Drilling Supervisor - OB Mining

SKA Alliance; Raigarh; Hybrid; INR 520,000 - 780,000; Full time

Job summary

SKA Alliance is seeking a skilled Drilling Supervisor for opencast coal operations in Raigarh district. The role emphasizes daily drilling planning, hole-marking accuracy, and strict safety compliance, coordinating with SECL and maintenance teams to ensure targets meet quality standards.

You will supervise drill operators, monitor equipment performance, and maintain detailed records for handover. Rotational shifts and field-based work are required at mine sites in challenging conditions.

Qualifications

• Diploma in Mining Engineering or equivalent with field drilling exposure.
• Certifications matching statutory duties are desirable.
• Experience coordinating with blasting, survey and maintenance teams.

Responsibilities

• Daily drilling planning and coordination with SECL and mining-incharge.
• Verify hole positions, spacing, burden and boundaries per layout.
• Ensure depth, diameter and inclination follow specifications.
• Monitor collar condition, hole cleaning and protection quality.
• Supervise operators, track productivity and conduct safety checks.
• Coordinate with maintenance on drill and auxiliary equipment.
• Record drilling results and handover details to SECL blast team.
• Review fragmentation and notify improvements after blasting.

Skills

DTH drilling

Burden & spacing

Hole marking

Drilling supervision

Equipment monitoring

Safety leadership

Field reporting

Data interpretation

Education

Diploma in Mining Engineering

ITI/ Diploma in Mechanical Eng.

B.E./B.Tech in Mining Eng.

Coal-mine competence cert (advantage)

Tools

Survey coordination

Drill bits, rods, hammers

Job description

Role & responsibilities

1. Daily drilling planning: Prepare shift-wise drilling schedules in coordination with the Mining In-charge and SECL team. Allocate drills, operators and helpers according to bench readiness and production requirements.
2. Hole marking and spacing discipline: Verify hole positions, first-row alignment, burden, spacing and drilling boundaries against the approved layout. Coordinate with survey and SECL personnel to resolve discrepancies before drilling.
3. Depth and alignment accuracy: Ensure drilling follows the prescribed hole depth, diameter, inclination and approved sub-drilling requirements. Check actual drilled depth and identify short holes, excessive drilling and alignment deviations.
4. Drilling quality control: Monitor collar condition, hole cleaning and hole protection. Identify collapsed, blocked or water-filled holes and report corrective work required before handover.
5. Operator supervision: Supervise drill operators and helpers, allocate work, maintain shift discipline and provide practical guidance on accurate drilling and proper equipment handling.
6. Equipment monitoring: Supervise DTH and excavator-mounted drilling equipment, such as EA-20 or equivalent. Coordinate with maintenance personnel regarding drill, compressor, hammer, rod and bit problems.
7. Productivity and cost control: Track holes completed, metres drilled, productive hours, downtime and re-drilling. Monitor fuel and drilling consumables, identify avoidable losses and improve equipment utilisation without compromising safety or quality.
8. SECL coordination and hole handover: Maintain hole numbering and drilling records. Communicate actual depths, wet-hole conditions, obstructions and deviations to SECLs blasting personnel before handover.
9. Post-blast feedback: After authorised clearance, review fragmentation, toe formation and oversized boulders with the mining and blasting teams. Record drilling-related observations for improvements approved by the responsible technical personnel.
10. Safety and reporting: Enforce applicable mine safety requirements, site SOPs, PPE use, dust control, safe equipment movement and exclusion-zone discipline. Stop unsafe work, report hazards and submit accurate daily drilling and shift-handover reports.

Technical skills

• Practical knowledge of DTH blast-hole drilling, excavator-mounted drills and compressors.
• Ability to interpret approved drilling layouts and understand burden, spacing, bench height, hole depth, diameter, inclination and sub-drilling.
• Competence in hole marking verification, depth measurement and drilling-quality checks.
• Understanding of how drilling accuracy affects fragmentation, excavation productivity and rework.
• Working knowledge of drill bits, rods, hammers, compressor performance and common equipment faults.
• Ability to monitor drilling output, downtime, fuel consumption and consumable life.
• Basic Excel, mobile reporting and daily log-maintenance skills.
• Strong field leadership, problem-solving and communication with operators and SECL personnel.

Preferred candidate profile

Experience required

• 510 years of relevant experience in opencast OB and coal-mine drilling operations.
• Preferably at least 23 years supervising drill operators, helpers or multiple drilling units.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining drilling accuracy while meeting shift targets.
• Practical experience coordinating with blasting, survey, excavation and maintenance teams.
• Ability to work in mine-site conditions and rotational shifts.

Preferred industry exposure

• Opencast coal mining, overburden removal and mine-development contracts.
• Previous work at SECL or other Coal India subsidiary projects, including MCL, CCL or NCL, preferred.
• Experience with mining contractors or mine developer and operator companies.
• Exposure to bench drilling, hard-rock OB conditions and coordination between drilling, blasting and excavation operations.

Education and qualifications

• Diploma in Mining Engineering preferred.
• ITI or Diploma in Mechanical Engineering with strong relevant drilling experience may also be considered.
• B.E./B.Tech in Mining Engineering candidates with suitable field experience are welcome.
• Relevant coal-mine competency certification is an added advantage; qualifications must match any statutory duties assigned.
• Relevant mine vocational training and safety induction records should be available.