Role Purpose:The Chief Open Pit Mining Engineer (Planning) leads the development and governance of Sukari’s open pit mine plans, designs, and schedules to deliver safe, compliant, and value-optimised ore and waste movement in line with the Life-of-Mine strategy. The role integrates geology, geotechnical inputs, operational constraints, and equipment capability to translate strategy into executable short- and medium-term plans, provides performance reconciliation and decision support to the Open Pit Mining Manager, and coaches planning engineers to sustain disciplined planning, reporting, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities & Duties :1. Operational / Technical / Core Duties:Life-of-Mine planning & optimisation Develop and maintain Life-of-Mine and medium-term plans, pit phases, and pushback strategies to maximise value and secure ore supply. Integrate geology models, geotechnical constraints, processing requirements, and fleet capacities into mine planning assumptions. Produce annual and 3–5 year production forecasts (tonnes, grade, strip ratio, and equipment hours) to support business planning and budgeting. Short-term scheduling & operational readiness Translate approved medium-term plans into monthly/weekly/daily schedules with clear targets for ore, waste, grade, and equipment utilisation. Coordinate face sequencing, drill pattern readiness, and dumping/stockpile capacity to enable safe execution and minimise delays. Monitor adherence to plan and update schedules promptly to reflect changes in priorities, equipment availability, or ground conditions. Mine design standards & technical governance Prepare and approve pit designs, ramp geometry, berm standards, and haul road/dump/stockpile designs to ensure safe and efficient operations. Apply design change control, maintain controlled drawings/models, and ensure design documentation is auditable and current. Collaborate with geotechnical and survey functions to validate designs in-field and ensure conformance during execution. Drill & blast planning integration Define planning requirements for drill and blast designs (pattern parameters, sequencing, wall control) to support fragmentation, dilution control, and productivity. Review blast outcomes (fragmentation, diggability, wall damage) and recommend design/process adjustments to improve performance and reduce risk. Align blast schedules with short-term plans and critical path activities to maintain ore supply continuity. Production reconciliation & value reporting Reconcile planned vs actual tonnes, grade, movement, and productivity using survey, geology, and dispatch/fleet management data. Produce variance analyses that identify root causes and propose corrective actions to improve plan reliability and operational outcomes. Prepare technical reports and presentations for management and corporate stakeholders to support timely decision-making. Continuous improvement & digital mine planning Lead initiatives that improve planning workflows, data quality, and model integrity across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons. Develop and maintain dashboards and planning KPIs to improve visibility of plan adherence, constraints, and value drivers. Standardize planning templates, QA/QC routines, and documentation practices to improve consistency and reduce rework.2. Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) / Compliance Duties:Planning risk management & critical controls Embed safety critical controls into plans and designs (pit wall stability, traffic management, exclusion zones, and blast controls). Conduct field verification and participate in risk assessments for plan changes, new cutbacks, dumps, and haul routes. Support incident investigations and ensure planning-related corrective actions are incorporated into future designs and schedules. Compliance & auditable technical documentation Ensure mine plans and designs align with permit boundaries, environmental commitments, and corporate standards. Maintain traceable records of planning assumptions, design approvals, and change control to support audits and governance reviews. Report and escalate material technical risks or non-conformances that may impact safety, compliance, or production delivery. Operational risk forecasting Identify and quantify key mine planning risks (geotechnical, water management, grade variability, equipment constraints) and maintain mitigation actions with stakeholders. Support scenario analysis and contingency planning to protect ore supply during disruptions or changing conditions.3. Leadership / People / Team Management (if applicable):Planning team leadership & capability development Lead, coach, and develop planning engineers to deliver accurate designs, schedules, and reconciliations aligned to standards. Allocate workloads, review outputs for quality, and provide timely feedback to build technical competence and accountability. Support performance management inputs by setting clear expectations and monitoring delivery against commitments. Cross-functional alignment & communication Facilitate weekly planning forums to align operations, drill and blast, geology, geotechnical, survey, maintenance, and processing on priorities and constraints. Communicate trade-offs, risks, and recommendations in a clear, evidence-based manner to enable timely operational decisions. Consultant and contractor technical oversight Manage external consultants and specialist contractors for studies, optimization, and design deliverables to meet scope, quality, and schedule requirements. Review third-party outputs and integrate findings into site plans and standards where approved.4. Financial / Budget / Asset / Resource Management (if applicable):Budgeting inputs & cost-value modelling Provide mining cost, productivity, and schedule inputs for budgets and forecasts, including strip ratio, haul profiles, and equipment hours. Evaluate plan options and quantify value impacts to support prioritization and business decisions. Resource and capital planning support Develop equipment requirement models and utilization plans to support fleet strategies and capital justifications. Sequence waste dump and haul road development to minimize rehandle and optimize haul efficiency. Ore loss, dilution & rehandle control Define and monitor strategies to reduce ore loss, dilution, and rehandle through improved design, dig limits, and scheduling discipline. Track material movement outcomes and recommend actions that improve delivered grade and reduce unit cost impacts.
Job Requirements Education Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering (or related discipline) Preferred Certifications Postgraduate qualification in Mining / Mine Planning / Mineral Economics (advantage) Mine planning software certifications (e.g., Deswik, Datamine, Surpac, Vulcan, Whittle) Training in:Drill & Blast and wall control Project Management (PMP) or Lean/Six Sigma Licenses / Permits Valid driving license (mandatory) Site permits for operational access and field verification Experience Minimum 9 years in open pit mining engineering & planning Experience in large-scale gold mining operations (preferred) Proven experience in:LoM, medium- & short-term planning Mine design & scheduling using planning software Minimum 4 years leadership/mentoring experience Experience in:Production reconciliation Budgeting and cost analysis Value-based decision making Technical Knowledge Open pit planning: pit optimization, phase design, scheduling Geology & orebody evaluation concepts Geotechnical design (slopes, berms, wall control) Haulage & equipment productivity Drill & blast fundamentals Stockpile & material handling Costing and budgeting principles Compliance and data governance Technical Skills Mine design & scheduling using planning software Develop short-, medium-, and long-term plans Scenario analysis and trade-off evaluation Production data analysis & reconciliation Reporting, documentation, and change control Dashboarding and advanced Excel Stakeholder presentation & communication Coaching and reviewing team outputs Soft Skills Strong safety leadership and risk awareness Analytical thinking and problem-solving Clear communication and stakeholder management Team collaboration and cross-functional coordination Coaching and team development Continuous improvement mindset Languages Arabic: Professional (required) English: Professional (required) Other Requirements Ability to work in office + field (open pit) Fit for remote site work and roster schedules Flexibility for extended hours when required
Job Location & Accommodation• Sukari Gold Mines, Red Sea – Marsa Alam• Roster: 20 days onsite / 10 days off• Home-to-site transportation provided• Full accommodation and well-being facilities provided