Senior Mine Planning Engineer - Underground (Expat)

About the role

PanAust Limited, an Australian-headquartered copper and gold producer in Laos, is hiring a Senior Mine Planning Engineer - Underground for its Phu Bia Mining subsidiary. The role sits in the Mine Technical Services team in Vientiane, reports to the Mine Planning Superintendent and focuses on underground mine designs, schedules and economic analysis for growth project studies. It is a permanent position with a 5 days on, 2 days off schedule.

Key responsibilities

• Lead underground mine designs, including lateral and vertical development and stope designs at feasibility study level
• Lead mine production schedules, including material movements, development advance, drill and blast physicals, backfill physicals and equipment requirements, using Deswik and other approved mine-planning systems
• Run the mine-planning workstream for scoping, prefeasibility and feasibility studies, covering mining methods, access and portals, ventilation, pumping, backfill, materials handling and surface interfaces
• Develop and maintain scheduling and cost-model inputs for capital and operating estimates, budgets, Life of Mine plans and reforecasts
• Prepare technical reports, study chapters, approval memoranda, board papers, presentations and handover documentation
• Coordinate inputs from geology, geotechnics, hydrogeology, metallurgy, infrastructure, environment, finance, operations, maintenance, risk, sourcing and external consultants
• Identify technical, schedule, cost and execution risks, define controls and decision points, and support investment approvals and study-to-production transitions
• Support technical due diligence and tender support for underground mining contractors, and provide technical support to operating teams during implementation
• Mentor junior engineers and keep standard work practices under review

Required profile

• Tertiary qualification in Mining Engineering or a closely related discipline
• 5+ years of experience in underground hard rock mining
• Substantial practical experience in underground hard-rock mine planning, preferably across study and operating environments
• Demonstrated delivery of underground designs, schedules and cost inputs at scoping, prefeasibility and feasibility levels, presented to senior management
• Ability to integrate geotechnical, hydrogeological, geological, metallurgical and infrastructure inputs into mine plans
• Professional English; multicultural or developing-country experience is desirable
• Collaborative, deadline-driven, analytical and commercially aware; site-based operational experience is required

Required skills

• High proficiency in Deswik
• Long-hole open stoping, development design, backfill, ground support, ventilation, pumping, materials handling and contractor mining
• Desirable: cost estimation and financial modelling, contractor technical evaluations and tender support, ventilation and dewatering simulation software

What we offer

• Competitive remuneration with bonus incentives (potential tax advantages)
• Medical insurance, children's education and housing allowance (if applicable)
• Modern mine camp with food, wet mess and sporting and recreational facilities