Chief Geoscientist - Tailings, Crushed Leach and Water (TCLW)

Phoenix, Arizona, US
Competitive
Feb 02, 2023
Feb 10, 2023
105063
Permanent
Full Time
English
Freeport-McMoRan is a leading international mining company with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. We operate large, long-lived, geographically diverse assets with significant proven and probable reserves of copper, gold, and molybdenum. The company has a dynamic portfolio of operating, expansion and growth projects in the copper industry. Freeport-McMoRan is one of the world's largest publicly traded copper producers, the world's largest producer of molybdenum and a significant gold producer. We have a long and successful history of conducting our business in a safe, highly efficient and socially-responsible manner.

We have the assets, the talent, the drive and the financial strength to provide attractive and rewarding careers of our employees. We encourage you to take the time to explore the opportunity to advance your career at Freeport-McMoRan.

Please note: This position has the possibility to work remotely up to 100% of the time. The position will require occasional travel to the Phoenix corporate offices and/or site locations . This position may be performed anywhere in the U.S. except California, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and New York. Additional states may be excluded from remote work based on business factors. Should the positions shift to in-office work in the future, the company will offer relocation benefits at that time should the position meet the established eligibility for these benefits.

This in-person position is performed onsite at Freeport-McMoRan's corporate office in Phoenix, Arizona. In accordance with Freeport-McMoRan's requirement for all employees who are working or attending a meeting onsite at the corporate office, if you are hired you will be required to submit proof that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to entry, unless the company has granted a medical or religious accommodation.

Description

Supervise, provide guidance, mentorship, leadership and technical expertise; organize resources, and evaluate performance relative to established systems. Provide subject matter expertise in a relevant discipline to support and continuously improve the framework for sustaining stewardship, stability, and risk management for FCX tailings, crushed leach and/or water dams. Serve as resource for Geotechnical and Hydrological information and analysis.
  • Supervise, provide guidance and participate in activities to maintain performance of tailings, crushed leach, and water dam facilities through inspection, measurement, data management, interpretation, analysis, coordination, problem solving and reporting.
  • Review, improve and apply tailings, crushed leach, and water management systems to achieve good practice.
  • Provide guidance and instruction to multidisciplinary teams; assign tasks as necessary. Review reports for design and operations projects and provide recommendations to site team and to project consultants. Facilitate interaction with other functional areas/disciplines.
  • Collaborate to continuously ensure good performance of tailings, crushed leach, and water management areas and to identify and implement associated improvements. This includes engaging the Engineer of Record in the design and operations of TSF, CL and WD facilities. Serve as point of contact with corporate engineers and management, including tracking all recommendations, ensuring compliance with those recommendations, reporting actions regularly, as well as communicate accurate, timely and relevant information to the Site management team.
  • Supervise or may serve as Project Manager or technical expert on large/complex site planning/construction, expansion or modifications.
  • Contribute to annual operational and sustaining capital budget preparation by supplying costs and recommendations. Manage appropriate budgets for consulting and other services such as drilling and construction contractors.
  • Develop and/or review scopes of work, evaluate proposals, draft formalized internal requests for funding, and administer contracts with vendors for the provision of services and equipment as approved and required.
  • Identify opportunities for improvements and determine associated value for risk reduction measures.
  • Perform other duties as required.


Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

This position requires air travel. In accordance with Freeport-McMoRan's requirement for all employees whose job requires travel by air, if you are hired you will be required to submit proof that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to travel by air, unless the company has granted a medical or religious accommodation
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant Scientific discipline with seven (7) years of experience in applicable field of expertise, OR
  • Master's degree in a relevant Scientific discipline with five (5) years of experience in Engineering or related scientific field
  • Knowledge of principles and practice of Civil, Geotechnical, Water Resources, Water Quality/Treatment, Hydrogeology, Geochemistry, and/or Geological Engineering
  • Demonstrated technical competence through design and/or operations experience in at least one of the following work areas: tailings storage, leach stockpiles, water dams, process water balance, reclamation and closure planning
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing in English to a diversely educated audience
  • Proficient in MS Office and other Engineering tools (CAD, analytical, mapping)
  • Present a positive, professional image
  • Self-motivated, energetic, able to execute, and client-service oriented
  • Be able to prioritize tasks and work well under pressure
  • Ability to develop and maintain awareness of occupational hazards and safety of yourself and others
  • Skilled in following safety practices and recognizing hazards


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master's degree in Hydrogeology or related Scientific discipline
  • Professional Geologist, Professional Engineer or equivalent relevant certification or licensure
  • Experience with metal mining operations, especially with tailings storage facility (dam), water dams and/or crushed leach stockpile design and operations
  • Experience with geotechnical or hydrogeological field investigation programs, lab testing, site characterization, monitoring programs, data management, and analysis
  • Experience reviewing and editing relevant technical analysis and design reports and documents for a variety of applications
  • Experience in surface water hydrology, hydraulics, and groundwater hydrology in addition to geotechnical experience
  • Able to research and analyze information of relatively small scope and minimal difficulty and draw valid conclusions
  • Able to evaluate and implement new methods and techniques in design projects and operational support
  • Superior interpersonal as well as written and oral communication skills with diverse teams of technical and non-technical staff
  • Skilled in related Engineering software (AutoCAD/Civil 3D, ArcGIS, GoldSim), programming languages
  • Fluency in Spanish or Bahasa Indonesian languages


Criteria/Conditions:
  • Ability and willingness to travel domestic / international
  • Ability and willingness to travel at least five (5) weeks for every quarter
  • Personal protective equipment is required when performing work in a mine, outdoor, manufacturing or plant environment, including hard hat, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety footwear, and as needed, respirator, rubber steel-toe boots, protective clothing, gloves and any other protective equipment as required.
  • Freeport-McMoRan promotes a drug/alcohol-free work environment through the use of mandatory pre-employment drug testing and on-going random drug testing as allowed by applicable state laws


Freeport-McMoRan has reviewed the jobs at its various office and operating sites and determined that many of these jobs require employees to perform essential job functions that pose a direct threat to the safety or health of the employees performing these tasks or others. Accordingly, the Company has designated the following positions as safety-sensitive:
  • Site-based positions, or positions which require unescorted access to site-based operational areas, which are held by employees who are required to receive MSHA, OSHA, DOT, HAZWOPER and/or Hazard Recognition Training; or
  • Positions which are held by employees who operate equipment, machinery or motor vehicles in furtherance of performing the essential functions of their job duties, including operating motor vehicles while on Company business or travel (for this purpose "motor vehicles" includes Company owned or leased motor vehicles and personal vehicles used by employees in furtherance of Company business or while on Company travel); or
  • Positions which Freeport-McMoRan has designated as safety sensitive positions in the applicable job or position description and which upon further review continue to be designated as safety-sensitive based on an individualized assessment of the actual duties performed by a specifically identified employee.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veteran/Disability

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