Principal Consultant - Open Cut
SLR Consulting · Perth
Principal Open Cut Consultant - Mining Advisory
About the Business and the Role
SLR comprises over 5,000 staff across our global regions, with 35+ Technical Disciplines covering Engineering, Environmental, Scientific and Advisory Services. In the Asia Pacific region (SLR APAC), SLR has over 1,200 employees located throughout 24 offices.
Our globally integrated Mining Advisory Group includes Geologists, Mining Engineers, Metallurgists, Geotechnical Engineers, Civil Engineers, and Environmental Scientists with extensive experience in the mining and exploration industries.
With team members in Australia, USA, Canada, Europe and Africa, SLR’s Mining Advisory Group provides advisory services to the mining sector at all stages of project development from exploration and resource evaluation through scoping, prefeasibility and feasibility studies, financing, permitting, construction, operation, and closure and rehabilitation. We provide support to major mining companies, mid-caps, junior mining and exploration companies, financial institutions, governments, law firms and individual investors on the technical and commercial aspects of mineral property development and have extensive experience in all commodities and mining areas of the world.
This role offers exposure to a diverse portfolio of mining projects across multiple commodities, including precious metals, base metals, critical minerals, industrial minerals and bulk commodities. Working with project teams across Australia, Africa, North America and emerging mining jurisdictions, you will influence major investment and development decisions from exploration through to closure. For engineers seeking broader commercial, technical and international exposure than a traditional site-based role can offer, this position provides a unique pathway into strategic mining advisory.
This position is located in SLR’s Perth office.
Job Tasks and Responsibilities
A strong focus on the following is what we are ideally looking for in contributing to the team:
Expert Delivery: Accountable for the end-to-end execution and delivery of complex technical studies.
Team Coordination: Lead, manage, and mentor multi-disciplinary teams to ensure projects are delivered to scope, on time and within budget.
Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, utilising exceptional communication skills to translate complex engineering data into actionable strategic advice.
Technical Proficiency: Maintain advanced working knowledge of industry-standard mine planning software to effectively guide the delivery of advisory projects.
Commercial Leadership and Business Development
Driving business growth and enhancing the firm's professional credibility are highly desirable aspects of this position. This role acts as a primary commercial driver, actively generating leads and securing new project pipelines to fuel sustainable business growth.
Pipeline Generation and Networking: Leverage an established, industry network and strong personal client base to identify, progress, and secure new consulting opportunities.
Client Relationship Ownership: Manage and foster client relationships. Communicate and negotiate effectively to ensure clarity around commercial issues (scope, fees, timelines, outcomes) and encourage repeat business through the consistent delivery of high-value results.
Strategic Proposal Development: Lead the end-to-end development of proposals. Craft tailored, comprehensive scopes of work that meet our client requirements, satisfy, and strategically leverage SLR’s unique technical capabilities.
Market Presence and Thought Leadership: Elevate the company’s market profile by participating in key industry forums, delivering presentations, and contributing to published technical insights.
Education and Professional Credentials
10 to 15 years of experience in a metalliferous open cut mining environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
Postgraduate qualifications (e.g., Master’s in Mining Engineering, Mineral Economics, Geotechnical Engineering, or related field) are highly desirable.
Additional study (and/or experience) in project management, risk management, business, or financial analysis.
Candidates should hold, or be eligible to attain:
Chartered Professional status.
Competent Person status under JORC and/or a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 for relevant mining domains.
Membership with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM)
Technical Skills and Experience
Extensive experience in open cut mining engineering, covering key areas such as:
Pit optimisation
Mine design
Slope stability
Mine scheduling and production planning
Fleet estimation
Equipment selection and mining method optimisation
Estimation of capital and operating costs
Financial modelling
Operational improvement
Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to the development of:
Short-term (3 month), medium-term (annual budget to 5 year) and long-term (life of mine) plans.
Scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.
Independent technical reviews.
Operational improvement projects.
Demonstrated ability to communicate study outcomes through the preparation of detailed reports and/or through the delivery of stakeholder presentations.
Ability to identify and rank risks, evaluate project economics, and develop practical improvement recommendations.
Strong understanding of the full mining value chain, from geology and resource development through mining operations and onto mine closure.
Experience preparing Statements of Ore Reserves.
Broad exposure to environmental, social and governance issues as they relate to mining projects.
Experience working in or evaluating projects across different countries, mining jurisdictions, and regulatory environments.
Software
Advanced knowledge of the following software products:
Pit Optimisation: Whittle, Deswik.Pseudoflow
Mine Design: Deswik.CAD, Surpac, Vulcan
Scheduling: Deswik.Sched, RPM MinePlanner, Spry
Enterprise Optimisation: Deswik.GO, Minemax, RPM Enterprise Optimiser
Our Benefits
We are proud of our unique culture, where we work together to collaborate on projects to get the best possible outcome for our clients. Whether you’re working in the office, from home or a mix of the two, we recognise that every person is different, and our benefits aim to ensure that we cater for all.
You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits, here.
Next Steps
We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. Please note that interviews are conducted with gender diverse interview panels to the best of our ability. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.
Unsolicited resumes from recruitment consultants will not be accepted. You must be part of the preferred supplier agreement list which is coordinated through our Talent Acquisition team.