VP - Studies

Anglo American; Whitby; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global mining company is seeking a VP - Studies to spearhead the feasibility study for the Woodsmith Project. This role involves managing cross-functional teams, leading project design engineering, and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. Candidates should have substantial project management experience and relevant technical qualifications. Strong leadership and communication skills are critical, alongside an ability to drive innovation and manage complexity in a technical environment. Regular travel may be necessary.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage multidisciplinary project teams.
• Significant experience in project management concepts.
• Technical experience in mining, engineering, or geosciences is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a feasibility study for the Woodsmith Project.
• Manage relationships with EPCM service providers and engineers.
• Oversee project design engineering to feasibility level.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical communication

Innovation and change management

Leadership and motivation

Education

Undergraduate qualification in a relevant technical discipline

Postgraduate qualification in a relevant technical discipline

Job description

Company Description

Anglo American is a leading global mining company, and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive mining operations and undeveloped resources provides the metals and minerals that enable a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast-growing consumer-driven demands of the world’s developed and maturing economies.

We are constructing a state-of-the-art underground mine to enable the extraction of Polyhalite – a unique multi-nutrient fertiliser – along with the necessary infrastructure both above and below ground that will be required for transport, processing, and distribution.

POLY4 is our flagship multi-nutrient fertiliser product. Made from polyhalite, it contains four of the six macro-nutrients and many micronutrients that are essential to plant growth. It allows farmers to maximise their crop yield, increase quality and improve soil structure with one simple product.

Job Description

The VP - Studies will lead the development and delivery of an integrated Feasibility Study for the Woodsmith Project that meets the Investment Criteria by Stages (ICBS) requirements and enhances the project's business case. This includes ensuring technical robustness, commercial viability, and strategic alignment to support a confident Final Investment Decision (FID).

Your duties will include:

• Finalise trade off studies required to confirm the single alternative development case to be taken into the feasibility phase.
• Establish and manage high-level relationships with selected EPCM service provider and SME engineers.
• Oversee the development of project design engineering to feasibility level in line with relevant standards and addressing the future operations functional requirements.
• Plan and coordinate early procurement and the mobilisation of early construction works required to protect the project schedule.
• Ensure that all land access and commercial arrangements required for execution of the project are in place and major permits are approved prior to FID, enabling seamless transition into execution.
• Coordinate inputs into ongoing dynamic simulation through the study to ensure the project can deliver planned production and shipping volumes.
• Lead the development of a class 2 capital estimate (as per Anglo American capital estimating standard) including quantitative risk analysis.
• Ensure the development of an integrated and resource loaded project execution schedule and ensure high quality project execution plan is developed and informs the schedule.
• Drive the early involvement of contractors and vendors in design and execution planning to improve execution predictability.
• Manage feasibility study to the preapproved budget, ensuring financial discipline, transparency, and alignment with investment governance.
• Coordinate Group Investment Assurance (GIA) reviews, ensuring readiness and alignment with governance requirements.
• Monitor capital and schedule trends, proactively manage the business case value levers through the study to ensure potential deviations are identified early and mitigated and opportunities to enhance the Business case are captured.

Qualifications

Formal qualifications:

• An undergraduate qualification (Bachelors / Honours degree or equivalent) in a relevant technical discipline
• A postgraduate qualification (Masters / Doctoral degree or equivalent) in a relevant technical discipline OR a proven track record of extensive practical experience in a role and context of similar complexity.

Role-specific knowledge

• Proven ability to understand and be able to synthesise cross-functional information from functions (This Will include geology, mine engineering, processing, operations, dynamic operations modelling, maintenance, engineering, project execution, commissioning, information technology, permitting, environmental, social, political, land, legal, human resources, supply chain, and security)
• Overall project management of a large and complex study
• Proven ability work within and understand other cultures
• Ability to challenge the status quo, drive innovation, and hold large cross functional teams accountable for results and recommendations that drive critical project milestones
• Ability to communicate complex information in varying forms (verbal, presentation, report) to audiences ranging from technical team members to CEOs
• Strong ability to lead and set vision and direction for individual evaluations
• A proven track record managing multidisciplinary project teams
• Ability to lead and motivate diverse cross functional team members from different cultures, think innovatively, execute projects, communicate effectively and deliver results.
• Proven ability to justify, budget, execute and manage large programs

• Significant proof of leadership and practical experience in Project Management concepts and principles, and the application thereof in a technical environment.
• Technical experience in one or more relevant technical disciplines (e.g. Mining, Engineering, Project Management, Geosciences or Processing) would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in a senior people leadership role within a technical environment, including the coordination of knowledge sharing across a discipline, managing workload and reviewing the work of others to ensure consistency with task requirements.

Safety

• Provides consistent outstanding behaviour in relation to safety practices with a deep understanding of the importance of safety

Additional Information

Regular international and local travel will be required.