Senior Production Engineer | Carrapateena | 8/6 FIFO

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

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and bonuses

Employee share plan

Wellbeing support and services

Parental leave and family benefits

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

BHP is seeking an experienced Senior Production Engineer for the Copper South Australia operations at Carrapateena. You will lead underground production activities, optimise drill and blast processes, and drive improvement across planning and performance metrics.

The role requires strong technical leadership, safety focus, and the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver targets at a major underground mining operation.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Mining Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Strong experience in underground production engineering, especially drill and blast.
• Experience coordinating production schedules and achieving targets.
• Exposure to cave mining or large-scale underground operations.
• Proficiency with mining software, including Deswik UGDB.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for underground production and drill/blast activities.
• Review and maintain Production Management Plan alignment with objectives and safety requirements.
• Monitor drilling & blasting performance, provide updates to stakeholders.
• Support weekly production drilling and bogging schedules to optimise performance.
• Develop recovery, re-drill and slashing plans to address production challenges.
• Conduct blast performance reviews and post-firing analyses.
• Maintain production databases and planning systems with accurate data.
• QA/QC across production drilling, firing and rise charging activities.

Skills

Mining Engineering

Drill & Blast

Underground Operations

Deswik

Data Analysis

Leadership

Safety

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mining Engineering

Tools

Deswik UGDB

Deswik

Job description

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Job Country:

Australia

Job State/Province: South Australia

Job Location/Region: Carrapateena

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 Carrapateena

Carrapateena is a large, modern underground copper-gold operation and one of South Australia’s most significant mining developments in the past decade. Located approximately 160km north of Port Augusta on the traditional lands of the Kokatha people, Carrapateena combines cutting-edge mining methods with a strong focus on safety, innovation and performance.

With an expected mine life of more than 20 years and ongoing investment to expand production, including the transition to large-scale block cave mining, Carrapateena offers the opportunity to build a long-term career in a future-focused operation.

Designed with automation, digital systems and efficiency at its core, the site provides exposure to advanced underground mining and evolving technologies, supporting safer, smarter and more connected ways of working.

About the Role

As Senior Production Engineer, you will play a key leadership role in delivering safe, efficient underground production outcomes at one of Australia's most technically advanced Sub-Level Cave operations.

This is an exceptional opportunity to either take the next step in your career and continue your technical development or bring your expertise to the team and be exposed to our exciting expansions.

Reporting directly to the Production Operations Superintendent, you will provide operational and technical leadership to support the delivery of business objectives and act as their delegate when required, ensuring continuity of leadership and production performance.

Working closely with Operations, Technical Services, contractors and key stakeholders, you will provide operational support for production planning, monitor and report on production performance and drive production uplift through improvement initiatives.

You will be accountable for ensuring production activities align with monthly and quarterly targets while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, compliance and continuous improvement.

This role offers the opportunity to influence production standards, optimise underground drilling and blasting performance, and contribute to the successful execution of Carrapateena’s production strategy. You will also be involved in monitoring key production metrics, managing production data integrity, supporting weekly operational schedules, and providing technical leadership across underground production activities.

If you enjoy solving complex technical challenges, collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, and leading continuous improvement initiatives in a modern underground mining environment, this could be the opportunity for you.

In this role, you will:

• Provide technical expertise in Drill and Blast activities to the production engineers.
• Review and maintain the Production Management Plan to ensure alignment with operational objectives and safety requirements.
• Monitor drilling performance, blasting activities and production outcomes, providing timely updates to stakeholders.
• Support weekly production drilling and bogging schedules to maximise operational performance.
• Develop recovery, re-drill and slashing plans to address production challenges as required.
• Conduct blast performance reviews, vibration assessments and post-firing analysis.
• Monitor draw performance, lead-lag compliance and production variances.
• Maintain production databases, CaveMap information and planning systems to ensure accurate and up-to-date data.
• Validate production performance metrics, including tonnes, drill metres, firings and other key operational measures.
• Perform QAQC activities across production drilling, firing and rise charging activities.
• Conduct underground inspections, field leadership activities and compliance observations.
• Work closely with operational teams, survey, data specialists and contractors to safely deliver production targets.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance production performance, quality and operational efficiency.

About You

You are an experienced underground mining professional with strong technical expertise in production engineering, drill and blast, and underground operations. You thrive in a collaborative environment, enjoy mentoring others, and are committed to driving safe and sustainable production outcomes.

To be successful, you will bring:

• A tertiary qualification in Mining Engineering or equivalent relevant experience.
• Strong experience in underground production engineering, ideally within drill and blast environments.
• Experience coordinating production schedules and supporting the achievement of operational targets.
• Exposure to cave mining or large-scale underground mining operations.
• Proficiency with mining software, including Deswik and preferably Deswik UGDB.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret production data and identify improvement opportunities.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across operational and technical teams.
• A demonstrated commitment to safety, field leadership and continuous improvement.
• The ability to work autonomously while supporting and developing others in a team environment.
• A valid driver's licence with competency operating a manual light vehicle

Work Location

This position is offered on an 8 days on, 6 days off FIFO roster to Carrapateena, supporting a healthy balance between work and home life.

FIFO options are available from Adelaide and Port Augusta, providing access to one of South Australia’s premier underground mining operations.

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

Life at Carrapateena

Our modern on-site village, Tjungu Village, is designed to support comfort, connection and wellbeing, with:

• A fully equipped gym with over 25 stations, group fitness classes, and new wellness facilities including reformer pilates in development
• Social and recreational spaces including the Pernatty Pub, mini golf, and a golf simulator
• High-quality dining at the Dry Mess, known for its variety and standout meals
• Modern, spacious accommodation with in-room entertainment and streaming capabilities
• Scenic surroundings and unique site views, including iconic sunrises over the operation

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].