Key Responsibilities

Drive a strategy related to the challenges and potential innovations and solutions in mining:

• Apply sound scientific knowledge in problem solving and synthesising solutions using mining domain knowledge, e.g. Mining rock engineering, rock science, mining processes, mine value chain;
• Actively scan cutting edge technologies in and outside mining sector to solve critical, primarily mining and rock engineering issues;
• Re-imagine solutions to support the mining industry using this technology, primarily to solve geophysics problems;
• Drive multidisciplinary teams to build and implement solutions across various technology readiness scales proof of concept through to commercial product;
• Translate mining business challenges into technical solutions;

Apply project management and business processes and applications to develop business problems into technical solutions:

• Define program, scope and objectives, deliverables, schedule, financial risk, resource, interdependency, and integration management;
• Ensure projects are managed in an integrated way;
• Develop and implement governance systems to manage and deliver on the rock engineering portfolio of projects;

Lead And Develop The Rock Engineering Technical Discipline

• Grow the rock engineering capability within the cluster;
• Lead and disseminate technical knowledge and expertise related to the mining value chain, including mentorship of CSIR staff;

Business Development

• Drive business growth
• Develop and manage a balanced Research;
• Development and Innovation projects pipeline/ programme to deliver impact to the industry;
• Maintain awareness of business development opportunities for CSIR wide customer base, where relevant refer opportunities to relevant Clusters and Divisions;

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and facilitate national and international stakeholder network to broaden and deepen mining opportunities;
• Engage stakeholders to continuously assess mining related challenges and potential opportunities;
• Drive partnerships with key strategic stakeholders to promote RDI programmes;
• Participate in technical industry bodies, particularly in mining, e.g. SAIMM, SANIRE;

Human Capital

• Develop and manage an HR and succession plan that will ensure that the relevant rock engineering skills are developed;
• Assist with growing of the rock engineering mining capability within the cluster;
• Mentor and supervise junior researchers/ engineers;

Financial sustainability

• Drive business growth for the mining and mineral resources group and manage a projects pipeline to deliver contract RDI income from external clients as per the financial KPI’s;
• Submit proposals for grant and private sector funding;
• Implement cost containment measures to avoid an operating loss;
• Achieve a clean financial audit.

Qualifications, skills and experience;

• A Master’s degree in specializing in rock engineering with at least eight years’ experience in underground mining operations with one of the following commodities, gold , or platinum, as a rock engineer;
• During the above eight years’ experience, at least five years’ experience should be in:
  • Leadership solving mining and other related challenges with a focus on rock support and the application of geotechnical tools;
  • Establishing and maintaining links with internal and external stakeholders and clients, as well as the research community;
  • Mining extraction processes (drill, blast & hauling);
  • Mining design software or numerical modelling related software;
  • Rock engineering problem solving;
  • Setting rock engineering standards;
  • Design of rock engineering projects and reports;
• A Doctoral degree in rock engineering/ mining engineering or related with a COM Rock Engineering certificate would be advantageous;
• Must be registered with the SANIRE/ ECSA or qualified to register with SANIRE/ ECSA;
• Knowledge of Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA);
• Ability to lead innovation and technology adoption in the mining industry;
• Ability to innovate and generate new knowledge;
• Ability to work independently, as well as in a team;
• Problem-solving and solution-seeking orientation;
• Financial / Business acumen;
• Good interpersonal and team skills;
• Project management skills;
• Applied research skills;
• Excellent English communication, presentation and writing skills, including the publication of technical outputs.

Closing Date: 14th, July 2022