Land Manager

HECLA MINING CO.•Coeur d'Alene, ID

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Hecla Mining Company is seeking a Land Manager to oversee the administration and integrity of its surface and mineral land position across the United States and Canada. The role is accountable for maintaining the Company’s land and mineral tenure so its rights to explore, develop, and mine remain current and defensible. The Land Manager reports to the Senior Vice President & General Counsel and presents to the Board on holdings, obligations, and tenure risk as needed. The role is currently an individual contributor position, with the opportunity to build and lead a small land team as the portfolio grows. A digital land management platform implementation is underway; the Land Manager will take responsibility for completing implementation and administering the system going forward. The portfolio includes unpatented BLM claims, patented lode, placer, and millsite claims, leasehold and fee interests in multiple western states, Yukon exploration licenses and Crown land, and related water rights. The Land Manager maintains holdings in good standing, conducts title research and due diligence, manages multi-jurisdictional filing and payment obligations, administers royalties and third-party rights, and maintains authoritative tenure data, maps, and system records. The role also prepares management and Board reports and the annual land budget, monitors regulatory developments, and supports transactions involving land and mineral interests. Transaction work requires strict confidentiality concerning Hecla’s land position, exploration pipeline, and acquisition targets.

Requirements

At least 8 years of progressive experience in land administration or mineral rights management in hard rock mining, precious metals, or natural resources; oil and gas land experience is also considered.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage a full, multi-jurisdictional portfolio, establish processes, direct outside resources without day-to-day supervision, and serve as the sole land professional in an organization.
Title research experience covering patented and unpatented mining claims (lode, placer, and millsite), mineral and surface leases, rights-of-way, easements, severed estates, and multi-jurisdictional portfolios.
Working knowledge of mining and mineral law as it applies to claim types, homestead entries, and federal and state frameworks governing mineral rights and surface use.
Strong command of BLM, USFS, and state lands regulatory frameworks and western U.S. land status systems, including LR2000/MLRS.
Working proficiency with GIS software sufficient to maintain tenure datasets and independently produce claim and land status maps.
Hands-on experience administering a dedicated land management or tenure database platform rather than spreadsheet-based records.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain regulatory and legal matters to management and Board audiences.
Ability to manage recurring deadlines with no margin for error, exercise judgment about when to escalate title or compliance issues, and build working relationships with outside counsel, government land offices, site teams, and landowners across regions and jurisdictions.

Nice To Haves

Registered Landman (RL), Registered Professional Landman (RPL), or Certified Professional Landman (CPL) designation.
Bachelor’s degree in Land Management, Natural Resources, Business, or a related field. A Geography or GIS degree is acceptable when paired with a professional landman designation and substantial hard rock mining experience; equivalent professional experience may substitute for a degree.
Canadian mining tenure experience, including the Yukon Quartz Mining Act, exploration license maintenance, and Crown land processes.
Familiarity with royalty structures and advance royalty administration.
Familiarity with western U.S. water rights, including state filing and beneficial-use requirements.
Familiarity with Indigenous and tribal consultation processes in the western United States or Canada.
Experience implementing a dedicated land management system.

Responsibilities

Maintain all Company land and mineral holdings in good standing, including claims, leases, fee interests, Yukon exploration licenses and Crown land, and supporting water rights.
Conduct title research for acquisitions; construct chains of title across patented and unpatented instruments and severed estates; identify title defects and curative requirements.
Manage a multi-jurisdictional calendar of maintenance fees, rentals, property taxes, assessment filings, renewals, notices, and other deadlines.
Coordinate Canadian land counsel and contract land professionals on Yukon and other Canadian filing obligations.
Manage land access and stakeholder matters with private landowners, ranchers, and tribal and Indigenous entities.
Calculate, track, and audit advance and production royalty obligations, including rates, step-downs, buy-down rights, and payment terms; coordinate with Accounting to ensure timely and correct payments.
Track third-party options, rights of first refusal, and back-in rights that could affect the Company’s ownership or operating position.
Maintain authoritative tenure datasets and produce claim boundary, land status, and tenure maps for Exploration, Operations, management, and the Board.
Work with Exploration and Operations GIS resources and direct outside geospatial specialists when deeper analytical work is warranted.
Administer the land management system, complete its current implementation, and keep spatial and tabular records synchronized and audit ready.
Prepare status reports on holdings, obligations, and tenure risk for management and Board review.
Prepare and track the annual land budget within the Legal department budget, including filing fees, royalty payments, and contractor costs.
Monitor regulatory developments affecting mining tenure in BLM, USFS, state, and Yukon jurisdictions.
Conduct land and title due diligence for acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, and financings, including data room coordination and negotiation support.
Review land-related sections of purchase, option, and royalty agreements with the General Counsel and Corporate Development, maintaining strict confidentiality.