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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Underground Consultant

💰 $ - $

MiningEngineeringGeotechnicalConsultingUnderground

🎯 Role Definition

An Underground Consultant provides specialist technical advice and delivery for underground mining and tunnelling projects, integrating mine design, geotechnical analysis, ventilation, hydrology, and operational readiness to optimize safety, production and cost. The role spans feasibility studies, detailed design, construction support, risk management, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement across greenfield and brownfield underground projects.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Graduate Mining/Geotechnical Engineer transitioning from rotational site roles with experience in underground development.
  • Site Engineer or Underground Shift Supervisor with hands-on tunnelling, decline/shaft construction, or ground control exposure.
  • Exploration Geologist or Field Hydrogeologist with subsurface investigation experience.

Advancement To:

  • Principal Underground / Chief Mining Consultant responsible for multi-mine portfolios and major client relationships.
  • Underground Mine Manager / Mine Operations Manager with P&L and operational accountability.
  • Technical Director — Ground Control, Geotechnical, or Ventilation discipline lead.

Lateral Moves:

  • Surface/Open Pit Mining Consultant for contractors undertaking both surface and underground projects.
  • Tunnelling/Ventilation Specialist in civil infrastructure and major tunnelling contractors.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the end-to-end underground mine design process (declines, ramps, shafts, stopes, pillars and development drives), producing detailed engineering deliverables using mine planning software and complying with best-practice industry standards.
  • Conduct and interpret comprehensive geotechnical investigations including borehole logging, core logging, in-situ testing (LWD, SPT, pressuremeter), and laboratory test data to produce ground classification and ground support strategies.
  • Develop ground control and rock mechanics solutions (support design, reinforcement schedules, rockbolt patterns, shotcrete, steel sets) and provide construction-stage verification and adjustments to support systems.
  • Prepare ventilation assessments and design ventilation networks, including modelling, fan selection, ducting, and heat/humidity control strategies for safe underground air quality and regulatory compliance.
  • Lead feasibility studies and pre-feasibility workstreams: capital/operating cost estimation, production scheduling, mine sequencing, and sensitivity analysis to support investment decisions.
  • Produce high-quality technical reports, engineering memoranda, regulatory submissions, tender documents, and client-facing presentations that clearly articulate design intent, assumptions, and risk.
  • Perform hydrogeological assessments and water management designs for underground works, including dewatering strategies, inflow modelling, grouting programs, and pit/shaft lining recommendations.
  • Undertake rock mass characterization and limit equilibrium/stability analyses (e.g., pillar stability, stope stability, wall convergence), applying numerical modelling tools (e.g., FLAC, Phase2, Rocscience suite) to quantify risk and mitigation options.
  • Provide construction and commissioning support during decline, shaft sinking, raise boring and production development activities, including daily site engineering, non-conformance resolution and technical clarifications.
  • Lead drill and blast design and optimisation for production and development headings, coordinating with operations to balance fragmentation, dilution and advance rates.
  • Manage multidisciplinary engineering workflows: coordinate geotechnical, hydrogeological, ventilation, electrical, mechanical and scheduling inputs to integrated underground designs.
  • Engage with operations and contractors to implement practical design changes, lessons learned, and continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, productivity and cost control.
  • Develop and manage project scopes, budgets, schedules and deliverables for consultancy engagements; monitor performance, manage change, and produce regular progress and financial reports for clients.
  • Carry out site inspections, condition assessments, and root cause analyses following ground control incidents, providing remedial action plans and follow-up verification testing.
  • Provide constructability reviews and contractor tender evaluations, including bid assessment, technical clarifications, and recommendations for award based on risk, capability and commercial factors.
  • Mentor and train junior engineers and site staff on underground engineering principles, geotechnical monitoring interpretation and safe work practices to build internal capability.
  • Implement and enforce health, safety, environmental and community engagement practices on-site, ensuring all engineering decisions prioritize personnel safety and regulatory compliance.
  • Deliver stakeholder engagement with clients, regulators, indigenous groups and third-party contractors to secure permits, approvals and community social license for underground works.
  • Use 3D modelling, CAD and GIS tools to produce long-section and plan views, alignment sheets, and spatial data layers for integration with mine scheduling and monitoring systems.
  • Design and implement monitoring programs (convergence monitoring, extensometers, piezometers, seismic monitoring) and interpret monitoring data to provide early warning and change-control triggers.
  • Provide dispute resolution support and technical expert witness services for contract claims, performance disputes and regulatory inquiries, preparing technical affidavits and attending hearings as required.
  • Conduct lifecycle cost analysis and optimisation studies for underground infrastructure, including ventilation, pumping and ore handling systems to reduce operating cost and energy use.
  • Coordinate drilling campaigns, supervise core handling and QA/QC processes, and ensure geotechnical and geological data integrity for modelling and reporting.
  • Drive digital initiatives and data-driven decision-making, deploying mine data analytics, digital twins, and integration of tele-remote/automated equipment considerations into underground designs.
  • Ensure compliance with mining legislation, codes of practice and industry standards (e.g., ISO, local mining acts) and keep abreast of evolving regulatory requirements affecting underground operations.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist commercial teams in preparing proposals, technical scopes and pricing assumptions for underground consulting services.
  • Support HSE teams in risk assessments (JHAs, HAZIDs, HAZOPs) and the development of mitigation and emergency response plans for underground scenarios.
  • Liaise with procurement and supply chain to specify critical long-lead equipment (fans, pumps, raise boring contractors) and evaluate vendor technical compliance.
  • Maintain and enhance technical standards, templates, and best-practice guides for underground design across projects.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep expertise in underground mine design and planning (declines, shafts, sublevels, mechanized and manual stoping methods).
  • Advanced knowledge of rock mechanics and ground support design (rockbolts, mesh, shotcrete, steel support, systematic reinforcement).
  • Geotechnical investigation and interpretation: borehole logging, core handling, lab testing and geotechnical modelling.
  • Ventilation design and modelling experience, including heat, humidity and gas management and software such as Ventsim or similar.
  • Proficiency with mining and geotechnical software: Deswik, Vulcan, Surpac, Leapfrog, Datamine, Micromine, Rocscience, FLAC, Phase2.
  • Numerical modelling and stability analysis skills using tools such as FLAC3D, UDEC, 3DEC, RS2 and RocPlane.
  • Hydrogeology and dewatering design, grouting programs and water control systems for underground works.
  • Drill and blast design for underground development and production headings and understanding of fragmentation outcomes.
  • Competence in CAD and 3D modelling (AutoCAD, Civil3D) and GIS integration for spatial planning and reporting.
  • Experience developing and implementing monitoring systems (extensometers, piezometers, seismic arrays) and interpreting time-series data.
  • Strong report writing and technical documentation skills for feasibility studies, regulatory submissions, and expert witness reports.
  • Project and contract management skills: scope definition, scheduling, cost estimating, tender evaluation and contractor supervision.
  • Familiarity with occupational health and safety legislation and underground mining codes of practice and regulatory frameworks.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Python/R for data analysis (preferred), and standard database/GIS tools for data integration.
  • Practical understanding of mechanized underground equipment, material handling systems and comminution logistics.

Soft Skills

  • Clear, persuasive communication and client-facing presentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Strong leadership and people management: mentoring junior staff, leading multidisciplinary teams, and driving project delivery.
  • Problem solving and analytical thinking with a pragmatic, outcomes-focused approach in complex underground environments.
  • Stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills with clients, regulators, local communities and contractors.
  • High attention to detail and data integrity, ensuring robust assumptions and reproducible analyses.
  • Time management and prioritisation skills to manage multiple projects and tight deadlines.
  • Adaptability and resilience working in remote sites, constrained timelines and evolving project scopes.
  • Decision-making under uncertainty, balancing safety, cost and production requirements.
  • Coaching and knowledge transfer abilities to build client capability and internal technical capacity.
  • Ethical judgement, professionalism and commitment to safety-first engineering culture.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering with mining experience, or related discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree or postgraduate qualification in Rock Mechanics, Mining Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydrogeology or equivalent.
  • Professional registration or chartered status (e.g., P.Eng., CEng, MAusIMM, EurIng) preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mining Engineering
  • Geotechnical / Civil Engineering
  • Geological Engineering
  • Hydrogeology
  • Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–15+ years of progressive experience in underground mining operations, consulting or contracting, with demonstrable experience in mine design, ground control and project delivery.

Preferred:

  • 8+ years of direct underground consulting or site-based underground engineering experience, including project leadership roles on feasibility and detailed design studies.
  • Proven track record across multiple commodities and mining methods (e.g., narrow vein, massive orebodies, block cave, stoping methods).
  • Experience working on both greenfield and brownfield projects, and delivering technical input during construction and ramp-up phases.
  • International project experience and familiarity with cross-jurisdictional regulatory frameworks and permitting processes.
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