Principal Consultant – Mining Advisory (Underground)
About the business and the role
SLR comprises over 4,500 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 1,000 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.
The position is a key technical and advisory role dedicated to bringing professional credibility and delivering high-value consulting projects across the mining lifecycle. Operating as part of a high-performing Mining Advisory team, this position provides expert, commercially relevant guidance on strategic assignments across diverse commodities, mining methods, and global jurisdictions. Key deliverables include feasibility studies, independent technical reviews, due diligence, operational improvements, and public reporting (e.g., Independent Technical Expert Reports, Competent Person Reports, Ore Reserve Statements).
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 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 and scheduling software (e.g., Deswik, Vulcan, Spry, MinePlanner) to effectively guide the delivery of advisory projects.
- Business Development & Market Leadership: The Principal Consultant – Underground actively generates leads and secures new project pipelines, particularly in the technical studies space.
Lead and Deliver High-Value Mining Advisory Projects
- Manage and execute strategic advisory assignments, including feasibility studies, independent technical reviews, due diligence projects, operational improvement programs, and public reporting engagements.
- Ensure work meets the necessary technical, commercial, and regulatory standards, including compliance with reporting codes (JORC, NI 43-101, SAMREC, etc.).
- Be responsible for the timely delivery of high-quality and innovative project outcomes that meet both the agreed scope of work, as well as the client’s needs and budget.
- Manage project commercials, such as project cost control and invoicing.
Provide Senior Technical Expertise Across Mining Disciplines
- Apply broad experience across multiple commodities, mining methods, and international jurisdictions to deliver credible, insightful, and commercially relevant advice.
- Act as a technical expert, offering guidance, peer review, and expert judgement on complex issues.
Manage Multi-Disciplinary Project Teams
- As a project manager, lead, coordinate, and mentor multi-disciplinary project teams to deliver integrated project outcomes.
- Oversee project planning, budgeting, scheduling, and risk management to ensure delivery on time and on budget.
- Lead the development and consolidation of project reports.
Commercial Leadership & Business Development
Driving business growth and bringing professional credibility to the firm are highly desirable aspects of this position. The Principal Consultant – Underground acts as a primary commercial driver, actively generating leads and securing new project pipelines to fuel sustainable growth.
- Pipeline Generation & Networking: Leverage an established, industry network and strong personal client base to identify, progress, and secure new consulting opportunities.
- Client Relationship Ownership: Act as the primary "relationship owner" for key projects and client initiatives. Communicate and negotiate effectively to ensure clarity around sensitive issues (scope, fees, timelines, outcomes) and foster repeat business through the consistent delivery of high-value results.
- Strategic Proposal Development: Lead the end-to-end development of winning proposals. Craft tailored, comprehensive scopes of work that view projects from the client’s perspective, satisfy regulatory requirements, and strategically capitalise on SLR’s unique technical capabilities.
- Market Presence & Thought Leadership: Elevate the company’s market profile by participating in key industry forums, delivering presentations, and contributing to published technical insights.
- Commercial Innovation: Actively participate in diversification, innovation, and go-to-market initiatives, ensuring that personal and team marketing materials (e.g., CVs, capability statements) remain updated and competitive.
Skills and experience
Education & Professional Credentials
Education and Professional Certifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
- Experience in underground mining and underground planning
- Postgraduate qualifications (e.g., Master’s in Mining Engineering, Mineral Economics, Geotechnical Engineering, or related field) are highly desirable and strengthen technical and commercial credibility.
- Additional study (and/or experience) in project management, risk management, business, or financial analysis is advantageous for strategic advisory work.
- Chartered Professional status (e.g., AusIMM CP) or equivalent is strongly preferred (or the relevant experience to gain this within 3 months of joining).
- Eligibility to act as a Competent Person 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 (+15 years) in mining engineering, covering key areas such as:
- Pit Limit Optimisation and/or MSO (stope optimisation)
- Mine design (open pit and/or underground)
- Mine scheduling and production planning
- First principles fleet estimation and costing buildup for a mining project (to delivery to the ROM/waste dump)
- Equipment selection and mining method optimisation
- Mining cost estimation, capital/operating cost modelling
- Productivity and operational performance improvement
- Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to:
- Scoping, Pre Feasibility, Feasibility, and Due Diligence Studies
- Independent Technical Reviews (banks, investors, lenders)
- Operational improvement projects across multiple sites or commodities
- Ability to learn new software and processes quickly and then be able to train and support others
- Ability to identify and rank material technical risks, evaluate project economics, and develop practical improvement recommendations.
- Strong understanding of the full mining value chain, from geology and resource development through to extraction, processing, logistics, and closure, in order to identify where clients can add value in mining projects.
- Strong understanding of economics and discounted cashflow modelling principles
- Experience preparing or reviewing public reporting deliverables, including:
- Independent Technical Expert Reports (ITERs)
- Competent Person or Qualified Person contributions
- Ore Reserve statements and modifying factor assessments
- Broad exposure to multiple commodities (e.g., precious metals, iron ore, base metals, critical minerals, industrial minerals).
- Experience in approvals and EIS studies viewed favourably.
- Understanding of concepts of AMD and tailings management (e.g. storage within integrated waste landforms) is viewed favourably
- Experience working in or evaluating projects across different countries, mining jurisdictions, and regulatory environments.
- Strong understanding of global mining codes and standards, including JORC, NI 43‑101, PERC, SAMREC, and related guidelines.
Software
- Technical oversight is a core requirement of the role. While you will project manage technical consultants running software on a day-to-day basis, you must possess the ability to confidently navigate these packages, direct modelling strategies, and critically audit generated results.
- Advanced knowledge of the following is highly advantageous (though on-the-job training is available if core concepts are mastered):
- Excel (advanced)
- Pit Optimisation: Whittle, Deswik Pseudoflow, MSO (in Vulcan or Deswik etc)
- Deswik.CAD, Surpac, Vulcan
- Includes block modelling understanding (such as ROM model generation) and mine designs skills (pits, dumps roads)
- Scheduling: Deswik Sched (IS, Blend, LHS; Nova), RPM’s MinePlanner, Spry,
- Enterprise Optimisation: Deswik.GO, Minemax, RPM Enterprise Optimiser
- Python (ideally)
- Excel Macros/Visual Basic (ideally)
- Openness to using AI as tools develop
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 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.
