THE ROLE
The Underground Mine Superintendent is responsible for governing and directing contractor-executed underground mining operations to ensure safe, efficient and cost-effective delivery in alignment with approved mine plans and production targets.
The role provides operational leadership and governance over contractor-executed mining activities, ensuring compliance with Company standards, statutory requirements and approved technical designs.
The position ensures that development and production activities in a long-hole open stoping (LHOS) environment are delivered safely, consistently and in accordance with budget, schedule and quality expectations.
The role ensures operational discipline, contractual accountability and alignment between contractor execution and Company technical standards.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Operational Governance & Production Delivery
- Direct and oversee contractor-executed underground mining activities to ensure delivery of approved development and production schedules.
- Ensure that all contractor activities are executed in strict alignment with approved short- and medium-term mine plans.
- Monitor production performance against development metres, tonnes, dilution and cost targets, and require corrective action where deviations occur.
- Maintain a strong underground presence to verify execution quality, adherence to sequencing and operational discipline.
- Ensure that backfilling (CRF), stope extraction and development activities are sequenced and executed in accordance with approved technical designs.
Contractor Performance & Compliance Governance
- Manage mining contractor performance to ensure delivery against contractual KPIs, production schedules and safety standards.
- Conduct regular underground inspections to verify compliance with approved mine designs and operational standards.
- Enforce adherence to Company HSE requirements and regulatory obligations.
- Monitor contractor workforce capability, supervision effectiveness and equipment availability.
- Address underperformance through structured engagement, corrective action plans and performance reviews.
- Ensure contractor activities do not compromise geotechnical stability, ventilation requirements or dilution control.
- Escalate material contractor underperformance, safety risks or production deviations through established site governance and reporting structures.
Safety, Risk & Operational Control
- Champion visible safety leadership and ensure proactive hazard identification and risk mitigation underground.
- Ensure contractor compliance with all statutory mining, health, safety and environmental obligations.
- Enforce Company safety standards and operational procedures underground.
- Lead investigations into safety incidents and require the implementation of corrective measures.
- Maintain strong operational risk control and emergency preparedness across all underground activities.
Integration with Technical Services
- Ensure contractor execution aligns with approved drill and blast designs, ground support specifications, ventilation constraints and survey controls.
- Coordinate closely with Technical Services to resolve design-execution interface issues.
- Require adherence to approved stope sequencing and extraction strategies.
- Provide structured operational feedback to Planning, Geotechnical, Ventilation and Drill & Blast teams to support continuous improvement.
- Support reconciliation processes and enforce corrective actions for dilution, plan deviations or non-compliant execution.
Cost & Performance Control
- Monitor contractor cost drivers including productivity rates, equipment utilisation, consumables usage and operational efficiency.
- Ensure performance aligns with approved budget assumptions and financial forecasts.
- Identify operational inefficiencies and drive structured corrective improvements.
- Contribute to operational budget preparation, tracking and variance management.
Leadership & Site Governance
- Provide strong visible leadership underground to reinforce accountability, operational discipline and safety standards across contractor-executed activities.
- Engage directly with contractor supervisory teams to drive compliance with Company standards and operational expectations.
- Provide mentorship, coaching and capability development to national employees to build sustainable underground operational competence.
- Promote a performance-driven culture aligned with Company values and governance expectations.
- Uphold Company standards and ensure operational consistency across all underground activities.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering or equivalent underground operational experience.
- Minimum 10 years’ underground mining experience, with at least 5 years in a senior supervisory or superintendent capacity.
- Demonstrated experience in long-hole open stoping (LHOS) operations.
- Proven experience operating within contractor-executed underground mining environments.
- Demonstrated track record of managing contractor performance against safety, production and cost targets.
- Experience in underground mine development and production ramp-up phases is advantageous.
Technical & Operational Competence
- Strong understanding of mechanised underground mining methods, sequencing and production risk management.
- Ability to interpret and enforce compliance with approved mine plans, drill and blast designs and ground support specifications.
- Working knowledge of ventilation constraints, geotechnical controls and backfill integration in underground operations.
- Strong understanding of dilution control principles and reconciliation drivers.
- Ability to analyse production data, KPIs and operational performance metrics.
- Sound knowledge of underground safety systems, hazard management and statutory compliance requirements.
Contractor Governance & Commercial Awareness
- Demonstrated capability to manage and enforce contractor performance against contractual obligations.
- Strong understanding of underground mining contract structures, KPIs and performance metrics.
- Ability to identify operational inefficiencies and implement structured corrective measures.
- Commercial awareness of underground mining cost drivers including productivity, equipment utilisation and consumables usage.
Professional Competencies
- Strong leadership and decision-making capability in high-pressure underground environments.
- High safety awareness and governance mindset.
- Ability to engage constructively but firmly with contractor leadership teams.
- Effective cross-functional communication skills with Technical Services and site management.
- Strong commitment to mentorship and development of national employees.
- High level of accountability, discipline and operational presence underground.