Senior Mining Engineer, Long Range Planning
About Mariana Minerals & Copper One
Mariana Minerals is a growing natural resources company focused on building long-life, responsibly operated copper assets in stable jurisdictions. Through our Copper One platform, we own and operate the Lisbon Valley Mining Company, a producing open-pit copper mine located in southeastern Utah.
Lisbon Valley is a well-established surface mining operation utilizing modern drilling, blasting, hauling, crushing, and heap leach processing. As part of Mariana Minerals’ long-term growth strategy, we are investing in technical excellence, safety leadership, and disciplined mine planning to ensure sustainable production and value creation.
Position Summary
The Senior Mining Engineer (Long-Range Planning, Drill & Blast & Geotechnical) is a critical technical and strategic role within Lisbon Valley Mining Company. This position is responsible for mid- to long-range mine planning, drill and blast design optimization, and open-pit geotechnical control, with a strong focus on slope stability and operational risk management.
The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the long-term sustainability, safety, and profitability of the operation by developing efficient extraction strategies, integrating geotechnical constraints into all planning activities, and optimizing blasting practices to control costs and maximize resource recovery. A strong, hands-on understanding of open-pit geotechnical principles is essential.
Key Responsibilities
Mine Planning
Develop, maintain, and optimize the Life-of-Mine (LOM) and long-range mine plans in alignment with resource models, production targets, and business objectives.
Design and evaluate pit limits, pushbacks, and phases considering geotechnical, economic, and operational constraints.
Integrate slope stability, pit wall control, and geotechnical risk into all long-term planning and design work.
Collaborate closely with geology, survey, and operations teams to validate assumptions, incorporate new data, and support strategic decision-making.
Data Management, Modeling & Reporting
Maintain and manage geotechnical databases, logs, and models tracking rock mass conditions and structural trends.
Track drilling and blasting costs and consumables, reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs).
Work with geology and survey teams to integrate geotechnical data into 3D mine models used for planning and design.
Produce clear, actionable reports on slope performance, geotechnical risks, and operational impacts.
Standards, SOPs & Best Practices
Develop, update, and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for geotechnical inspections, slope monitoring, hazard identification, and blast design.
Partner with safety and operations teams to establish and maintain hazard response and communication protocols.
Promote continuous improvement in geotechnical safety, blast performance, and operational efficiency.
Safety Leadership
Champion a proactive, zero-harm safety culture across all technical and operational activities.
Conduct regular pit inspections, hazard reviews, and geotechnical risk assessments in active mining areas.
Ensure all geotechnical and engineering activities comply with MSHA regulations and company safety standards.
Required Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Minimum 10 years of experience in surface mine engineering, with significant exposure to long-range planning, drill & blast engineering, and geotechnical engineering.
Demonstrated ability to design drill patterns, select explosives, and optimize blasts for cost, fragmentation, and safety in a hard rock environment.
Proficiency with mine planning and geotechnical software such as Rocscience Suite (Slide, Dips), Leapfrog, Deswik, and/or Vulcan.
Strong working knowledge of open-pit slope stability, geotechnical hazard recognition, and risk mitigation.
Ability to work effectively in an active open-pit mining environment under varying weather conditions.
Desired Qualifications
Experience with instrumented slope monitoring systems (e.g., radar, prisms, inclinometers, LiDAR scanning).
Background in operational geotechnical risk management and emergency response planning.
Advanced proficiency with blasting design and analysis software (e.g., ShotPlus, JKS Blastmate).
Physical Requirements
Ability to walk long distances over uneven terrain and climb ladders and structures.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work in all weather conditions, including extreme temperatures.
Must wear and properly use required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hat, steel-toed footwear, safety glasses, high-visibility vest, hearing protection, respirator (as required), and protective clothing.
Ability to work in environments with potential exposure to dust, fumes, diesel exhaust, solvents, sulphuric acid, and other hazardous materials.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Lisbon Valley Mining Company, a Copper One company and wholly owned subsidiary of Mariana Minerals, is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.
We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.