Lead Ventilation Engineer

Mventech; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Mventech Group is seeking a Lead Ventilation Engineer to provide technical leadership across mine ventilation, refrigeration, cooling and occupational environmental engineering for studies and project execution in Southern Africa.

The role requires substantial experience (10+ years) in mining ventilation, strong engineering judgement, and demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and engage clients and regulators.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline.
• Mine Environmental Control Certificate or equivalent recognised mine ventilation qualification.
• Strong practical and theoretical knowledge of underground mine ventilation systems.
• Relevant professional registration or eligibility for professional registration is highly advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ventilation discipline during detailed engineering, EPCM and project execution phases.
• Develop and review design criteria, engineering calculations, equipment specifications and datasheets.
• Lead technical meetings, workshops, design reviews and client presentations.
• Engage directly with clients, mine management, OEMs and regulators.
• Mentor and develop ventilation engineers and support recruitment and career development within the discipline.

Skills

Mine ventilation

Refrigeration

Cooling

Occupational environmental engineering

Technical leadership

Client engagement

Engineering judgement

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Mine Environmental Control Certificate

Professional registration eligibility (advantageous)

Tools

Ventsim

VUMA

VentGraph

Job description

The Lead Ventilation Engineer is responsible for the technical leadership, engineering delivery, quality assurance and development of Mventech's mine ventilation engineering capability.

The role provides specialist expertise across mine ventilation, refrigeration, cooling, occupational environmental engineering and associated infrastructure for mining technical studies, optimisation projects and project execution. The Lead Ventilation Engineer is accountable for ensuring that ventilation engineering deliverables are technically sound, fit for purpose, compliant with applicable legislation and standards, appropriately integrated with other engineering disciplines, and delivered in accordance with project requirements.

The role requires a combination of strong technical expertise, practical mining understanding, engineering judgement, client engagement capability and leadership of multidisciplinary interfaces.

1. Key responsibilities:

1.1 Technical Leadership

• Provide technical leadership and specialist expertise in mine ventilation, refrigeration, cooling and occupational environmental engineering.
• Establish and maintain Mventech's technical standards, methodologies, calculation procedures, design criteria, templates and quality requirements for ventilation engineering.
• Act as the technical authority for ventilation engineering deliverables and provide guidance to engineers, technologists, technicians and other project team members.
• Identify and evaluate technically appropriate, practical and cost-effective solutions for complex mining ventilation and cooling challenges.
• Remain current with developments in mine ventilation technology, simulation methods, legislation, industry standards and engineering best practice.

1.2 Technical Studies and Consulting

Lead the ventilation engineering scope for concept, scoping, pre-feasibility, feasibility and optimisation studies.

Develop ventilation design criteria, philosophies, strategies and life-of-mine ventilation plans.

Undertake and oversee:

• Mine ventilation network modelling and simulation.
• Life-of-mine airflow and ventilation planning.
• Primary, secondary and auxiliary ventilation system design.
• Main surface and underground fan selection and application.
• Ventilation-on-demand and ventilation control strategies.
• Mine refrigeration and cooling requirements assessments.
• Heat load and thermal environment calculations.
• Air cooling power and refrigeration duty calculations.
• Underground refrigeration and bulk air cooling system studies.
• Diesel particulate matter and contaminant dilution calculations.
• Gas, dust and occupational environmental assessments.
• Ventilation surveys, audits and system optimisation.
• Ventilation infrastructure capacity assessments.
• Trade-off studies and option selection.
• Capital and operating cost input development.
• Technical risk assessments and design reviews.

Define appropriate engineering maturity and level of detail for each study phase and ensure that ventilation engineering outputs support the required confidence level for project decision-making and cost estimation.

1.3 Engineering and Project Execution

Lead the ventilation discipline during detailed engineering, EPCM and project execution phases.

Develop and review:

• Design criteria and design basis documents.
• Engineering calculations and technical reports.
• Equipment specifications and datasheets.
• Scope of work documents.
• Technical bid evaluations.
• Equipment selection recommendations.
• Design drawings and layouts.
• Control philosophies.
• Commissioning requirements and procedures.
• Operating philosophies and technical documentation.

Provide technical support during procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, commissioning and performance testing.

Review vendor documentation and ensure equipment and systems comply with project specifications and performance requirements.

Participate in design reviews, constructability reviews, HAZOPs, risk assessments and technical workshops as required.

1.4 Client and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as Mventech's senior technical representative for ventilation engineering matters.
• Engage directly with clients, mine management, technical specialists, OEMs, contractors and regulatory stakeholders.
• Lead technical meetings, workshops, design reviews and presentations.
• Clearly communicate complex engineering matters to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Develop trusted client relationships through technically credible, practical and commercially aware advice.
• Support proposal preparation, scope development, fee estimates and business development activities relating to ventilation and mine infrastructure engineering.

1.5 Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, mentor and develop ventilation engineers and other technical personnel.
• Allocate work according to capability, complexity and development requirements.
• Review the technical work of junior and intermediate engineers and provide constructive technical guidance.
• Support graduate development and professional registration programmes where applicable.
• Contribute to recruitment, resource planning, competency development and succession planning within the discipline.
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

2. Qualification and Professional Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline.
• Mine Environmental Control Certificate or equivalent recognised mine ventilation qualification.
• Strong practical and theoretical knowledge of underground mine ventilation systems.
• Relevant professional registration or eligibility for professional registration is highly advantageous.

Preferred:

• Professional Engineer (Pr Eng) or Professional Engineering Technologist (Pr Tech Eng) registration with ECSA.
• Postgraduate qualification in mine ventilation, thermodynamics, refrigeration, mining engineering or a related discipline.

3. Experience:

Typically, 10 or more years of relevant mining and ventilation engineering experience, including significant experience in a senior, lead or specialist technical capacity.

The successful candidate should demonstrate substantial experience in several of the following areas:

• Hard-rock and/or tabular mining operations.
• Mine refrigeration and cooling.
• Heat load and thermal environment analysis.
• Primary and secondary ventilation infrastructure.
• Technical studies from concept through feasibility level.
• Detailed engineering and EPCM project execution.
• Operational mine ventilation and optimisation.
• Technical consulting and client-facing assignments.
• Engineering team leadership and technical assurance.
• Proficiency in recognised mine ventilation simulation software such as Ventsim, VUMA, VentGraph or equivalent is expected.

Experience within the South African mining industry and familiarity with the Mine Health and Safety Act, applicable regulations, mandatory codes of practice and relevant industry standards is highly advantageous.

4. Leadership and Behavioral Competencies:

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong engineering judgement and technical integrity.
• Ability to take ownership of complex technical problems.
• Practical, solution-oriented thinking.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Attention to technical quality and detail.
• Effective planning and prioritisation.
• Confidence in making and defending technical recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead technical discussions with senior client personnel.
• Effective multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Ability to mentor and develop less-experienced engineers.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of project constraints.
• Commitment to safety, ethical conduct and professional accountability.

Why Join Mventech Group?

At Mventech Group, you will work alongside experienced engineers and consultants on complex, high-impact projects across the mining and resources sector. We invest in our people through structured mentorship, exposure to multidisciplinary EPCM (engineering, procurement, and construction management) work, and clear pathways for professional registration and career progression. As a growing firm, we offer the agility and visibility of a smaller practice combined with the calibre of projects typically associated with major consultancies. You will contribute directly to decisions that shape project outcomes, build close working relationships with clients, and see the tangible impact of your work on sites across Southern Africa and beyond. We are committed to technical excellence, integrity, and continuous learning. If you want to grow your career while helping to shape the future of mining and resources consulting, we would like to hear from you. Innovate · Design · Consult.