Profession mine development engineer

Mine development engineers design and coordinate mine development operations such as crosscutting, sinking, tunnelling, in-seam drivages, raising, and removing and replacing overburden. 

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Personality Type

• Investigative / Realistic

Knowledge

• Electricity

  Understand the principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.

• Mining engineering

  Fields of engineering relevant to mining operations. Principles, techniques, procedures and equipment used in the extraction of minerals.

• Impact of geological factors on mining operations

  Be aware of the impact of geological factors, such as faults and rock movements, on mining operations.

• Design drawings

  Understand design drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.

• Mine safety legislation

  The laws, regulations and codes of practice relevant to safety in mining operations.

Skills

• Manage staff

  Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

• Cope with challenging circumstances in the mining sector

  Maintain a positive attitude during challenging situations in mines. Work under pressure and adapt to the circumstances in a positive manner.

• Identify process improvements

  Identify possible improvements to operational and financial performance.

• Negotiate land acquisition

  Negotiate with landowners, tenants, mineral rights owners or other stakeholders of land containing mineral reserves in order to buy or lease the land.

• Supervise staff

  Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.

• Evaluate mine development projects

  Evaluate mining methods and procedures, including waste management, life-of-mine plans, production timelines and funds expenditures.

• Use a computer

  Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.

• Advise on mine equipment

  Provide advice on mining and equipment for mineral treatment; communicate and collaborate with engineering experts.

• Supervise mine construction operations

  Prepare and oversee mine construction operations e.g. shaft and tunnel constructions.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Troubleshoot

  Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

• Interface with anti-mining lobbyists

  Communicate with anti-mining lobby in relation to the development of a potential mineral deposit.

• Manage waste rock

  Manage the waste materials collected during the development operations.

• Ensure compliance with safety legislation

  Implement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.

• Prepare technical reports

  Prepare technical reports that describe results and processes of scientific or technical research, or assess its progress. These reports help researchers to keep up to date with recent findings.

• Develop alternative mining methods

  Develop new mine development methods and procedures to maximise mine performance; ensure compliance to company standards and industrial regulations and requirements.

• Make independent operating decisions

  Make immediate operating decisions as necessary without reference to others, taking into account the circumstances and any relevant procedures and legislation. Determine alone which option is the best for a particular situation.

• Deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances

  Strive to achieve objectives despite the pressures arising from unexpected factors outside of your control.

• Use mine planning software

  Use specialised software to plan, design and model for mining operations.

• Address problems critically

  Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and alternative methods of tackling the situation.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB