Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Underground Operations Coordinator

💰 $ - $

MiningOperationsUnderground

🎯 Role Definition

The Underground Operations Coordinator is a hands-on operations leader responsible for planning, coordinating and optimizing underground mine activities to safely achieve production targets. This role bridges field operations and engineering/management teams by executing daily mine plans, supervising crews, enforcing regulatory and site safety standards (MSHA/OSHA/DME as applicable), coordinating ventilation and ground control programs, and driving continuous improvement in productivity and cost control. Ideal candidates demonstrate strong technical knowledge of underground systems (development, production, haulage, ventilation), practical experience in mine sequencing and scheduling, and proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in a high-risk, production-driven environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Underground Miner / Skilled Tradesperson with underground experience
  • Shift Supervisor / Chargehand in underground production
  • Mining Technician or Junior Operations Planner

Advancement To:

  • Underground Operations Supervisor / Superintendent
  • Mine Manager / Production Manager
  • Regional Operations Manager or Senior Mine Engineer

Lateral Moves:

  • Ventilation or Ground Control Engineer
  • Mine Planning / Short-Term Planner
  • Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Coordinate and execute daily and weekly underground production plans, aligning face development, stoping, and support activities to meet tonnage, grade and schedule targets while maintaining safety and quality standards.
  • Oversee underground crew deployment, shift rosters and task assignments; monitor crew productivity and reallocate resources in real time to mitigate bottlenecks and maintain continuous production flow.
  • Lead daily pre-shift and post-shift briefings, hazard identification and control discussions, ensuring crews understand work sequences, risk controls and emergency procedures.
  • Monitor and manage ventilation systems and fans underground, implement ventilation changes for production activities, and coordinate with ventilation engineers to maintain gas and airflow compliance.
  • Implement and maintain ground control and strata support programs (bolting, meshing, shotcrete, backfill), coordinate inspections, and trigger remedial actions to preserve ground stability and worker safety.
  • Coordinate drill-and-blast operations: prepare and verify blast designs with geotechnical and blasting teams, sequence blast events, ensure blast area control, and confirm post-blast inspection and reconciliation.
  • Manage material flow and underground logistics, including scheduling and routing of LHDs, trucks, conveyors and ore passes to minimize cycle times and optimize haulage utilization.
  • Supervise maintenance windows and equipment availability, prioritize repairs for critical fleet (LHDs, jumbo drills, bolters, ventilation fans), and work with maintenance planners to reduce downtime.
  • Maintain and validate production, development and equipment utilization data in mine systems (e.g., Deswik, SAP, Datamine, Surpac), prepare daily/weekly production reports and promptly escalate variances.
  • Collaborate with mine planning and short-term planning teams to translate strategic mine plans into workable short-term schedules and practical daily sequences.
  • Manage contractor relationships and performance underground; enforce site safety and quality requirements for all contractor crews and ensure timely delivery of contracted scopes.
  • Conduct regular compliance inspections and audits for regulatory and corporate requirements (MSHA, local DMR, OSHA), prepare reports for management and coordinate corrective actions.
  • Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses and corrective/preventive actions for safety, environmental or production incidents; document findings and track implementation.
  • Develop and implement emergency response plans for underground incidents, maintain crew training and conduct evacuation/drill exercises in coordination with emergency response teams.
  • Manage inventory of critical spares, explosives, ground support materials and safety supplies for underground operations; coordinate resupply and logistics to prevent production interruptions.
  • Facilitate continuous improvement initiatives using lean mining or Six Sigma methodologies to reduce cycle times, waste and costs while improving safety and reliability.
  • Coordinate quality control and grade reconciliation processes for ore delivered from underground to surface, working with geology and metallurgical teams to track variance and optimize dilution.
  • Enforce and monitor the site’s permit-to-work system for confined space entry, hot work, electrical isolation and high-risk activities; ensure permits are current and controls are in place.
  • Prepare and manage short-term operational budgets, track cost drivers for underground activities and identify opportunities for cost reduction without compromising safety or production.
  • Train, mentor and coach underground supervisors and crews on technical competencies, safety standards, and operational best practices; maintain competency records and conduct on-the-job assessments.
  • Coordinate installation, commissioning and performance monitoring of underground infrastructure (ventilation, electrical reticulation, pumping systems, dewatering) with engineering teams.
  • Maintain clear and timely communication with surface operations, metallurgy, planning and senior management to ensure alignment of production objectives and constraints.
  • Oversee environmental controls underground, including water management, slurry handling, and dust suppression, ensuring compliance with environmental permits and site procedures.
  • Manage risk assessments and Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) for non-routine or complex underground tasks; update mitigation plans and ensure effective implementation.
  • Use digital tools and telemetry (fleet management systems, tag systems, VHF communications) to monitor underground activity and ensure accurate tracking of people, equipment and materials.
  • Lead stakeholder engagement with unions, regulators and local communities on underground operations matters where required, maintaining transparency and compliance.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc operational data requests and generate exploratory analysis to identify trends in production, safety and equipment performance.
  • Contribute input to the organization’s operational improvement roadmap and underground capital prioritization.
  • Collaborate with geotechnical, planning and maintenance teams to convert operational observations into engineering requirements and project scopes.
  • Participate in shift handover processes, sprint planning for operational improvement projects and site-wide safety campaigns.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep operational knowledge of underground mining methods (cut-and-fill, longhole stoping, room-and-pillar, block caving) and practical implications for planning and scheduling.
  • Experience with mine planning and scheduling software (Deswik, Datamine, Surpac, MineSight, Minemax) and short‑term planning tools.
  • Proficiency in ventilation design/monitoring tools and concepts (Ventsim, ventilation network management) and ability to implement mitigations.
  • Strong understanding of ground control, bolting patterns, shotcrete application, and rock mechanics basics to manage strata stability programs.
  • Practical experience coordinating drill & blast operations, explosives handling and blast reconciliation and a working knowledge of blasting regulations.
  • Familiarity with underground fleet operations and telematics (LHDs, underground haul trucks, bolters, jumbos) and fleet management systems.
  • Competency in production reporting, KPI generation and reconciliation using ERP/MES tools (SAP, Maximo, or equivalent).
  • Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements (MSHA, OSHA, DMR, regional mining acts) and audit readiness.
  • Emergency response, rescue team coordination and confined space management experience in underground environments.
  • Technical ability to interpret drilling logs, face mapping, grade control samples and to use geological information to inform short-term planning.
  • Experience with continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma) applied to mining operations.
  • Competence in basic financial controls: short-term budget planning, cost monitoring and change management for underground activities.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and people management with demonstrated ability to motivate, discipline and develop underground crews.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear briefings, reports and cross-functional coordination.
  • High situational awareness and decisive problem solving under pressure in dynamic, high-risk environments.
  • Collaborative stakeholder management — able to align operations, maintenance, geology and safety teams toward common objectives.
  • Exceptional attention to detail for compliance, reporting accuracy and risk mitigation.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation skills when working with unions, contractors and multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Adaptability to changing production priorities and operational disruptions with pragmatic decision-making.
  • Coaching and mentoring capability to upskill supervisors and create bench strength in underground roles.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance production, safety and maintenance demands.
  • Strong ethics, accountability and commitment to a safety-first culture.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent with relevant underground mining certifications (e.g., underground ticketing, explosives handling, confined space, first aid).

Preferred Education:

  • Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Mining Technology, Geological Engineering, or related technical field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mining Engineering
  • Geological Engineering / Geology
  • Mining Technology / Metallurgy
  • Occupational Health & Safety

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of underground mining experience with progressively responsible roles (operator → supervisor → coordinator).

Preferred: 5+ years in underground operations with supervisory or coordination experience, demonstrated success in managing production, ventilation, ground control and compliance programs. Experience with mine planning systems, emergency response coordination and contractor management is highly desirable.

Explore More Careers