Section Manager Geotechnical Services at Anglo American

Job Description:

As our Section Manager Geotechnicalsome of your responsibilities will include but not limited to:

• Consistently apply Safety, Health and Environmental principles in all team interactions and take personal responsibility for the safety of self and others to ensure zero harm and elimination of fatalities.
• Act as a role model and reinforce a workplace culture where safety and health for the site are paramount.
• Provide an environment for on-site teams to challenge and act on unsafe behaviours without repercussions.
• Ensure a comprehensive approach to risk management and safety within the working area, which includes identifying and mitigating specific risks, monitoring critical controls, integrating safety practices into daily work routines, assessing safety leadership and team fitness, conducting safety checks, analysing safety data, addressing deficiencies, and ensuring adherence to safety systems through audits and site visits.
• Active participation in VFLs, Risk Assessments and close-out of Safety Actions.
• Determine preliminary and operational slope angles, geometry, and reserve estimations to ensure slope stability.
• Monitor and analyse pit wall stability to ensure a safe work environment.
• Maintain geotechnical standards and implement best practices in the mines for cost savings and accident avoidance.
• Investigate sites to understand engineering areas and mitigate risks to humans, property, and the environment.
• Manage the dewatering strategy to ensure dry mining conditions.
• Manage the slope monitoring strategy.
• Draft and implement relevant mandatory codes of practice.
• Manage daily inspections of slopes and analyse instrument readings to determine slope stability.
• Inform all relevant stakeholders about slope stability.
• Stop work and initiate evacuation procedures on unstable slopes to prevent accidents.
• Prepare detailed reports on geotechnical findings with insights and recommendations for senior management.
• Stay updated on advancements in geotechnical technology.
• Integrate innovative approaches for enhanced efficiency and accuracy.
• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations and standards during geotechnical activities.
• Implement measures to minimise environmental impact.
• Identify and assess risks related to geotechnical activities.
• Implement mitigation strategies to minimise potential negative impacts.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in geotechnical processes to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and safety.
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders, including senior management, providing updates on geotechnical progress and findings.
• Ensure effective cost control and savings within the section's expenditure.
• Uphold sound financial practices by managing project expenditure.
• Support and implement a purpose-led, high-performing culture aligned with company values, inclusivity, and diversity.
• Implement management processes for employee and contractor management.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the geotechnical team.
• Facilitate training and development programs to enhance team skills and knowledge.
• Manage team compliance with external legislative, regulatory, permitting, and local requirements

This role is in the Discovery & Geosciences (GEO) department on a band 6.12 level reporting to the Manager Geology.

Qualifications:

• Chamber of Mines Certificate in Rock Engineering, Open Pit
• Membership: South African National Institute of Rock Engineering
• SA Drivers Licence

Advantageous

• Chamber of Mines Certificate in Rock Engineering, Open Pit
• Registration: Engineering Council of South Africa
• Membership: South African National Institute of Rock Engineering
• Membership: South African Council of Natural Scientific Profession
• Membership: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of hands-on experience in a Geotechnical Engineering environment with three years of open pit experience.
• Understanding and management of a geotechnical data gathering programme and developing a geotechnical model.
• Understanding slope stability analysis techniques, slope design execution and slope monitoring.
• Operational risk management, codes of practices, standard operating procedures, routine stability assessments and audits.
• Project Management methodologies and practices
• Specialist knowledge in the Geotechnical areas
• Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) regulations and experience in carrying MHSA regulation 14.1(8) legal appointment
• Anglo American policies and guidelines
• Mine Planning and Mining principles, methodologies and practices