Mine Planning Engineer

JDS Energy & Mining; Challis (ID); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

JDS Energy & Mining in Challis, Idaho, seeks a Mine Planning Engineer to design, schedule, and optimize mining sequences. You will bridge long-term life-of-mine goals with daily operations, using advanced spatial modeling and scheduling software to balance ore quality, equipment utilization, and waste management.

The role emphasizes coordinating with Geology, Geotechnical, Survey, and Operations teams to ensure safe, sustainable, and cost-effective extraction.

Qualifications

• Experience in mine planning and scheduling.
• Ability to interpret geological data for planning.
• Proficiency with spatial modeling and mine design tools.

Responsibilities

• Mine Design & Layout: Develop and optimize pit phases, pushbacks, stopes, haul roads, waste dumps, and stockpile layouts using specialized industry software.
• Production Scheduling: Prepare rolling short-to-medium-term mine plans and production schedules (weekly to 24-month forecasts).
• Reconciliation & Variance Analysis: Track daily production vs. the plan, identify deviations, and implement corrective actions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate with Geology, Geotechnical, Survey, and Daily Operations to integrate constraints into plans.
• Economic Optimization: Run scenarios to maximize recovery, balance ore blending, minimize haulage cycles, and reduce cost per tonne.

Skills

Mine planning

Scheduling

Spatial modeling software

Cross-functional coordination

Tools

Industry software

Job description

Job Summary

The Mine Planning Engineer is responsible for designing, scheduling, and optimizing mining sequences to ensure safe, sustainable, and profitable mineral extraction. This role bridges the gap between long-term strategic life-of-mine (LOM) goals and daily pit or underground operations. The ideal candidate uses advanced spatial modeling and scheduling software to balance ore quality, equipment utilization, and waste management.

Location: Challis, Idaho, United States (2x2 rotation)

Key Responsibilities

• Mine Design & Layout: Develop and optimize detailed pit phases, pushbacks, stopes, haul roads, waste dumps, and stockpile layouts using specialized industry software.
• Production Scheduling: Prepare rolling short-to-medium-term mine plans and production schedules (ranging from weekly targets to 24-month forecasts) to meet extraction and processing goals.
• Reconciliation & Variance Analysis: Track, analyze, and report on actual daily production versus the established mine plan. Identify deviations, analyze root causes, and implement corrective action plans.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate directly with Geology, Geotechnical, Survey, and Daily Operations to integrate physical constraints, regulatory conditions, and safety measures into executable mine plans.
• Economic Optimization: Run evaluation scenarios to maximize resource recovery, ensure appropriate ore blending, minimize haulage cycle times, and lower cost-per-tonne metrics.