Principal, Geotechnical Engineer Tailings

AngloGold Ashanti • Las Vegas, NV

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Tailings provides expert technical leadership, governance, and lifecycle management for Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs), heap leach facilities, and water storage infrastructure across AngloGold Ashanti operations. Reporting within the Technical Services team, this role serves as a primary technical authority driving risk reduction, operational excellence, and strict adherence to internal standards and the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) from initial design through to post-closure. As a key technical authority, the Principal Geotechnical Engineer partners closely with site operational teams, technical specialists, executive leadership, external engineering firms, and regulatory stakeholders to ensure dam safety, environmental compliance, and long-term asset integrity across Nevada Projects and global operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Engineering Geology, Geological Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline required.
• Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in Civil, Geotechnical, or Geological Engineering preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license (or eligibility for reciprocity) required; active membership in relevant professional geotechnical/tailings organizations preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive industry experience in civil, geotechnical, or geological engineering.
• Extensive hands-on experience in the design, construction, operation, monitoring, and closure of mine tailings, heap leach pads, and water storage facilities.
• Proven track record leading multidisciplinary technical teams and executing dam safety governance within large-scale mining operations.
• In-depth expertise in soil mechanics for dam safety, including limit equilibrium, finite element stability analyses, and hydrotechnical seepage modeling.
• Comprehensive understanding of geotechnical investigations, instrumentation surveillance systems (e.g., piezometers, inclinometers, radar), and tailings deposition strategies.
• Practical familiarity with tailings management governance frameworks, GISTM compliance, and regulatory assurance standards.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineering staff, lead cross-functional technical teams, and partner with site operational crews across different geographic regions.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills with the capability to translate complex technical risk data into executive-level briefings.
• Valid driver's license required with the ability to operate company vehicles safely.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational and technical governance across assigned assets by providing clear technical direction to site engineering teams and technical specialists.
• Ensure full alignment of all tailings and water storage infrastructure with corporate risk standards and regulatory mandates.
• Deliver expert geotechnical oversight across the full TSF lifecycle, including site investigations, engineering design, construction quality assurance (CQA), operational surveillance, and closure planning.
• Provide technical oversight and governance for heap leach facilities and mine earthworks infrastructure.
• Champion safe and sustainable tailings management through the implementation, maintenance, and audit assurance of the Tailings Management System (TMS) and critical control frameworks.
• Conduct technical reviews and grant formal approvals for major change initiatives, engineering studies, and project deliverables.
• Support the development, benchmarking, and rollout of AngloGold Ashanti technical and operational tailings standards.
• Review and validate complex geotechnical design reports, stability analyses, and study deliverables from an owner's risk and corporate assurance perspective.
• Manage strategic relationships with external technical partners, consulting engineering firms, the Engineer of Record (EoR), and Independent Tailings Review Boards (ITRB).
• Coordinate third-party reviews and ensure technical alignment across external design entities.
• Facilitate technical working groups and maintain continuous communication with senior leadership, including the Accountable Executive, to report on facility performance, surveillance metrics, and emerging geotechnical risks.
• Present complex risk assessments and technical updates to executive leadership, regulatory bodies, and external communities.
• Identify, lead, and implement technical and operational optimization opportunities in dam safety, seepage control, instrumentation data analysis, and tailings stewardship.
• Evaluate technical and financial trade-offs to enhance constructability, operational performance, and long-term risk reduction.

Benefits

• company paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums
• flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• vacation
• paid sick leave
• paid holidays
• employer paid basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance
• wellbeing reimbursement program
• tuition reimbursement
• flexible/hybrid work schedule
• annual short-term and long-term incentive plans

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal