Key tasks

• Strategic decision making and business planning
• Overseeing production and business operations
• Setting short- and long-term goals, targets and objectives
• Communicating across technical and non-technical departments
• Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for all employees and stakeholders
• Representing the organisation in external stakeholder meetings and negotiations

Skills and attributes

• Prioritising and delegating tasks
• Exceptional communication skills
• Understanding of business strategy and practice
• Ability to motivate and lead a team of highly skilled people

A typical day

• Mining managers undertake various activities including meetings with teams (either on or off-site), building relationships with key stakeholders, presenting at events and defining business plans.

Role types

• Mine Manager: Responsible for planning, budgeting, staffing and profitability of a mining operation. From a legal and ethical standpoint, the first duty of a mine manager is to provide a safe and healthy work environment.
• General Manager – Operations: The ultimate responsible person to all stakeholders of the site or facility, the mine manager (outlined above) would be a direct report along with other department managers.
• Chief Executive Officer: Plan, organise, direct and control through their managers and employees. They formulate policies that establish the company direction either alone or with other members of a board of directors.
• Technical Specialist: Expert and leader in one field of study, operating individually or in a multi-disciplined team.
• Study Manager: A technical specialist with significant experience with many roles in industry or post graduate study. Studies range from specific business improvement initiatives to multi-disciplined feasibility studies.

Nature of work

• Management roles could be located at head office or a regional centre and working Monday-Friday, or it could be fly in, fly out (FIFO) rosters to remote locations

Travel

• A career in management can offer significant opportunities for travel