Senior / Principal Mining Engineer – Open Pit (Coal and Minerals)

Palaris Australia; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day fortnight

Bonus structure

Brisbane office location

Diverse projects and commodities

Job summary

Palaris Australia is seeking a Senior/Principal Mining Engineer focusing on open pit coal and minerals. You will deliver mine planning, design, scheduling and technical studies across diverse projects while collaborating with geologists, geotechnical experts and financial analysts.

The role involves engaging with senior leaders and supporting investment decisions, with a path from operations to consulting and growth of the firm’s technical capability across commodities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering or equivalent.
• Broad experience in open pit mining from operational roles.
• Strong capability in mine design, planning and scheduling.
• Experience with industry-standard mine planning software.
• Excellent report writing and client communication skills.
• Experience across coal, gold, copper, iron ore or bulk minerals is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Deliver mine planning, design, scheduling and technical studies.
• Lead or contribute to feasibility and scoping studies.
• Provide operational improvement and strategic mine planning support.
• Prepare clear technical reports and client deliverables.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary project teams and stakeholders.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical capability growth.
• Engage in business development and client relationship activities.

Skills

Mine planning

Open pit mining

Technical reporting

Client communication

Mentoring juniors

Business development

Education

Bachelor's in Mining Engineering

Tools

Mining software

Job description

Senior / Principal Mining Engineer – Open Pit (Coal and Minerals)

As a Senior or Principal Mining Engineer, you will deliver mine planning, design, scheduling and technical studies across a range of projects. We welcome applications from engineers currently operating at either Senior or Principal level.

You will work closely with geologists, geotechnical engineers, financial analysts and other technical specialists to deliver practical, commercially focused outcomes that support project development, operational improvement, and investment decisions.

You will be part of project study and evaluation work that influences decisions involving significant $ value. You will engage with senior corporate leaders, including General Managers, CEOs and COOs, providing technical insights that help shape major investment decisions and the strategic direction of their businesses.

Moving from an operational role into consulting will involve fewer day-to-day operational distractions, allowing you to focus on high-value mining engineering across different assets, clients and commodities.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake mine design, optimisation, planning and scheduling.
• Lead or contribute to technical studies from scoping through to feasibility.
• Provide operational improvement, production analysis and strategic mine planning support.
• Complete technical due diligence, independent reviews and advisory assignments.
• Support resource and reserve conversion, mine strategy and economic evaluation activities.
• Prepare clear technical reports, presentations and client deliverables.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary project teams and client stakeholders.
• Mentor and support junior engineers and contribute to the continued growth of the consultancy’s technical capability.
• Carry out business development activities, proposal preparation and client relationship management.

About You

You will be an experienced Senior or Principal open pit mining engineer with strong technical capability, sound commercial judgement and the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and client environments.

For this role you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering or equivalent industry experience in mine planning.
• Broad experience in open pit mining from operational roles.
• Strong open pit experience, preferably within Australian operations.
• Demonstrated capability in mine design, planning, scheduling and technical studies.
• Experience with industry-standard mine planning and scheduling software.
• Strong technical report writing, presentation and client communication skills.
• You’ll stand out if you have experience across commodities such as coal, gold, copper, iron ore, lithium or other bulk materials.

Palaris is an independent advisory firm to the mining sector. We work where decisions carry consequence supporting:

• Resource companies (site and corporate)
• Financial institutions and lenders
• Equity investors

Our work sits at the intersection of technical insight and capital decisions, with a focus on clear, defensible judgement and practical optimisation.

What We Offer

• A 9-day fortnight and flexibility
• Bonus structure aligned to individual performance
• Lifestyle location for you and your family – Brisbane, Newcastle or Perth office
• Exposure to a diverse range of projects, clients and commodities

Applicants musthave permanent work rights for Australia. We are unable to offer visasponsorship for this position.