:

• The role involves working both in office settings and on-site at mining facilities.
• Standard working hours are expected, with potential for extended hours or shift work depending on maintenance needs and project requirements.
• Occasional travel to different mining sites or project locations may be required.
• The position may involve physical activity, including site inspections and assessments, necessitating physical stamina and dexterity.

Position Specifics

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Role Title: Blend Planning MT Mining Engineer
• Department: Technical Services Department (TSD)
• Head of Department Role Title: Technical Services Manager
• Reporting to: Howard Banda
• Key Reports: Mine Planning
• Job Level: 16
• Core / Support Function: Core
• Location: Yekepa
• Roster: 7 weeks on 3 weeks off