Senior / Principal Engineer, Caving Studies - Adelaide

BHP; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

BHP in Adelaide seeks a Senior/Principal Engineer for Caving Studies to shape Copper SA’s underground caving and mine planning studies. You will lead technical work in collaboration with geology, geotechnical, ventilation and operations teams, delivering robust mine plans that balance safety and value.

The role focuses on developing, optimising and validating study work packages, communicating risks and recommendations to stakeholders, and driving technical excellence within a multidisciplinary

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Mining Engineering or related discipline.
• Underground mining experience with mine planning/design/operations.
• Ability to deliver technical work packages independently and manage priorities.
• Strong analytical capability to assess design trade-offs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with stakeholder engagement.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams.
• Commitment to technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Experience in cave mining, caving studies, and large-scale underground mine planning.

Responsibilities

• Deliver defined mine planning and technical study work packages to the required quality and schedule.
• Develop, optimise and evaluate mine plans, including key design trade-offs.
• Integrate geotechnical, geological, infrastructure, ventilation and operational inputs into mine planning outcomes.
• Clearly communicate mine planning assumptions, risks, outcomes and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams to ensure integrated and robust study outcomes.
• Contribute to long-term underground caving studies and portfolio development.
• Operate as a safety leader and apply BHP OS fundamentals in planning and studies.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Analytical ability

Stakeholder management

Collaboration across disciplines

Education

Mining Engineering degree

Job description

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Senior / Principal Engineer, Caving Studies - Adelaide

Job Posting End Date:

Job Country: Australia

Job State/Province: South Australia

About Copper SA Operations at BHP

BHP is a global resources company operating across more than 90 locations worldwide, with a purpose to improve lives and support a more sustainable future. Through Copper South Australia (Copper SA), we are building a leading copper portfolio that supports the global energy transition, supplying materials essential for renewable energy, electric vehicles and digital infrastructure. For you, this is an exciting opportunity to grow your career, make a meaningful impact, and help shape the future of one of Australia's leading copper businesses.

About the Role

As a Senior or Principal Engineer – Caving Studies, you will play a key role in shaping the future of Copper SA’s underground caving portfolio. Working within our Cave & Mine Technical team, you will support the development, optimisation and validation of future caving mine plans through high-quality technical studies and integrated planning.

This role offers the opportunity to apply your underground mining expertise to complex study work that will influence long‑term business decisions. You will work closely with a diverse group of technical specialists to develop practical, robust mine plans that balance safety, value, operational requirements and study objectives.

Reporting to the Cave Mining Lead, you will be responsible for delivering key mine planning and technical study work packages that support the development, optimisation and validation of future caving mine plans.

Key areas of focus will include:

• Development of mine plans and associated physicals.
• Mine plan optimisation and trade-off studies across key design and planning parameters.
• Delivery and integration of technical work packages required to validate mine plans and study assumptions.
• Integration of geotechnical, geological, infrastructure, ventilation and operational inputs into mine planning outcomes.
• Clear communication of assumptions, risks, trade-offs and recommendations to support study decisions.

This is an opportunity to contribute to long‑term underground mining studies and help shape the future of Copper SA’s caving portfolio.

In this role you will:

• Be a safety leader, demonstrating a strong commitment to health, safety and environmental responsibility and contributing to a culture of care, curiosity and feedback.
• Apply BHP Operating System fundamentals to support technical excellence and continuous improvement in mine planning and studies.
• Develop, optimise and evaluate mine plans, including the assessment of key design and planning trade-offs.
• Deliver defined technical work packages to the quality and schedule required by the study.
• Provide technical direction in mine planning, drawing on operational and technical experience to develop practical, high-quality outcomes.
• Work closely with geology, geotechnical, ventilation, infrastructure and other technical disciplines to ensure mine plans are integrated and based on clearly understood assumptions.
• Build strong working relationships with stakeholders across Copper SA and contribute effectively within multidisciplinary study teams.
• Clearly communicate mine planning assumptions, risks, outcomes and recommendations to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Act as an integration point between technical inputs to the mine plan and downstream study requirements.

About You

You are an experienced mining engineer with a strong background in underground mining and a passion for shaping future mining opportunities through technical studies, including caving and strategic mine planning. You enjoy working in complex environments, bringing together diverse technical inputs to develop practical solutions that support informed business decisions.

Ideally, you will bring:

• Tertiary qualifications in Mining Engineering or a relevant related discipline.
• Significant underground mining experience, including demonstrated experience in mine planning, mine design and/or operations.
• Experience delivering technical work packages independently and managing priorities to meet study or project schedules.
• Strong analytical capability and the ability to assess mine planning alternatives and technical trade‑offs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and build strong stakeholder relationships.
• A commitment to technical excellence, continuous improvement and challenging established approaches where better outcomes can be achieved.
• Experience in cave mining, caving studies, large scale underground mine planning or study development will be highly regarded.

Work Location

This role is based in Adelaide, South Australia, working on a 5:2 roster.

Occasional travel to our Carrapateena and Olympic Dam operations will be required to support study activities and stakeholder engagement. Flexible working arrangements are available, providing opportunities to balance professional responsibilities with personal commitments.

Relocation can be provided to Adelaide, SA.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

At BHP, you’ll do meaningful work in an environment that supports you to perform at your best; on site and at home. That’s why our benefits are designed to support your health, your growth, and your personal balance:

• Grow your career your way, with opportunities to develop and move across BHP
• Be rewarded with competitive pay, performance bonuses and our BHP employee share plan
• Work in an inclusive team where people support each other every day
• Enjoy flexibility and family‑friendly options that help you balance work and life
• Access wellbeing support, including 24/7 confidential assistance for you and your family
• Build your future with benefits like paid parental leave, recognition programs, etc.

And so much more!

About Our Process

At BHP, we are committed to employing individuals who align with the BHP Charter Values and meet the requirements of the role. As part of the recruitment process, there are several checks which may be conducted to demonstrate applicants’ suitability for a role including police / criminal background checks, medical, drug and alcohol testing, due diligence checks, right to work checks, and/or reference checks.

We Support a Diverse Workforce

At BHP, we believe diversity makes us stronger. We’re committed to creating a safe, inclusive workplace where everyone is treated fairly and can thrive. Our workforce reflects the communities where we operate, and we value all aspects of identity; gender, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, education, and more.

We ensure that our recruitment process is fair, accessible, and equitable. If you have a disability and need adjustments, please contact us at [e-mail].