Operational Excellence Specialist II or Engineer II

Freeport McMoRan•Bayard, NM

1d•$87,500 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to providing an employment package that recognizes excellence, encourages safe production and a culture supported by our core values. Here, you’ll find a collaborative environment where safety is a top priority, all opinions are valued, and people are empowered to grow in their career. Where You Will Work Chino is an open-pit copper mining complex located 15 miles from the historic mining community of Silver City in southwestern New Mexico. The historic Chino mine was among the world's first low-grade, open-pit copper mines. Today, the operation consists of a 36,000-metric-ton-per-day concentrator that produces copper and a 150-million-pound-per-year solvent extraction/electrowinning plant that produces copper cathode from solution generated by run-of-mine leaching. The community of Silver City boasts various restaurants, arts, entertainment, cliff dwellings, festivals and much more. Residents and visitors enjoy gentle four seasons, with three hundred days of sunshine a year and low humidity. From unique shopping finds in the galleries to everyday groceries, schools and housing, there are numerous amenities for everyone. Visit Silver City to learn more.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED AND seven (7) years of experience in Operations, Operations Support, Engineering, Project Management, Professional Business settings, OR
Bachelor’s Degree AND three (3) years of experience in Operations, Operations Support, Engineering, Project Management, Professional Business settings OR
Master’s Degree AND one (1) year of experience in Operations, Operations Support, Engineering, Project Management, Professional Business settings
Passionate problem solver who succeeds in somewhat ambiguous situations; tirelessly advocates for the best possible solution
Burgeoning coach whose goals are to grow and maximize the team’s potential
Strong communicator with emerging ability to communicate complex messages
Unbiased facilitator; able to engage all people at all levels; emerging leadership skills
Self-aware of cognitive biases and its impact on decision making. Decision making focused on the primary aim to build high performing teams, develop team members and deliver outcomes
Challenger mindset and passion to challenge status quo to find new solutions and drive out of the box ideas – loves and embraces change especially in new and evolving environments
Believes in a non-hierarchical culture of collaboration, transparency and trust across the team
Passionate about understanding people and teams; interested in becoming an expert in transformation methodologies
Learns new skills quickly and knows how to navigate the organization to find experts in specific domain
Ability to receive and act on developmental feedback quickly
Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate Engineering discipline, and (3) three years of Engineering or related experience.
Master’s degree in an appropriate Engineering discipline and at least (1) one year of Engineering or related experience.

Nice To Haves

Background in specific field (mine, mill, hydro, etc.)
Data Analysis Skills
Experience with OEE (data access, cleaning, interpretation, analysis, etc.)
Able to execute hypothesis-based analysis to confirm/disprove hypothesis
Strong excel skills
Can formulate questions to gain customer/process insight
Experience standing up Management Systems (work standards, process confirmations, meeting standardization, lineouts and visual management efforts, etc.)
People and Culture experience (human resources, organizational health, industrial psychology, etc.)
Experience working on an Agile team/ impact team
Experience working with Lean Methodologies and practices
Digital product lifecycle experience (e.g. Business Analysis, Discovery, UX design, Development, Testing, Implementation, Support or Planning)

Responsibilities

Facilitate customer collaboration sessions—including brainstorming, fact‑finding, design thinking, and problem solving—to drive continuous business improvement.
Select, tailor, and apply appropriate problem‑solving approaches (e.g., bottleneck analysis, root cause analysis (RCA), Lean, design thinking, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and diagnostics) to inform decisions and achieve measurable impact.
Design solutions using a minimum viable product (MVP) approach, iterating based on customer feedback while considering scalability and broader application beyond the initial scope.
Lead change by developing clear, compelling narratives that connect purpose, strategy, and required actions; strengthen communication capabilities across the team.
Influence and motivate sustained improvements in operational behaviors and processes across teams by coaching on structures, routines, and practices that enable operational excellence at scale.
Analyze and review equipment and process Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to guide performance optimization and data‑driven decision‑making.
Perform other duties as required.