CSIR Principal Mining Rock Engineer Vacancies 2022 Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Jobs in Johannesburg

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

The following will form the basis for the Scope of work for the Principal Rock Engineer.

• Drive a strategy related to the challenges and potential innovations and solutions in mining
  • Apply sound scientific knowledge in problem solving and synthesising solutions using mining domain knowledge, eg. Rock science, mining processes, mine value chain;
  • Actively scan cutting edge technologies in and outside mining sector to solve critical, primarily mining and rock engineering issues;
  • Re-imagine solutions to support the mining industry using this technology, primarily to solve rock engineering problems;
  • Drive multidisciplinary teams to build and implement solutions across various technology readiness scales proof of concept through to commercial product;
  • Translate mining business challenges into technical solutions.
• Apply project management and business processes and applications to develop business problems into technical solutions
  • Define program, scope and objectives, deliverables, schedule, financial risk, resource, interdependency and integration management;
  • Ensure that projects are managed in an integrated way;
  • Develop and implement governance systems to manage and deliver on the rock engineering and mining portfolio of projects.
• Lead and develop the rock engineering technical discipline
  • Lead and grow the rock engineering capability within the cluster;
  • Lead and grow multi-disciplinary teams;
  • Lead and disseminate technical knowledge and expertise related to the mining value chain, including mentorship of CSIR staff.
• Business Development
  • Drive business growth;
  • Develop and manage a balanced Research;
  • Development and Innovation projects pipeline/ programme to deliver impact to the industry with a minimum budget income of least R15 mil for the rock engineering group;
  • Maintain awareness of business development opportunities for CSIR wide customer base, where relevant refer opportunities to relevant Clusters and Divisions.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Develop and facilitate national and international stakeholder network to broaden and deepen rock engineering opportunities.
  • Engage stakeholders to continuously assess mining related challenges and potential opportunities
  • Drive partnerships with key strategic stakeholders to promote RDI programmes;
  • Participate in technical industry bodies, particularly in rock engineering, eg. SANIRE, SAIMM.
• Financial sustainability
  • Drive business growth for the mining and mineral resources group and manage a projects pipeline to deliver contract RDI income from external clients as per the financial KPI’s;
  • Submit proposals for grant and private sector funding;
  • Implement cost containment measures to avoid an operating loss;
  • Achieve a clean financial audit.
• Human capital
  • Develop and manage an HR and succession plan that will ensure that the relevant rock engineering skills are developed;
  • Grow the rock engineering capability within the cluster;
  • Mentor and supervise junior researchers.

 Qualifications, skills and experience

• A BEng degree in engineering or mining with a Chamber Of Mines Certificate (COM) rock engineering certificate and at least ten years’ experience in:
  • Underground mining operations with one or more commodities (Gold, coal, platinum, and chrome in underground mines) as a rock engineer;
  • Established and maintained links with internal and external stakeholders and clients, as well as the research community;
  • Mining extraction processes (drill, blast & hauling);
  • Mining design software or numerical modelling related software;
  • Rock engineering problem solving;
  • Setting rock engineering standards;
  • Design of rock engineering projects and reports.
• During the above years of experience there should be evidence of at least eight years’ working experience in:
  • Leadership solving mining and other related challenges with a focus on rock support and the application of geotechnical tools;
• Advantageous additional qualifications include:
  • Master’s degree in mining engineering, geosciences, rock engineering;
  • A focus on mineral resources and sustainable mining would be advantageous;
  • Financial and business.
• Professional registration with Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) or South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) or at least qualify to register;
• Advantageous member registration:
  • A Member of South African National Institute of rock engineering (SANIRE);
• Knowledge of Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA);
• Ability to lead innovation and technology adoption in the mining industry;
• Ability to generate new knowledge and innovate;
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Skills required:
  • Good interpersonal and team;
  • Ability to work independently, as well as in a team;
  • Problem-solving and solution-seeking orientation;
  • Financial and business management;
  • Applied research.