Drill & Blast Engineer – Planning, Safety & Optimization

Plat Tech Talent; Middelburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Plat Tech Talent is seeking an experienced Drill & Blast Supervisor to lead patterns, planning and safety across open-pit operations. The role covers design, optimisation, scheduling and performance reporting for blasting activities.

The ideal candidate has a mining engineering degree, a blasting certificate, and 10+ years in open-cast mining with 5–7 years in supervisory roles. Strong contractor management and MHSA knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering required.
• Valid Blasting Certificate for Opencast Mines required.
• Minimum 10 years of open-cast mining experience in opencast operations.
• 5–7 years in a Drill & Blast supervisory/management role.
• Experience in explosives industry is advantageous.
• Contractor management experience.
• Knowledge of MHSA and Explosives Act.
• Valid driver’s licence.

Responsibilities

• Design blast patterns based on geological conditions.
• Optimise burden, spacing, stemming and powder factors.
• Coordinate drilling, charging and firing activities.
• Develop daily, weekly and monthly drill & blast schedules.
• Ensure blast readiness with production and mine planning teams.
• Lead Drill & Blast Supervisors and technical personnel.
• Coach and mentor team members and manage departmental budgets.
• Participate in production planning meetings and operational excellence initiatives.
• Prepare production and blasting reports and analyse KPIs.

Skills

People management

Decision-making under pressure

Planning & organisation

Analytical thinking

Communication & stakeholder engagement

Contractor management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mining Engineering

Blasting Certificate for Opencast Mines

Job description

Plat Tech Talent is seeking an experienced Drill & Blast Supervisor to lead patterns, planning and safety across open-pit operations. The role covers design, optimisation, scheduling and performance reporting for blasting activities.

The ideal candidate has a mining engineering degree, a blasting certificate, and 10+ years in open-cast mining with 5–7 years in supervisory roles. Strong contractor management and MHSA knowledge are essential.