Heavy Equipment Operator

Solidus Resources, LLC; Lovelock (NV); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Solidus Resources is seeking an experienced Heavy Equipment Operator for its Spring Valley Gold Project in Nevada. The role involves safely operating large mining machinery, moving materials, stockpiling, and road maintenance in an open-pit, autonomous-style environment.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years on heavy equipment, a valid driver's license, and real commitment to safety. The position requires teamwork, shift flexibility, and adherence to SOPs and mine plans.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of heavy equipment operating experience, ideally in open-pit mining.
• Experience operating haul trucks, loaders, dozers, graders, and shovels as listed.
• Valid driver’s license and commitment to safety practices.
• Experience with Mine Dispatching or OT systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate heavy mining equipment such as hydraulic shovels, dozers, loaders, graders, and related machinery.
• Load, haul, stockpile, and manage road construction and maintenance activities.
• Follow SOPs, mine plans, and supervisor instructions; conduct pre-operational inspections.
• Document inspections and logbooks; monitor equipment performance and conditions.
• Identify unsafe conditions, report hazards, and maintain radio communications with dispatch.
• Support in building haul roads and other mine infrastructure; assist maintenance as needed.
• Maintain neat work areas and ensure equipment is secure at shift change.
• Uphold health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements; work as part of a team.
• Perform other duties as assigned and adapt to rotating shifts and overtime.

Skills

Heavy equipment operation

Teamwork & communication

Safety-focused

Valid driver's license

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Heavy equipment operator training / CAT certs

Job description

Solidus Resources is a U.S.-based gold development company backed by Waterton Mining. The Spring Valley Gold Project is located in the prolific Humboldt Range, an area with approximately 60 million ounces of gold endowment within a 50-mile radius.

The Spring Valley Project is a large-scale open pit gold heap leach operation, with a >10 year mine life and a production profile in excess of 300,000 oz annually. Using 300-ton class autonomous mining haul trucks and hydraulic shovels, the higher-grade ore will be crushed in a 13 Mst/a three stage crushing facility with a ½" product size that is conveyed and placed on the heap leach pad with stackers, while the low-grade run-of-mine ore will be directly stacked using the mine truck fleet. The conventional heap leach pad is segregated into these two operating areas where it will be irrigated, with leach solutions collected and processed into dore bars through the ADR facility. Site infrastructure to support the operation such as haul roads, waste rock storage facilities, truck shops, water management, warehouses, offices, etc and associated facilities are also included in the project scope.

Position Overview

The Heavy Equipment Operator safely and efficiently operates heavy mobile equipment in an open-pit gold mining environment to support mining, material movement, stockpiling, and road maintenance activities. The role includes conducting pre-operational inspections, reporting hazards and equipment issues, performing basic troubleshooting, and working with supervisors, dispatch, maintenance, and other operators to achieve production targets while maintaining high standards of safety,environmental stewardship, and equipment care.

Job Responsibilities

• Safely operate heavy mining equipment including hydraulic shovels, D9-D11 dozers, front-end loaders (CAT 985, 988, 994, 995 or equivalent), graders (CAT 14, 16, 24 or equivalent), and other equipment as assigned in an Autonomous Haulage Working Environment.
• Perform production activities including loading, hauling support, stockpile management, road construction and maintenance, waste movement, and pit clean-up.
• Operate equipment in accordance with company policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), mine plans, and supervisor instructions.
• Conduct and document thorough pre-operational inspections and complete required equipment logbooks and operating reports.
• Continuously monitor equipment performance, gauges, warning systems, and operating conditions during each shift.
• Identify, report, and where appropriate, correct unsafe conditions, ground hazards, road deficiencies, or equipment defects.
• Maintain safe working distances and effective radio communication with dispatch, supervisors, and other equipment operators.
• Assist in building and maintaining haul roads, berms, dumps, stockpiles, and other mine infrastructure as required.
• Perform basic troubleshooting and assist maintenance personnel with inspections and minor repairs when appropriate.
• Maintain a clean and organized work area and ensure equipment is left in a safe operating condition at shift change.
• Comply with all health, safety, environmental, and operational policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Work effectively as part of a team to achieve daily production and operational goals.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of heavy equipment operating experience, preferably in an open-pit mining environment.
• Experience operating one or more of the following:
  • Haul Trucks,
  • CAT 966/988 Loader (or equivalent)
  • D9-D11 Dozer
  • Cat 395 Excavator (or equivalent
  • CAT 994/995 Loader (or equivalent)
  • CAT 14/16/24 Grader (or equivalent)
  • Hydraulic/Rope Shovel
  • Hydraulic shovel experience is considered an asset
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Heavy equipment operator training and/or manufacturer certifications (e.g., CAT) are considered an asset.
• Valid driver’s licence.
• Strong commitment to safe work practices and the ability to operate safely in an active mining environment.
• Basic mechanical aptitude with the ability to complete pre-operational inspections and identify equipment deficiencies.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience with Mine Dispatching and Operational Technology Systems such as CAT Minestar, CAT Terrain, Modular Mining, or Wenco is a definite asset
• Having worked in an Autonomous Mining Environment with exposure to CAT MineStar Command for Haulage or Komatsu Front Runner would be a definite asset.
• Ability to work rotating shifts, overtime, weekends, and meet the physical demands of the role.