POSITION OVERVIEW

The Chief Surveyor leads all mine surveying activities supporting safe, compliant, and efficient open-pit operations at the mine. The role provides critical survey control, data analysis, and documentation to support mine planning, production, and earthworks, while ensuring design compliance and data integrity. The Chief Surveyor manages the survey team, oversees survey-related projects, and partners closely with Engineering and Operations to drive accuracy, efficiency, and continuous improvement across pit, dump, road, and stockpile development.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Safety & Compliance: Ensure all surveying activities comply with Mine policies, MSHA regulations, and applicable safety standards. Verify employees and contractors are properly trained and certified to perform assigned work.
• Survey Operations & Control: Lead and execute mine and dump surveying activities to provide accurate control, layout, and documentation supporting mining operations, roadways, benches, stockpiles, and earthmoving activities.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Analyze survey data and prepare accurate daily, monthly, and annual survey reports, including material movement, volumetric calculations, and mine progress updates.
• Mine Plan Compliance: Monitor and report pit, dump, and roadway compliance against mine designs. Communicate deviations and corrective actions to Mine Engineering and Planning teams.
• Volume Measurement & Reconciliation: Survey and calculate volumes of ore, waste, overburden, and spoil piles to support mine reconciliation, planning, and reporting requirements.
• Drafting & Modeling: Develop, review, and maintain survey drawings, surfaces, and models using approved surveying and mine planning software. Direct drafting activities as required.
• Team Leadership & Supervision: Lead, mentor, and supervise survey technicians and crew members, ensuring effective use of electronic surveying equipment and adherence to quality and safety standards.
• Planning Support: Provide survey input to short- and long-term mine planning, including pit expansions, road networks, dumps, and stockpile layouts.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Coordinate surveying services across Mine Operations, Engineering, Planning, Mill, Environmental, Hydrology, Operations Support, special projects, and external contract surveyors.
• Project Management: Scope, plan, and manage mine and waste dump surveying projects, including progress tracking and reporting for earthmoving and infrastructure initiatives.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement efficiency improvements related to road design, pit layouts, stockpiles, and dump configurations to enhance operational performance.
• Budget & Administration: Develop and manage the surveying budget, approve timesheets, track vacation records, and procure required surveying equipment and supplies.
• Field Execution: Perform regular field surveys to support pit operations, dump development, and special projects as required.
• Values & Accountability: Demonstrate the company's values of accountability, excellence, results delivery, and responsible work in all interactions and decisions.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Surveying or equivalent combination of education and experience, preferably in open-pit mining
• Minimum 4 years of professional surveying experience
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience managing survey crews
• Strong understanding of drill–blast–load–haul open-pit mining sequences
• Proficient with surveying and mine software (AutoCAD required; Maptek iSite, Vulcan, and Propeller preferred)
• Experience with surface and volumetric calculations using surveying software
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook)
• Valid Arizona Driver’s License
• Ability to speak, read, write, and comprehend English 

Preferred

• Open-pit mining survey experience
• Experience supporting mine planning, dump design, and earthworks projects
• Familiarity with mine reconciliation and production reporting processes
• Experience coordinating contract surveyors and multi-department survey requests