Underground Walking Boss

Swick Mining Services; Northwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus ($10,000)

Retention bonus

Job summary

Swick Mining Services in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, seeks a Walking Boss to supervise daily underground drilling activities, ensuring safety, efficiency, and compliance with company, client, and regulatory requirements. This role serves as the primary leader for assigned crews, providing direction, coaching, and coordinating resources.

Successful candidates will demonstrate strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and operational planning skills, with a commitment to building a

Qualifications

• Underground mining or diamond drilling experience.
• Leadership, supervisory, or crew lead experience.
• Strong understanding of underground mining operations and safe work practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety culture and ensure compliance with company, client, and site requirements.
• Supervise and coordinate daily underground drilling activities; manage crew schedules and resources.
• Mentor and develop drilling crews; onboard and train new team members.

Skills

Leadership

Safety leadership

Operational planning

Communication

Problem-solving

Time management

Written and verbal communication

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

The Walking Boss is responsible for supervising day-to-day underground drilling activities, ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with company, client, and regulatory requirements. This position serves as the primary leader for assigned crews, providing direction, coaching, and support while coordinating resources to achieve operational and safety objectives.

Success in this role requires strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and operational planning skills, along with a commitment to building a positive and accountable team culture.

What You’ll DoSafety Leadership

• Champion a strong safety culture and lead by example.
• Ensure compliance with all company, client, CommonCore, and site-specific safety requirements.
• Conduct workplace inspections, field audits, and safety meetings.
• Investigate incidents, hazards, and near misses and implement corrective actions.
• Promote continuous improvement in safety performance and risk management.

Operational Leadership

• Supervise and coordinate daily underground drilling activities.
• Assign work, manage crew schedules, and ensure resources are utilized effectively.
• Monitor productivity and performance against operational targets.
• Conduct regular underground inspections to verify quality, safety, and efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational performance and reduce downtime.

Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and support drilling crews.
• Provide coaching and performance feedback to employees.
• Assist with onboarding and training of new team members.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and employee engagement.
• Support workforce development and succession planning initiatives.

Equipment & Maintenance

• Monitor the condition and performance of drilling equipment and support vehicles.
• Ensure pre-operational inspections are completed and documented.
• Coordinate maintenance activities and repair requirements.
• Assist in troubleshooting equipment issues to minimize downtime.
• Maintain accurate equipment and maintenance records.

Communication & Reporting

• Serve as a key liaison between management, crews, and client representatives.
• Communicate operational priorities and performance expectations.
• Complete required reports, inspections, and documentation accurately and on time.
• Participate in planning meetings and operational reviews.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• Minimum 4 years of underground mining or diamond drilling experience.
• Previous leadership, supervisory, or crew lead experience.
• Strong understanding of underground mining operations and safe work practices.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to work in underground mining environments.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of underground mining or diamond drilling experience.
• Experience as a Walking Boss, Lead Hand, Foreman, Shift Boss, or similar role in the diamond drilling industry.
• First Aid certification.
• Common Core
• Safety leadership or supervisory training certifications.
• Experience with workforce planning, scheduling, and performance management.

Desired Skills

• Leadership and team-building
• Safety management
• Operational planning and coordination
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Time management and organization
• Written and verbal communication

Why Join Us?

• Competitive compensation
• $10,000 Sign-On Bonus
• Retention Bonus
• Industry-leading safety culture
• Opportunity to work with a respected global drilling and mining services organization

This position works primarily in an underground mining environment and requires the ability to work in varying conditions, navigate underground workings, and meet all site-specific medical and fitness requirements.