Senior Engineer - Tailings

Summary

Under moderate supervision, provide mining and mill (plant) operations with engineering support related to design, construct, and operation of tailings storage facilities (TSF’s), heap leach facilities (HLF’s), storm water dams (SWD’s), or other site water retention structures. Serve as a resource for geotechnical information and analysis.

Essential Functions

Operational Support

• Work with tailings and dam operations on a regular basis to ensure successful implementation of the operations and maintenance (O&M) manuals and tailings deposition plans.
• Consult with tailings supervisors and operators regarding day-to-day concerns and opportunities.
• Assist operations in maintaining minimum freeboard, maximum beach development, and good pond management.These items should be developed as a priority if clear operational rules are not written and assigned to specific persons.
• Develop and maintain databases for slurry characteristics including tailings gradation, slurry density, and mill tonnage. Perform statistical analysis to understand typical slurry behavior and identify erratic behavior, correlating it to upset conditions. Apply information to design and operation of the tailings management systems.
• Assist with pool bathymetric surveys and review of satellite and ground survey data and use results to understand tailings depositional behavior, evaluate beach slopes, confirm raise rates, estimate remaining capacity, and calculate dry density of in-place tailings.
• Work closely with mill operations and metallurgy to understand and convey how any potential process changes could affect the tailings delivery systems and deposition.
• During upset conditions, provide engineering support to tailings operations personnel for safely and effectively mitigating issues.
• Hold regular (weekly, monthly) tailings meetings with engineering, management, tailings operations, environmental and other mine/mill personnel to manage deposition and TSF infrastructure.
• In collaboration with operations personnel, assist in writing and reviewing standard operating procedures (SOP’s).
• Arrange for operator training in collaboration with the operations supervisor/superintendent.

Engineering

•  Assist in coordinating corporate third-party review team visits, including preparing and delivering the kick-off presentation, participating in inspections, and implementing resulting recommendations and best practices. Provide quarterly update to corporate and senior management including progress of each recommendation and estimated completion date.
• Communicate with and engage the Engineer of Record (EoR) regarding tailings and water storage dam operations, performance, observations, concerns, data, etc.
• Work with consultants on planning of studies, such as field investigations or material characterization programs; develop methodology for analysis and interpret results.
• With the assistance of CMOC International’s corporate team, perform technical review on all geotechnical related work on TSF’s, HLF’s, and water retention dams by consultants or others.
• Assist EoR in developing O&M manuals and emergency action plans (EAP’s) for TSF’s and water retention dams; update annually, including tracking and distributing to stakeholders.
• Prepare short- and long-term forecasts and OPEX/CAPEX budgets for tailings and related water management work; provide updates to site management and accounting as required.
• In collaboration with all stakeholders, identify closure requirements and implement closure strategies during operations, as required.
• Actively engage in major projects managed by the corporate technical team. Support can include preparation of information, design reviews, construction review/oversight, and construction field recommendations.
• In collaboration with tailings supervision or other stakeholders, evaluate new products related to operation or environmental controls of TSF’s. Coordinate various trials for the evaluation of potential new products such as dust control additives or tailings delivery infrastructure such as valves, piping, etc.Evaluate cost benefit and other advantages of potential items

Monitoring

• Coordinate and participate in inspections including those by:
  • Corporate geotechnical and water management team
  • Technical Review Board
  • Engineer of Record (EoR)
  • Government agencies, as applicable
• Perform internal inspections of TSF’s and related infrastructure per TFM’s requirements, more frequently, or after an unusual event (heavy rainfall, seismic activity, etc.).
• Review and analyze data related to dam safety, including, but not limited to:
  • Piezometers and wells
  • Survey monuments
  • Horizontal drain flows
  • Weir flows
  • Tailings line flows and pressures
  • Bathymetric survey
  • Satellite survey
  • Ground survey
• Provide monitoring data to the EoR, site management, and corporate personnel on a monthly basis, or as requested.

Water Management

• Assist with periodic bathymetric and beach/embankment crest surveys, and analyze results for tailings deposition modeling calibration, as well as tailings and reclaim system water balance.
• Participate on TFM’s water team regarding site-wide water balance modeling and defining historic, current, and forecasted TSF, HLF, SWD and other dam’s water management and consumptive uses.Assist the water team with short-, medium-, and long-term forecasting.
• Incorporate and coordinate water management objectives with tailings deposition and dam safety objectives.
• Monitor and inspect water conveyance and downstream collection ponds/systems.
• Define water operating rules necessary for safe dam operation focusing on necessary capacity to contain/manage extreme event(s), seasonal, and long-term potential precipitation trends.
• Review O&M plans for extreme event responses such as pump capacities and back-up electrical and pumping systems.

Project Management

• Manage special projects related to the tailings/water facilities, including the development and management of scopes, schedules, budgets, forecasts, safety plans, QA/QC plans, commissioning plans, etc.Examples of projects include:
  • Engineering studies by consultants
  • Geotechnical investigations
  • TSF or HLF construction or expansion
  • Tailings delivery and discharge systems
  • Reclaim barge relocations
  • Construction of starter dams, saddle dams, drains, buttresses, etc.
• Provide oversight for consultants and contractors to identify site-specific hazards during projects.

General

• Communicate relevant information related to TSF’s, HLF’s, SWD’s, and other site water retention dams to site senior management and corporate management.
• Maintain all files related to TSF’s, HLF’s, SWD’s, and other site water retention dams in an organized filing system.
• Assist the site environmental team on water quality, closure, and other environmental initiatives as it relates to TSF’s, HLF’s, SWD’s, and other site water retention dams.
• Assist the site safety team on safety initiatives.

Competencies

• Proven ability to manage complex projects related to tailings management or similar work.
• Ethical conduct
• Financial management
• Technical capacity
• Business acumen
• Communication proficiency
• Problem solving/analysis
• Strategic thinking

Supervisory Responsibility
This position has supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment
Position involves work to be predominantly executed in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Resources can be limited, so the candidate must be a self-starter and have good personal organization skills for managing activities across multiple sites and in challenging circumstances

Work is in a mine or processing plant setting, which may include exposure to extremes in temperature and humidity, moving mechanical parts, risk of electrical shock, toxic chemicals, explosives, fumes or airborne particles

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, demonstrate manual dexterity, climb stairs and ladders, work on elevated platforms, talk, hear and see

Occasionally may be required to lift moderately heavy objects up to 15 kilograms during the course of the workday

Personal protective equipment is required when performing work in a mine, outdoor, manufacturing or plant environment, including hard 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

CMOC Overseas Recruiting Ltd ("CORe") promotes a drug/ alcohol free work environment using mandatory pre-employment drug testing and on-going random drug testing as per applicable company standards.

CORE has reviewed the jobs at its various office and operating sites and determined that many of these jobs include tasks or duties that could affect the safety or health of the employees performing these tasks or others. Accordingly, the Company has designated the following positions as safety-sensitive:

• Positions within CORe which are held by employees who receive safety training; or
• Positions within CORe which are held by employees who operate equipment or motor vehicles in furtherance of performing their CORe job duties, including operating motor vehicles while on Company business or travel (for this purpose “motor vehicles” includes Company owned or leased motor vehicles and personal motor vehicles used by employees in furtherance of Company business or while on Company travel).

 Physical Demands

• Ability to understand and apply verbal and written work and safety-related instructions and procedures given in English
• Ability to communicate in English with respect to job assignments, job procedures, and applicable safety standards
• Must be able to work in a potentially stressful environment
• Must be able to frequently sit, stand and walk
• Must be able to frequently lift and carry up to ten (10) pounds
• CORe promotes a drug/alcohol free work environment through the use of mandatory pre-employment drug testing and on-going random drug testing as per applicable Laws

Position Type
This is a full-time position.

Travel
International business travel will be required less than 10% of the total work time.

Job Requirements

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited curriculum, with courses in soil mechanics and three (3) years of experience in an applicable field of expertise, OR
• Master’s degree in geotechnical engineering or applicable engineering discipline and two (2) years of experience in an applicable field of expertise
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, to a diversely educated audience.
• Ability to develop and maintain awareness of occupational hazards and safety for yourself and others
• Skilled in following safety practices and recognizing hazards
• Knowledge in the principles and practices of civil, geological, geotechnical, and/or hydrologic engineering or related fields of science or engineering
• Knowledge of appropriate software (MS Office, AutoCAD) and geotechnical analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• The following qualifications are a plus:
  • Field experience in construction monitoring, quality assurance, geotechnical site investigations, soil characterization, interpretation of geotechnical lab tests, and engineering analysis on tailings material
  • Engineering experience in seismic analysis, slope stability and/or surface water hydrology
  • Experience managing construction projects or contractor work
  • Excellent organizational skills

EEO Statement

CORe is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age (40 and over), disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other protected basis under federal, state, or local laws, regulations, or ordinances.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Location

Tenke Fungurume Mining - Fungurume, CD (Primary)

Category

Engineering

Workflow Choice Type

CMOC International Workflow - EXPAT