Chief Rock Engineer

About the role

Valterra Platinum is hiring a Chief Rock Engineer, based in Thabazimbi, Limpopo. The purpose of this role is to provide advanced Rock Engineering expertise, implement effective ground management strategies, and develop plans for complex mining operations. It involves creating and enforcing standards, participating in industry forums, optimizing efficiency, conducting geotechnical modelling, contributing to feasibility studies, ensuring governance, managing rock engineering services, performing risk analysis, supporting operational management, and overseeing quality assurance of support systems. Safety: Performance and Delivery: People & Teams: Compliance:

Responsibilities

• Create a safety culture through productive and authorized operational systems/processes that allow all employees (including contracting partners) to provide their outputs in a risk-controlled environment. Oversee consistent application of Safety & Health principles in all discipline interactions and take personal responsibility for safety of self and others to ensure zero harm and elimination of fatalities.
• Providing the Mine with high level and specialist Rock Engineering services and expertise
• Implement Fall of Ground Management Strategies
• Develop/contribute to tactics and plans for mining at increasing depth and complexity
• Develop and Implement Rock Engineering systems, policies, protocols and standards to satisfy
• Regulatory requirements, Valterra Group Geotechnical Standard and mandatory Fall of Ground Critical Control requirements
• Participate in industry technical forums and liaison with external parties (e.g. local government, other mining companies)
• Benchmarking the state of rock engineering practice in relation to established best practice (technology)
• Review and sign off mandatory codes of practice and rock engineering related systems
• Investigate opportunities to optimize efficiency and cost, driven by rock engineering input
• Conduct and sign-off geotechnical modelling for mine design and sequence purposes
• Conduct/contribute to feasibility studies for new on-mine projects
• Liaison with Manager Geotechnical to facilitate Governance
• Responsible for the rock engineering service at the Mine including Human Resources optimization and talent management
• Business and technical risk analysis.
• Cross discipline (Mining, Planning, Safety, Geology, Hydrogeology and UG Geotechnical) input in mine planning
• Support the overall operational management of the Mine.
• Manage QA/QC of support and rockfall systems in conjunction with Manager Rock Engineering.
• Collection, analysis and database management of geotechnical rock mass data.
• Implement a purpose-driven, high-performing culture that is aligned with the company values, is inclusive and promotes diversity, supports engagement and fosters continuous improvement to work processes
• Develop a high performing team through upskilling them in numerical modelling and best practice geotechnical design principles
• Coach, conduct Visible Felt Engagement and conduct training as required
• Ensure compliance with internal and external regulatory, legislative and permitting requirements

Requirements

• Social Process Skills
• Self-awareness, and of behaviours that successfully drive team performance and collaboration
• Demonstrate drive, determination, persistence, and commitment to apply other elements of capability work
• Grade 12 (Mathematics & Physical Science)
• or Technical Trade Specific N2
• Legal requirement: Chamber of Mines Rock Mechanics Certificate
• Advanced Rock Engineering Certificate or MSc for the discipline would be desirable
• Registration with a professionally recognised body (SANIRE, SAIMM, ECSA, SACNASP) would be desirable
• Experience
• At least 8 years’ experience in rock engineering/strata control
• Sound knowledge to integrate with mining, Safety & Health, Legislation, ventilation, geology and planning disciplines
• Experience in managing a team of qualified rock engineering/strata control staff
• Ability to conduct geotechnical risk assessments, including evaluating rock bursts and groundwater-related risks.
• Expertise in using software tools to simulate and predict ground behavior in complex mining environments.
• Proficient skill to translate complex geotechnical data into actionable insights and present findings in technical reports that guide mine design and operations.
• Technical Skills
• Working knowledge of specialist rock engineering computer programs and models
• The understanding of and experience in asset management principles around mining, equipment and associated operational / maintenance standards /philosophies will be required.
• Sound knowledge pertaining to people management
• Project evaluation skills
• Business objects reporting skills