Short Range Engineer

ASARCO

13h

About The Position

The Short-Range Mining Engineer is responsible for developing and maintaining rolling mine plans spanning from monthly to 12-month horizons, with a focus on operational accuracy, geotechnical soundness, and production efficiency, within an open-pit copper mine that processes sulfide ore. This role translates mid-range planning objectives into detailed, executable designs that guide daily production activities. Reporting directly to the Chief Mining Engineer, the Mining Engineer works cross-functionally with Geology, Survey, Operations, and Processing Teams to generate practical bench layouts, material routing strategies, and shovel-ready instructions that support safe and continuous production. The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of mine planning systems, short-term sequencing, and field-level operational constraints, ensuring plans are both technically sound and operationally executable. Rotation and cross-training within other mine planning roles is expected.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering or related discipline
Minimum 2 years of experience in open pit mine engineering or operations
Proficient in Hexagon MinePlan 3D, including Planner or Activity Scheduler, MPSO, Haulage, and short-range design tools
Strong understanding of open pit mining operations, drill and blast practices, ore control, and material logistics
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and interface effectively with field and technical teams
Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a rolling short-range mine plan (1 to 12 months) that aligns with mid-range strategies, production goals, and operational constraints.
Design and sequence pit advances, including bench layouts, dig polygons, ore control boundaries, and blast patterns, ensuring alignment with geotechnical, operational, and safety requirements.
Design and coordinate closely with the Drill and Blast team to define burden, spacing, timing, and initiation designs that optimize fragmentation, minimize dilution, and reduce ore loss, which are executable.
Collaborate with Mine Geology to ensure accurate grade boundaries, reconciliation inputs, and material classification are incorporated into dig plans and routing instructions.
Prepare detailed material movement plans, including routing of sulfide ores to crushers and stockpiles, ensuring delivery of the correct material type and blend.
Generate shovel instructions, blast release maps, and haulage plans, and communicate these effectively to Mine Operations and Controllers.
Monitor plan execution, validate against survey pickups, and make timely adjustments for real-world conditions such as ground control issues, equipment availability, or changing priorities.
Utilize Hexagon MinePlan 3D, Activity Scheduler, and haulage tools to model, visualize, and update mine plans and track performance against targets.
Participate in daily and weekly operations meetings, reporting on short-term forecast accuracy, compliance, and corrective actions as needed.
Contribute to the monthly forecast, budget updates, and production analysis by providing data-driven updates and reconciliation support.
Work collaboratively and cross-train with Mid-Range and Long-Range Engineers to ensure planning continuity and feedback on plan execution.
Maintain clear documentation of assumptions, changes, and plan decisions for operational transparency and continuous improvement.