Principal Geologist – Base & Precious Metals

gu-recruitment; Muscat; On-site; OMR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

gu-recruitment in Muscat, Oman is seeking a Principal Geologist to lead field exploration for copper‑gold, chromite and related base metals. This hands‑on role demands frontline mapping, drilling supervision and data quality standards, with responsibility for mentoring Omani geologists and coordinating with BD/PD teams.

The successful candidate will spend about half the time in the field, work across prospect generation, target maturation and feasibility studies, and report to the Director of

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Geology or Earth Sciences (essential).
• MSc or PhD in Economic Geology or related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years in mineral exploration with field focus.
• Proven track record moving targets to drill testing and resource definitions.
• Experience with VMS copper-gold systems and ophiolite terranes is advantageous.
• Fluent English; working Arabic is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead field exploration activities with high safety and data discipline.
• Conduct geological mapping, logging and sampling programs.
• Supervise RC/diamond drilling, core orientation and sampling logistics.
• Own QA/QC, standards insertion and data validation to MX Deposit.
• Generate and mature exploration targets integrating multiple data streams.
• Plan regional programmes, budgets and manage contractors.
• Prepare technical reports to JORC/NI 43-101 standards.

Skills

Field leadership

Geological mapping

Target generation

Data integrity

QA/QC discipline

Mentoring

Technical reporting

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor’s Geology or Earth Sciences

MSc or PhD in Economic/Structural Geology

Tools

Leapfrog Geo

MX Deposit

ArcGIS / QGIS

pXRF

Job description

Role Objective

Seeking a highly capable, field-oriented Principal Geologist for its Base & Precious Metals division to lead exploration programmes that identify, test and advance copper-gold, chromite and associated base metal deposits in Oman’s underexplored geological terranes, and to support company’s international exploration portfolio. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role, not a desk‑based one. The successful candidate will spend a substantial proportion of their time in the field – mapping, logging, supervising drilling and sampling campaigns, and setting the technical standard for the crews working alongside them. Reporting to the Director of Exploration Execution, the Principal Geologist will apply deep expertise in prospect generation, target maturation and the evaluation of greenfield and brownfield projects, taking targets from concept through to drill‑tested and, where warranted, resource definition. The role also provides technical support to the Business Development (BD) and Project Development (PD) teams across scoping, pre‑feasibility, feasibility, project assessment, remediation and closure phases, and carries direct responsibility for mentoring and building the capability of COMPANY’s Omani geologists.

Duties and Responsibilities

Field Exploration & Technical Delivery

• 1. Personally lead and supervise field exploration activities, setting the standard for technical quality, safety and data discipline on site.
• 2. Undertake and direct geological mapping at prospect to district scale, including structural, lithological and alteration mapping, trenching and outcrop logging.
• 3. Design and supervise rock chip, channel, soil, stream sediment and pXRF sampling programmes, ensuring representative sampling and full chain of custody.
• 4. Supervise RC and diamond drilling campaigns on site: rig supervision, geological and geotechnical logging, core orientation, density determination, sampling and dispatch.
• 5. Own field QA/QC – insertion and monitoring of standards, blanks and duplicates, laboratory submissions, results validation and corrective action where performance falls outside limits.
• 6. Ensure all field data is captured, validated and loaded to the corporate database (MX Deposit) to COMPANY data standards, with no unresolved validation errors.

Target Generation & Programme Planning

• 7. Generate, rank and mature exploration targets by integrating geological mapping, geochemistry, ground and airborne geophysics, remote sensing and historical data.
• 8. Prepare drill‑ready target packages with documented geological rationale, ranking criteria, expected tonnage‑grade range and testing strategy.
• 9. Plan and execute regional and prospect‑scale programmes, including scheduling, resourcing, logistics and permitting.
• 10. Prepare annual exploration programmes and budgets and support the Director of Exploration Execution and CXO in budget preparation, forecasting and expenditure tracking against plan.
• 11. Manage drilling, geophysical, survey, assay and consultancy contractors – scopes of work, technical evaluation of bids, supervision and performance management.

Resource, Reporting & Governance

• 12. Build and maintain geological and mineralisation domain models (Leapfrog Geo) as inputs to Mineral Resource estimation, and work with the resource team on estimation and reconciliation.
• 13. Prepare technical reports and documentation to JORC 2012, NI 43-101 and similar standards, including supporting Table 1 disclosure.
• 14. Initiate, lead, coordinate and review scoping, pre‑feasibility and feasibility studies with the BD and PD teams and external consultants, interrogating consultant recommendations against project value rather than accepting them on technical grounds alone.
• 15. Prepare and contribute monthly, quarterly and annual reports, stage‑gate submissions and presentations for management, the Investment & Technical Committee and the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM).
• 16. Ensure full compliance with concession commitments, licence conditions, minimum expenditure obligations and statutory reporting deadlines.

People, HSE & Capability Building

• 17. Mentor, coach and formally develop junior and mid‑level Omani geologists through structured on‑the‑job field training, competency assessment and technical review.
• 18. Lead by personal example on HSE in remote field operations – risk assessments, journey management, permits, toolbox talks, incident reporting and close‑out.
• 19. Support COMPANY’s Omanisation and In‑Country Value objectives in team development and contractor selection.

Requirements

Education

• – Bachelor’s degree in Geology or Earth Sciences (essential).
• – MSc or PhD in Economic Geology, Mineral Exploration, Structural Geology or a related discipline is strongly preferred.

Experience

• – Minium 10 years of post‑graduate experience in mineral exploration with progressively increasing responsibility, of which a minimum of seven years must be predominantly field‑based.
• – Demonstrable track record of taking targets from generation through drill testing to resource definition; involvement in at least one discovery or delineated Mineral Resource is highly desirable.
• – Direct experience of VMS copper‑gold systems in ophiolite terranes is preferred – Semail Ophiolite experience a distinct advantage – with exposure to other deposit styles (orogenic and epithermal gold, porphyry, podiform chromite, carbonate‑hosted base metals) also valued.
• – Multi‑commodity exposure across base metals, precious metals, chromite and industrial minerals.
• – Proven experience planning and supervising RC and diamond drilling campaigns in remote, arid environments, including camp‑based and rotational operations.
• – Experience leading and developing national geological teams; GCC, wider Middle East or comparable remote‑region experience preferred.

Special Skills & Knowledge

• – Expert practical field skills – geological and structural mapping, core and chip logging, recognition of ore and alteration assemblages, and the ability to instruct staff to identify favourable geological settings.
• – Strong command of mineral deposit models and the exploration methods used to discover and evaluate them, including geochemical and geophysical (IP, ground magnetics, EM, gravity) survey design and interpretation.
• – Thorough understanding of sampling theory, QA/QC design and data integrity standards.
• – Competent working knowledge of Leapfrog Geo, MX Deposit (or equivalent, e.g. acQuire/DataShed), ArcGIS and/or QGIS, ioGAS, and a mine planning or resource package (Micromine, Surpac, Datamine); strong MS Office and reporting skills.
• – Practical competence with pXRF, handheld GPS/GNSS, and digital field data capture.
• – JORC 2012, NI 43-101 and UMREK technical report writing; eligibility to act, or a clear path to acting, as a Competent Person for Exploration Results and Mineral Resources.
• – Experience in technical due diligence, project evaluation and audit of third‑party data.
• – General understanding of mining operations, processing routes and the mining value chain.
• – Physically fit for sustained, exertive fieldwork in high ambient temperatures and rough terrain; must hold and be able to use a valid driving licence, with competent 4x4 off‑road driving skills.
• – Fluent written and spoken English; working Arabic is an advantage.

Business Understanding

• – Strong commercial awareness and the ability to link exploration decisions to value – discovery cost, cut‑off grade, stage‑gate criteria and project economics.
• – Familiarity with the Omani Mineral Wealth Law, the concession and licensing framework, and MEM reporting requirements, or the demonstrated ability to acquire this quickly.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION /CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

• – Professional membership of a Recognised Professional Organisation (e.g. AusIMM, AIG, EurGeol, Geological Society of London, SME) supporting Competent Person eligibility.
• – Valid driving licence, transferable to an Omani licence; off‑road and defensive driving certification desirable.
• – Remote area first aid and H2S/field safety awareness certification desirable (COMPANY will support where not already held).
• – Fitness‑to‑work medical clearance for remote site operations.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

This position requires full compliance with all HSE procedures and standards set by the Company.

• – As a senior field leader, the incumbent is accountable for the safety of personnel and contractors under their supervision, and is expected to visibly lead risk assessment, journey management, incident reporting and safety culture in the field.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Technical Depth – authoritative geological judgement; makes sound calls with incomplete field data and defends them with evidence.
• Field Leadership – credible and effective at the outcrop and at the rig; sets standards by doing, not by directing from Muscat.
• Delivery Focus – plans realistically, executes to schedule and budget, and closes out programmes with documented outcomes.
• Data Integrity – uncompromising on sampling discipline, QA/QC and database quality.
• Coaching & Development – genuinely invests in building Omani geological capability.
• Commercial Judgement – distinguishes technically interesting from economically material.
• Communication – writes clear, defensible technical documents and presents confidently to management, committees and regulators.
• Collaboration – works effectively across Exploration, BD, PD, JV partners and consultants.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• – Based at COMPANY’s Muscat office, but this is a field‑oriented role: the incumbent is expected to spend approximately 50% of working time (in the order of 120 field days per year) at project sites across Oman.
• – Field work involves remote, camp‑based operations in mountainous and desert terrain, high ambient temperatures, and extended rotations during active drilling campaigns.
• – Occasional international travel in support of COMPANY’s overseas exploration projects and joint ventures.
• – Standard COMPANY working hours, with flexibility required during field and drilling programmes.