Chief Geologist

ASARCO; Kearny (AZ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Low-cost medical benefits

401(k) plan with company match

Disability coverage

Life insurance

Job summary

A leading mining company is seeking a Chief Geologist to lead geological activities at an open-pit copper mine in Arizona. This position requires a strong background in geological modeling, ore control, and team leadership, emphasizing safety and environmental stewardship. Ideal candidates should have a degree in Geology and extensive experience in mining geology.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years in open‑pit mine geology for copper operations.
• Proficiency in geological modeling and data integration.
• Proven leadership and cross-functional collaboration experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the Mine Geology and Ore Control teams.
• Oversee daily geological mapping and sampling.
• Collaborate with Mine Engineering for reliable geological constraints.

Skills

Leadership

Geological modeling

Data collection/QAQC

Team collaboration

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Geology or Geological Engineering

M.S. in Economic Geology

Tools

Leapfrog Geo

Hexagon MinePlan/MineSight

acQuire

ArcGIS/QGIS

Power BI

Job description

Chief Geologist – Copper Resource

The Chief Geologist leads all mine‑site geological activities for a high‑tonnage open‑pit, Cu‑porphyry‑skarn, processing sulfide ore by flotation. Emphasis is on short‑range grade control and ore routing, geometallurgical domaining, resource growth, rigorous data collection/QAQC, and timely geological inputs to mine planning. The role reports to the Technical Services Manager and collaborates closely with the Corporate Technical Team and Corporate Resource Manager. The position operates with minimal supervision, exercises sound professional judgment, and demonstrates visible leadership in safety, environmental stewardship, and cross‑functional teamwork with Operations, Planning, Geotechnical, Hydrogeology, and Metallurgy.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the Mine Geology and Ore Control teams (geologists, technicians, samplers); ensure contemporary training, competency, and an inclusive, high‑performance culture
• Oversee daily geological mapping, sampling, and logging‑capturing lithology, structure, alteration, and mineralization at appropriate scales for ore control and reconciliation.
• Own short‑range ore control: manage blasthole sampling and assay QAQC (CRMs, blanks, duplicates), blast‑movement correction, and generation of clean dig polygons and grade control models; differentiate mill (sulfide) vs. blend vs. waste as required.
• Integrate pit mapping, drilling, and survey data into the Leapfrog Geo 3‑D model (with Seequent Central or equivalent) to maintain current, auditable interpretations for dispatch, short‑range, and mid/long‑range plans.
• Collaborate with Mine Engineering (Hexagon MinePlan/MineSight) to deliver reliable geological constraints for short‑, mid‑, and life‑of‑mine plans; steward density models and dilution/loss assumptions.
• Lead grade reconciliation (daily/weekly/monthly): ore control vs. plant vs. resource model (tonnage, grade, metal, spatial); diagnose variances and adjust domaining, parameters, or practices accordingly.
• Coordinate drill programs—infill, metallurgical, condemnation, and exploration—including design, supervision, sampling, chain‑of‑custody, laboratory interfaces, and full QAQC adherence.
• Partner with Metallurgy to define geometallurgical domains controlling throughput, recovery, reagent consumption, and concentrate quality and support blending and Mine‑to‑Mill strategies.
• Direct field geology and structural mapping (including UAV/LiDAR); provide structural models and rock‑type controls to Geotechnical and Hydrogeology for slope design inputs and pore‑pressure management.
• Develop and evaluate resource expansion opportunities; plan and interpret RC/diamond drilling; advance concepts efficiently from target to decision.
• Maintain a single‑source‑of‑truth geoscience database (e.g., acQuire or equivalent); enforce data governance, coding standards, and version control; automate dashboards and reporting (GIS/Power BI).
• Ensure all technical records, block models, and geological disclosures are SEC S‑K 1300 compliant and aligned with international best practice standards, and contribute to QP‑level documentation for Technical Reports.
• Provide timely geological input to waste characterization, permitting, and environmental management.
• Manage contractors and budgets (drilling, labs, consultants); track cost, quality, schedule, and HSE performance.
• Promote a strong safety culture and regulatory compliance; lead field risk assessments, task observations, and continuous improvement.
• Prepare technical memos, presentations, and training materials; clearly translate geologic complexity into actionable guidance for operations.
• Other duties as assigned that advance orebody knowledge, safe production, and value generation.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Geology or Geological Engineering required; M.S. in Economic Geology preferred.
• Minimum 8 years in open‑pit mine geology for copper operations (grade control, modeling, reconciliation); 10+ years and prior team leadership preferred.
• Deep understanding of porphyry‑skarn copper systems, including hypogene/supergene processes, oxide–transition–sulfide behavior, and geometallurgical implications for flotation.
• Proficiency in Leapfrog Geo and geological modeling best practices; experience integrating mapping and drill data; competency with acQuire, Hexagon MinePlan/MineSight or similar, and ArcGIS/QGIS; familiarity with analytics/visualization.
• Demonstrated success in QAQC program design and execution, resource classification, and compliance reporting standards.
• Proven leadership, team development, contractor management, and cross‑functional collaboration with Operations, Planning, Metallurgy, Geotechnical, and Hydrogeology.
• Excellent technical writing and presentation skills; ability to prioritize, manage multiple workstreams, and deliver to deadlines.
• Valid driver’s license; ability to work safely in pit conditions and lead by example in the field.

Safety & Environmental Commitment

A core value of ASARCO LLC is "Safety First". The Company is committed to help employees continuously improve their efforts to work in the most safe, inclusive, socially and environmentally responsible manner practicable. Employee safety and health, both on and off the job, are critically important to the Company. Therefore, ASARCO LLC requires employees to have and effectively demonstrate good working knowledge of modern safety systems. Each employee will take prime responsibility for ensuring that s/he works within all required safety procedures and processes.

Equal Opportunity

ASARCO is an equal opportunity employer.

Benefits

ASARCO offers an excellent low‑cost benefits package for medical/prescription/dental/vision, disability coverage, life insurance and other optional coverage, and 401(k) plan with company match.

Offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check and pre‑employment physical including a drug screen.

Recruitment Details

• Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level
• Employment type: Full‑time
• Industry: Mining and Oil, Gas, and Mining