Senior Planning Engineering - AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited is currently on a journey to redevelop the Obuasi Gold Mine into a modern, efficient and long-term profitable operation. The underground mining operation will be fully mechanized, designed to produce up to an average maximum of 5,000 t/day of ore mined.

We are seeking an experienced and self-motivated person to join our dedicated team as Senior Planning Engineer – LT.

ROLE PURPOSE AND CONTEXT

To give confidence in the Mining Plan by reviewing and interrogating existing data from the life of mine process and produce realistic designs that enable plans and schedules to be produced at the required standard for short-term planning and production systems.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Establish the necessary Mine Planning processes and practices for the redevelopment of the Obuasi Mine, including Operational Readiness
  • Define mine planning activities and schedules for tracking of mining Ops Readiness tasks
  • Generate a 12 month mine schedule with respect to geotechnically re-sequenced stopes to include diamond drilling activities
  • Develop the mine planning MOS to integrate the general MTS workflow
  • Consolidate and generate ‘a one source of truth’ reporting system
  • Design mine instruction templates (layouts) and approval process
  • Roll-out training programs for on-boarding and orientation of new hires and refreshers for sectional and departmental integration
• Provide unequivocal Mine Planning data to enable the quarterly updates of the rolling 18-month plan to be produced on time.
  • Generate an optimised and feasible Annual schedule with sufficient details (rates, resourcing, budgets, etc.) to ensure confidence in delivery
  • Integration of diamond drilling activities in Annual schedules
  • Generate the mine annual reserves inventory and related reports as a Competent Person
  • Identify risks and mitigation actions to Annual
  • Optimised short term, medium and long terms plans to ensure delivery of budget requirements and operations strategy
  • Align MTS strategies to support the Annual risk assessment & Mitigation Plans
• Develop the annual Mine Planning cost centre budget to achieve the required targets for achieving annual, medium term and LoM business plans
  • Develop quarterly, rolling forecast plans with sufficient details for implementation by the mining contractor
  • Mine quarterly forecast aligned with annual budget to meet the general strategic intent; mine design, infrastructure specifications, diamond drilling requirements, production schedules, unit costs, identified risks and issues.
  • Annual sectional Budget:
    • Identify staffing and other resources to support budget
    • Activity based budgets for each cost centre with clearly defined physical outputs, deliverables and schedules.
  • Quarterly, Monthly and weekly reviews (plan vrs actual) and analysis to provide reasons for variance to plan and any mitigation actions to be employed to meet plan and stay ahead
  • Identify and support an approved MTS improvement projects
• Deliver the work of the Mine Planning function within approved budget targets and specified timeframes, costs and related KPIs
  • Understand the internal cost management controls including:
    • Plan vs Actuals monitoring, tracking and reporting
    • Working to budget and elevating and raising justification (for approval for unbudgeted items)
    • Monthly budget review to drive reasons for variances (over or under spend).
• Demonstrate Safety Leadership and improve the Culture across the Production Engineering department regarding Safety, Health, Environmental and Sustainable Development
  • Translate ‘safety in design’ to mean provision of approval and review process that ensures all design flaws are firstly eliminated or identified and the risks assessed and mitigated (with the end-user participation)
  • Defining specific safety related actions (meetings, observation cards, ‘caught-in the act’, etc.) to be undertaken to work and teams
  • Support the general mine safety culture

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• Provide the resources and expertise to develop the team to capably and consistently deliver the annual budget, according to their role and level of authority
  • Compliance with Labour Act, AGA and Obuasi HR policies
  • For self-development
    • Individual Development Plan
    • Accountability Action Plan Meetings
• Rigorously drive implementation of projects and nurture and sustain a culture of Accountability and Continuous Improvement within the Mine Planning team
  • Provide evidence of improved productivity in the mine planning department
  • Establish Continuous Improvement project pipeline and implementation to improve:
    • Cost effectiveness of resources
    • Contract Management
    • Local content and suppliers enterprise development
    • Regulatory Compliance
    • Risk Management practices
    • Standard processes
    • Review existing technology or other capital resources
    • Overall team capability
• Develop and maintain constructive relationships with Internal Stakeholders (Corporate, Group Planning & Technical, sister mines, etc.) and external Stakeholders (Regulatory Agencies and Authorities, Minerals Commission) to establish existing and changing societal and regulatory expectations and requirements
  • Managed key internal stakeholder relationships
  • External Stakeholder Management and Engagement Plan to provide Mine Planning expertise and advice.
  • Monitoring of Statutory regulations, elevating any concerns
  • Continuous engagement with internal stakeholders and contractors

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering or equivalent
• A post Degree would be considered a strong asset

Experience 

• A minimum of eight (8) years’ proven experience in mine planning in an underground mining environment of which at least five (5) years at senior supervisory level within a planning/technical department;
• Be physically fit and be able to pass pre-employment and medical examinations / screening;
• Proficient with Mine Planning Software;
• Knowledge of a variety of mining methods applicable to the site.
• Excellent Communication Skills

Legal Requirements

• Blasting certificate
• Mine Rescue certificate (preferred)
• Shift boss certificate (preferred)

Technical Competencies

• Understands key elements constituting site safety system.
• Can lead team-based risk assessments and conduct behavioural based observations.
• Active participant in ensuring critical controls are in place and working.
• Can actively take part in reviewing of safety system elements such as practices / procedures.
• Extensive experience and understanding of mining production process/practices.
• Understanding of good production practices, management, support systems, and how each should interact to deliver targeted performance.
• Ability to develop innovative technical ideas/practices with regards to different mining methods and their application.
• Extensive knowledge of Mining Methods and strengths and weaknesses of the methods and the applicable use.
• Demonstrate advance level of knowledge of planning systems and practices from long term to short term mine planning.
• Understands advanced principles of mine design including optimisation.
• Understands advanced principles of mine design and scheduling to achieve Business outcomes.
• Ability to generate and act as competent person for annual mine reserves statements.
• Understands the contract, the key deliverables, and the processes that are aligned to managing it successfully.
• Capable of having a direct role in managing an element of the contract management process.
• Can propose, draft, and analyse potential contract variations and amendments for approval by the contract manager

Leadership Competencies

• Creating a disciplined team to deliver the planned work to the defined standards.
• Managing oneself – taking ownership of one’s personal development.
• Building effective working relationships – the ability to build and maintain effective collateral and cross functional working relationship;
• Building trust & accountability – displaying high levels of integrity and honesty;
• Maximising performance & achievement of results – solving problems and analysing issues, driving for results.