Senior Planning Engineer Open Pit

Anglo American; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mining company in Johannesburg seeks a dedicated Mining Engineer with expertise in open pit mine planning to ensure the safe and efficient design and operation of mining sites. Responsibilities include developing operating plans, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and driving innovation in mining processes. A Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering and 5-7 years of relevant experience are required. The role offers meaningful work in a high-performance environment with opportunities for growth.

Benefits

Market-aligned salary

Opportunities for development

Inclusive workplace culture

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in an open pit environment.
• At least 5 years in a technical mine planning capacity.
• Previous experience in running pit optimization.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safety and compliance in mining operations.
• Provide specialized open pit design skills and experience.
• Generate reports and communicate performance and business information.

Skills

Open pit mine planning

Safety culture implementation

Operational systems design

Pit optimization

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering

Tools

Deswik (CAD, Sched, LHS)

Pseudoflow

Job description

Overview

Valterra Platinum, formerly Anglo American Platinum, is a leading primary producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), with integrated mining, smelting, and refining operations in South Africa and Zimbabwe, marketing the metal we produce globally. Following our demerger from Anglo American plc, Valterra Platinum is now an independent, publicly listed company with a primary and secondary listing on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges respectively. As we embark on this exciting new chapter, Valterra Platinum is positioned to define and pursue its own strategy, anchored in operational excellence, sustainability, and value creation for the long-term. With full accountability for our performance and growth, we are focused on strengthening our capabilities across the entire PGM value chain, from mine to market. Our independence empowers us to deepen our commitment to stakeholders and lead with purpose – to Unearth Value to Better Our World. We remain steadfast in our ambition to be the world’s foremost producer of platinum group metals, while embedding safety and sustainability in everything we do. If you're driven by purpose and the opportunity to make a lasting impact, we invite you to join us. Apply today and be part of something bigger.

This role is based at 144 Oxford Road, Rosebank.

Role

Ensure the safe, efficient, and cost-effective design, sequencing, and scheduling of the Platinum business open pits to ensure we maintain best-for-business short- to medium-term mine operating plans and tactics for each mine. Deliver high-quality planning support to enable confidence in execution of our plans to meet committed budgets. Support the Mining Planning Manager Open Pit by providing specialised open pit design mining skills and experience as the Platinum discipline owner. Complement and integrate with site mining teams and meet the requirements of the Business Centre.

Responsibilities

• Safety: Create a safety culture through productive and authorized operational systems/processes that allow all employees (including contracting partners) to provide their outputs in a risk-controlled environment. Oversee consistent application of Safety & Health principles in all discipline interactions and take personal responsibility for safety of self and others to ensure zero harm and elimination of fatalities.
• Performance and Delivery: Create the foundation for safe and efficient open pit operational systems of work through long-term planning. Apply extensive knowledge and experience of open pit mine planning. Influence Mining Operations ensuring integrated and enabling solutions from design through to execution. Seek opportunities to systematically support efforts in leading and improving safety in our open pit operations.
• Custodian of specialised mine and dump design for our Open Pit mines to ensure the Platinum business maintains high-quality, value-optimised long-term designs for each of their assets (and projects).
• Responsible for the long-term mine design of our Open Pits, in collaboration with the operational site technical and mine planning teams with a specific focus on pit optimization, mine design and dump design.
• Assist with additional HME planning and scenario scheduling within the medium to long-term planning horizons when needed.
• Provide our mine site teams (and projects where required) with developed and specialist Open Pit experience to support identification and resolution of mining challenges impacting confidence and continuity of mine performance to meet targets.
• Participate in site and operational reviews (as required), generate reports, presentations and outputs to effectively communicate work outputs, performance and business information and intelligence.
• Drive improvement and innovation in open pit mine planning processes through engagement with internal business stakeholders.
• Provide specialist technical input to open pit mine planning horizons to develop, model, select and optimise production and project strategies, initiatives etc.
• Identify reports and comments on key technical issues, risks and opportunities for value add within area of expertise and impact thereof on the operation and/or project.
• Custodian of long-term open pit mine planning design standards and audits compliance from a strategic business plan perspective.
• Review the scheduled long-term open pit plans in collaboration to ensure that the expected outcomes are achieved and optimise designs on a continuous basis.
• Embed and further optimise the specification of the production process, duration of activities and the operating parameters in the long-term open pit plans.

People & Teams

• Implement a purpose-driven, high-performing culture that is aligned with company values, is inclusive and promotes diversity, supports engagement and fosters continuous improvement to work processes.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with internal and external regulatory, legislative and permitting requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering

Experience

• 5-7 years working experience in an open pit environment (with at least 5 years in a technical mine planning capacity)

Technical knowledge

• Previous experience in running pit optimization (experience in Pseudoflow would be advantageous)
• Previous experience in open pit and dump design
• Experience in Deswik (CAD, Sched and LHS) required with further experience in HME planning being advantageous

What We Offer

• Meaningful work in a high-performance, values-led environment.
• Market-aligned reward and recognition.
• Opportunities for learning, development and progression.
• A culture that respects diversity and encourages innovation.
• A clear commitment to safe Operations.

Inclusion and Diversity

Valterra Platinum is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace where we value and respect every colleague for who they are and provide equality of opportunity so that everyone can fulfill their potential. Valterra Platinum has a zero tolerance to dignity harms, these include all acts of gender-based violence, bullying, harassment and victimisation. Ensuring the safety of our employees extends beyond physical safety and includes the eradication of harmful behaviours from our workplace. This responsibility extends to everyone at Valterra Platinum both during work hours and outside of work. We are unconditional in creating a respectful, inclusive, and safe working environment to ensure that no colleague will be violated or harassed under our watch.

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please complete our online application form via this job advert.

Closing Date

08 October 2025