About the job Lead Shaft Sinking Package Engineer
The Lead Shaft Sinking Package Engineer is responsible for providing technical leadership and engineering coordination for the shaft sinking package on a mining project. This position leads the development, coordination, and execution of shaft sinking engineering activities, working closely with mining, geotechnical, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, hoisting, construction, procurement, and project management teams. The Lead Shaft Sinking Package Engineer ensures the shaft sinking package is engineered and executed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with project requirements, schedules, budgets, and applicable mining regulations and standards.
Responsibilities:
Shaft Sinking Engineering
- Lead the engineering and technical development of the shaft sinking package from design through construction and commissioning.
- Develop and maintain shaft sinking methodologies, design criteria, technical specifications, scopes of work, and engineering deliverables.
- Coordinate engineering requirements for shaft excavation, ground support, shaft lining, sinking stages, and associated temporary and permanent works.
- Review shaft sinking methods, sequencing, construction methodologies, and equipment requirements.
- Provide technical direction and support to engineers, designers, consultants, contractors, and other technical resources.
- Ensure shaft sinking engineering is integrated with the overall mine development and project execution strategy.
Shaft Sinking Systems & Temporary Works
- Provide technical oversight for shaft sinking systems, including sinking stages, hoisting arrangements, mucking systems, platforms, conveyances, guides, access systems, ventilation, dewatering, and associated infrastructure.
- Coordinate the design and engineering of temporary works required to support shaft sinking activities.
- Review shaft excavation, ground support, lining, and concrete placement methodologies.
- Evaluate construction methods and equipment to support safe and efficient shaft sinking operations.
- Participate in constructability reviews and identify opportunities to improve shaft sinking sequencing and execution.
- Ensure interfaces between temporary sinking systems and permanent shaft infrastructure are appropriately managed.
Multidisciplinary Coordination
- Lead coordination between mining, geotechnical, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, hoisting, and construction disciplines.
- Manage technical interfaces between shaft sinking and underground development, surface infrastructure, headframe, hoisting, utilities, and site services.
- Lead multidisciplinary design reviews, constructability reviews, and technical coordination meetings.
- Identify design gaps, conflicts, and technical risks and drive their resolution.
- Review engineering calculations, drawings, specifications, reports, and other technical deliverables.
Contractor & Vendor Coordination
- Develop and review contractor scopes, specifications, and procurement documentation for shaft sinking works and equipment.
- Support technical evaluations of shaft sinking contractors, equipment suppliers, and specialist vendors.
- Review contractor methodologies, engineering submissions, shop drawings, calculations, and technical documentation.
- Coordinate responses to contractor and vendor technical queries.
- Monitor contractor engineering deliverables and ensure alignment with approved design and project requirements.
Construction & Field Engineering Support
- Provide technical support throughout shaft sinking construction and execution.
- Participate in site inspections, construction meetings, progress reviews, and technical workshops.
- Provide engineering direction for unexpected ground conditions, construction constraints, and technical issues.
- Support the review and approval of field changes, RFIs, technical queries, and design deviations.
- Coordinate engineering responses to construction issues and ensure changes are properly documented.
- Support commissioning, testing, handover, and closeout activities.
Schedule, Cost & Risk Management
- Support development and maintenance of shaft sinking engineering and execution schedules.
- Monitor engineering deliverables, construction milestones, and package interfaces.
- Provide technical input into cost estimates, forecasts, productivity assessments, and construction trade-offs.
- Identify technical, constructability, schedule, and execution risks and develop mitigation strategies.
- Provide regular package status updates and technical input to project management.
Quality & Safety
- Ensure shaft sinking engineering and construction activities comply with applicable mining regulations, codes, standards, and project requirements.
- Promote safe design and construction practices throughout the shaft sinking package.
- Ensure appropriate QA/QC processes are incorporated into engineering and construction activities.
- Review technical deliverables and construction methodologies for safety, constructability, operability, and maintainability.
- Support continuous improvement in shaft sinking engineering, construction methods, and project execution practices.
Package Details
Work Schedule
This is a full-time position with flexibility for hybrid remote work. Regular travel to mine sites, project locations, contractor facilities, and construction sites will be required. Site-based or rotational work may be required depending on project requirements.
Qualifications/Experience/Education Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mining, Civil, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline.
- 10+ years of relevant engineering and project experience, with significant experience in mine shaft sinking.
- Demonstrated experience with shaft sinking methods, excavation, ground support, shaft lining, sinking equipment, and associated temporary works.
- Experience with conventional or mechanized shaft sinking methods is strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of shaft sinking systems, including sinking stages, hoisting, mucking, ventilation, dewatering, access, platforms, and shaft lining.
- Experience working with shaft sinking contractors, equipment suppliers, consultants, and construction teams.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering activities and coordinating complex technical interfaces.
- Experience with EPC/EPCM project delivery and large-scale mining projects.
- Strong understanding of construction methodologies, constructability, sequencing, and execution planning.
- Experience developing and reviewing technical specifications, scopes of work, calculations, drawings, contractor submissions, and engineering reports.
- Knowledge of applicable mining regulations, codes, standards, and shaft sinking requirements.
- Professional Engineering (P.Eng.) designation or eligibility for registration is preferred.
Character
- Strong technical leader with demonstrated shaft sinking experience.
- Proactive, self-motivated, and accountable for package delivery.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex technical and construction issues.
- Excellent communicator capable of coordinating engineers, consultants, contractors, vendors, and project stakeholders.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities, interfaces, and deadlines.
- Comfortable working in a construction-focused EPC/EPCM environment and supporting site execution.
- Committed to safety, quality, continuous improvement, and successful project delivery.