Open-Pit and Underground Mine Planning Leads

Denver, CO

Work arrangement: Remote within the United States, with potential international travel
Engagement: Contingent, part-time/on-call specialist
Anticipated compensation: $150–$300 per hour, depending on qualifications and assignment, or a negotiated fixed price by work package. $300 per hour is the maximum anticipated rate.

Opportunity

Axyde Analytics is assembling a multidisciplinary expert team for anticipated U.S. government-funded project-scoping assignments involving critical minerals and international infrastructure.

We seek senior mining engineers and mine-planning specialists capable of evaluating open-pit, underground, restart, expansion and integrated mine-to-processing projects.

Potential assignments may involve early-stage resource development, operating mines, brownfield expansions, mine restarts, tailings reprocessing, underground conversions or associated infrastructure. Selected specialists may serve as assignment leads, mining-discipline leads, contributors, alternates or independent technical reviewers.

Specialist Tracks

We are recruiting experts in one or more of the following tracks:

Open-pit optimization, design and phase development
Underground method selection and mine design
Strategic and life-of-mine planning
Short- and medium-range production planning
Resource-to-reserve conversion and modifying factors
Cutoff grade, dilution, ore loss and stockpile strategy
Fleet selection, productivity and equipment utilization
Drill-and-blast design and fragmentation
Underground access, shafts, declines and materials handling
Ventilation, refrigeration and underground services
Backfill, ground support and geotechnical interfaces
Mine dewatering and water-management interfaces
Mine-to-mill integration and feed blending
Waste-rock, tailings and closure integration
Mine restart, expansion and debottlenecking
Mine operating-cost and capital-cost development
Schedule, ramp-up and production-risk analysis
Independent mine-plan and feasibility-study review

Potential Responsibilities

Depending on the assignment and specialist track, selected experts may:

Evaluate resource confidence, mineability and the basis for production assumptions.
Review pit optimization, phases, pushbacks, underground layouts and method selection.
Assess cutoff grades, dilution, ore loss, recovery, blending and stockpile strategies.
Review development schedules, production sequencing, ramp-up and steady-state capacity.
Evaluate fleet selection, cycle times, productivity, utilization and maintenance assumptions.
Assess drill-and-blast, loading, hauling, hoisting, ventilation and materials-handling requirements.
Review geotechnical, hydrogeological, ground-control and dewatering constraints.
Evaluate mine-to-mill interfaces, feed variability and processing-plant requirements.
Review waste-rock, tailings, water, closure and rehabilitation implications.
Assess workforce, contractor, consumable, maintenance and site-support requirements.
Evaluate operating-mine data, reconciliation and benchmark assumptions.
Review restart condition, maintenance backlog, rehabilitation and working-capital requirements.
Identify fatal flaws, decisive evidence gaps and additional studies required before advancement.
Contribute to mine capital costs, operating costs, schedules and project cash-flow assumptions.
Evaluate mine-plan sensitivity to grade, recovery, productivity, cost and schedule changes.
Identify realistic opportunities for U.S. mining equipment, engineering, technology and services.
Develop or review mining tasks for feasibility-study or technical-assistance terms of reference.
Participate in sponsor, operator, government, engineering, supplier or financing-source discussions.
Support international meetings, site visits and field verification when required.
Prepare concise mining findings and recommendations for senior government decision-makers.
Serve as an assignment lead, mining-discipline lead, contributor, same-discipline alternate or independent reviewer.

Required Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

At least 10 years of directly relevant mining-engineering or mine-planning experience, with greater experience preferred for lead and independent-review roles.
A degree in mining engineering or a closely related discipline.
Direct responsibility for identifiable open-pit or underground mines, feasibility studies, expansions, restarts or operating-improvement assignments.
Demonstrated ability to connect resource confidence, mine design, production schedule, equipment, processing feed, cost and risk.
Experience developing or independently reviewing mine plans, schedules, production models, equipment assumptions and cost estimates.
Familiarity with recognized mine-planning software and the ability to evaluate model assumptions rather than merely operate software.
Strong written and verbal English-language communication skills.
Ability to prepare concise, decision-oriented technical work.
Ability to collaborate across geology, geotechnical, processing, tailings, environmental, commercial and financial disciplines.
Either U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent-resident status in the United States.
Legal authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.
Willingness and ability to travel internationally when an assignment requires it.
No known employment, confidentiality, intellectual-property, noncompete or conflict-of-interest restriction that would prevent participation.

Professional Engineer, Qualified Person or comparable professional credentials are advantageous but not mandatory when supported by substantial relevant operating and project experience.

Application Information Requested

Please submit a résumé and a brief response identifying:

Whether your primary expertise is open-pit mining, underground mining or both.
The commodities, deposit types and mining methods with which you have direct experience.
Up to five representative mines, projects or studies and your personal responsibilities on each.
The development stages you have supported, including scoping, prefeasibility, feasibility, design, construction, commissioning, operations, restart or expansion.
Your experience developing or reviewing mine plans, production schedules, equipment assumptions and costs.
The mine-planning software and analytical tools you are qualified to use or review.
Countries and regions in which you have worked.
Whether you can serve as an assignment lead, mining-discipline lead, independent reviewer, or a combination of these functions.
Your current U.S. location.
Whether you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Your availability during the next 30 days.
Your ability to travel internationally and any geographic restrictions.
Your anticipated hourly rate.
Any actual or potential conflicts involving governments, project sponsors, mining companies, engineering firms, equipment suppliers or current employers.

Engagement Conditions

This is a contingent opportunity supporting anticipated government-funded assignments. No employment, contract award, minimum workload or particular assignment is guaranteed.

Selection for an assignment will depend on contract award, mine type and project requirements, qualifications, availability, eligibility, conflicts, travel requirements, mutually acceptable compensation and execution of appropriate employment or consulting documentation.

Axyde may tailor and reformat selected résumés for proposal compliance without materially changing the candidate’s qualifications or experience.

Axyde Analytics
Strategic minerals • Supply-chain security • U.S. industrial base