Superintendent Rock Engineering

Sibanye-Stillwater; Brits; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sibanye-Stillwater in South Africa invites applications for a Strata Control Officer with COMREC and extensive underground mining experience to lead the strata control team and ensure safe, compliant operations.

The role focuses on supervising labour planning, performance management, ventilation knowledge, and guidance across rock mechanics, ground control, and related disciplines, reporting to Mineral Resource and Mining Managers.

Qualifications

• Chamber of Mines Rock Engineering Certificate is required.
• At least 5 years experience in a related role, with 2 years in a supervisory strata control capacity.
• Legal appointment under Minerals Act and Mine Health and Safety Act regulations.
• Medically fit for work in the mining environment.
• Clear security screening record.
• Valid driver’s license if applicable.

Responsibilities

• Design the Operations’ discipline structure to support organisational mandates.
• Review and approve labour plans around targets.
• Provide leadership and drive high performance among team members.
• Manage performance and development of reporting staff.
• Set discipline targets aligned with organisational goals.
• Drive organisational culture and safety within the unit.
• Lead training and development to promote continuous improvement.
• Mentor staff and create development opportunities in new projects.
• Provide ongoing coaching to team members.
• Drive transformation and sustainability within the operation.
• Demonstrate understanding of ventilation systems and airflow in underground mines.
• Oversee underground mining processes and ground control strategies.
• Coordinate electrical and mechanical engineering knowledge and project management fundamentals.
• Support pillars, rock strength, and hazard assessment within mining operations.

Skills

Supervisory experience

People management

Education

COMREC Certificate

Advanced Rock Engineering Certificate

Job description

• COMREC (Chamber of Mines Rock Engineering Certificate)

Minimum Qualifications

• COMREC (Chamber of Mines Rock Engineering Certificate)

Requirements

• Chamber of Mines Rock Engineering Certificate
• At least 5 years experience in a related role, of which 2 years should have been at a supervisory level area as a Strata Control Officer
• Legal Appointee according to regulations of the Minerals Act and regulations of the Mine Health and Safety Act
• Medically fit to work in the specific business area.
• Clear security screening record.
• Valid driver’s license (if applicable).

Advantageous Qualifications

• Advanced Rock Engineering Certificate. Mining engineering/Physics/Geology Degree or Diploma

Key Responsibilities

• People Management Recruitment:
• Design the specific Operations’ discipline structure to support the achievement of the organisational mandate.
• Review and approve labour plans around operational targets. Performance Management:
• Provide leadership and inspire team members towards high performance.
• Manage performance and development of reporting staff.
• Set the specific Operations’ discipline performance targets and criteria that align with organisational goals for the team.
• Employee Relations:
• Drive the Organisational Culture and Climate within the Business Unit to ensure achievement of organisational objectives and employee safety.
• Training and Development:
• Drive a culture of Learning and Continuous Improvement within the specific Operation to ensure achievement of organisational objectives and safety.
• Mentor individuals to enhance the individual`s knowledge, skills, values and attitude.
• Create opportunities for development through participation and involvement in new business or technology enhancement projects for team members.
• Provide coaching to team members on an ongoing basis.
• Transformation & Sustainability:
• Drive a culture of Transformation within the specific Operation to ensure organisational sustainability.
• Ventilation Control Installations:
• Demonstrate an understanding of ventilation systems in an underground mine
• Demonstrate knowledge of airflow calculations and principles of airflow in a ventilation circuit
• Demonstrate knowledge of how calculate air regulator dimensions Ore-Loading Operations:
• Demonstrate knowledge of Mechanised ore loading operations
• Horizontal Transport:
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of underground horizontal transport operation
• Electrical & Mechanical Engineering:
• Demonstrate knowledge and operation of mechanical and electrical systems
• Project Management:
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of project management
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the aspects of the project life cycle
• Explain fundamentals of project management
• Support:
• Demonstrate an understanding of support principles
• Demonstrate an elementary understanding of pillar characteristics, behaviour and function
• Demonstrate an understanding of the effect of excessive spans and poorly installed or damaged support units on working place stability
• Demonstrate an understanding of the factors that influence the stability of beams
• Demonstrate an understanding of the hazards associated with the removal of installed support units under various conditions
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of support installation quality
• Demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationship between rock strength, stress and fracturing
• Demonstrate knowledge and basic understanding of the effect of high mining heights on artificial support installation and effectiveness
• Identify common support failure modes from observations
• Charging & Blasting:
• Demonstrate understanding of the importance of safe and efficient charging and timing of blasts in a mining environment
• Demonstrate understanding of blasting products pertaining to blasting operations and principles of rock breaking activities
• Demonstrate knowledge regarding legal aspects, types and application of explosives and blasting accessories
• Demonstrate an understanding of the behaviour, performance and use of explosives
• Underground Mining Processes:
• Demonstrate an understanding of:
• common underground mining methods (conventional and mechanised)
• development, pre-ledging equipping, ledging, equipping and stoping processes
• typical underground hard rock mining services, processes and layouts
• water reticulation systems in an underground mine
• power reticulation system in an underground mine
• Demonstrate knowledge and ability to work in an underground mine
• Strata Control:
• Demonstrate an understanding of:
• strata control practices in an underground hard rock mine
• strata control theory and terminology relevant to mining environment
• mining related strata control issues impacting on mining practice
• strata control systems
• identification of and dealing with rock strata conditions
• Ground Control District:
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the concept of a Ground Control District
• Geology:
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between geological structures and mining layouts
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic mine geology
• Barring:
• Demonstrate knowledge to sound and bar down roof and side wall in an underground mine
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant current Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental legislation
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Mine Health and Safety Act, regulations and definitions
• Demonstrate knowledge pertaining to basic Health, Safety, Environmental & Quality principles in and around the workplace (PPE requirements, housekeeping standards, etc.)
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic health and safety practices related to mines
• Demonstrate an understanding of risk assessment concepts and processes
• Demonstrate knowledge of fire protection and suppression systems
• Demonstrate knowledge pertaining to fires in working places
• Demonstrate knowledge of Symbolic Safety signs
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the causes of Falls of Ground (FOG)
• Demonstrate knowledge of environmental awareness in the mining industry
• Competent A (Underground Mining):
• Demonstrate an understanding of the identification of and dealing with rock strata conditions
• Demonstrate knowledge of the most common harmful gases and vapours
• Describe the basic environmental factors of ventilating an underground working place to ensure a safe and healthy working environment
• Quality Management System:
• Demonstrate an understanding of quality requirements for a Quality Management System
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of quality principles used in the workplace
• Finance:
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of good financial management practices
• Demonstrate basic accounting concepts
• Mining Legislation:
• Demonstrate an understanding of legislation and compliance in the Mining and Minerals Sector
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Mine Health and Safety Act, regulations and definitions
• Risk Management:
• Apply general management principles to the risk management function
• Demonstrate knowledge and application of the nature of risk and the risk management process
• South African Mining Industry:
• Demonstrate an understanding of the:
• principal mineral groups and their characteristics
• principal rock groups, their origins and characteristics
• relevant terminology used in mining
• Mine Management:
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of mining economics
• Demonstrate an understanding of continual improvement in the mining cycle
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the starting up and closing off procedures for an underground workplace
• Mine Planning:
• Read and understand a mine plan and transfer recorded information onto mine plans
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of short term mine planning principles

Job Purpose

• The purpose of the role is to consult with the Mineral Resource Manager and Mining Manager on the support regime required to ensure stability of excavated mining areas