Contract Open Pit Mining Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

About the role

ITASCA North America is seeking a Principal Geomechanics/Mining Engineer to provide technical leadership, grow client relationships, mentor engineers, and strengthen our mining geomechanics practice across the U.S. and North America.

This role is suited for a senior mining, geotechnical, or rock mechanics professional with strong technical credibility, practical engineering judgment, and experience leading complex mining projects. Open pit experience is preferred, particularly in slope stability, pit slope design, rock mass characterization, structural geology, monitoring, risk assessment, and operational support.

As a Principal Engineer, you will help clients solve practical mining challenges by combining field-informed judgment, practical geomechanics expertise, and advanced analysis. You will be expected to guide, interpret, critically review, challenge, and clearly explain the outcome of technical work combined with numerical model results so clients can make sound decisions.

Why this role matters

Geomechanics decisions directly influence mine safety, design, productivity, risk, and long-term performance.

As a Principal Geomechanics/Mining Engineer, you will help clients understand ground behavior, evaluate uncertainty, and make practical decisions about open pit slope design, mine planning, monitoring, operations, risk management, and closure.

You will also play an important role in growing ITASCA North America’s mining practice by building trusted client relationships, identifying opportunities, mentoring staff, guiding project teams, and connecting ITASCA’s geomechanics, hydrogeology, engineering geology, and numerical modeling capabilities into stronger solutions for clients.

What you’ll do

• Provide senior technical leadership on mining geomechanics and rock mechanics projects, with a preferred focus on open pit mining.
• Lead and review work involving slope stability, pit slope design, rock mass characterization, structural geology, geotechnical domains, monitoring, operational support, and risk assessment.
• Guide and review advanced numerical modeling, including assumptions, uncertainty, limitations, and implications for client decisions.
• Translate complex geomechanical information into practical recommendations for mine planning, design, operations, risk management, and closure.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and senior client contact.
• Develop client relationships, identify opportunities, and lead proposals, scopes, budgets, schedules, and project strategy.
• Mentor engineers and support high-quality project delivery through review, coaching, and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with ITASCA specialists in geomechanics, hydrogeology, engineering geology, geochemistry, data science, and software development.
• Support marketing of consulting services and ITASCA software through client engagement, conferences, technical papers, and industry participation.

What you bring

Required

• Master’s degree in mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, geological engineering, civil engineering, geomechanics, geophysics, or a related field.
• 15+ years of relevant post-graduate experience.
• Proven technical excellence and sound engineering judgment in mining geomechanics, rock mechanics, or geotechnical engineering.
• Strong experience with open pit geomechanics, slope stability, pit slope design, rock mass characterization, monitoring, and mine operational support.
• Ability to guide, review, and interpret advanced numerical modeling.
• Experience leading, managing, and reviewing complex technical projects.
• Experience mentoring engineers and contributing to business development.
• Authorization to work in the United States. ITASCA may be willing to facilitate work visa requirements under certain circumstances.

Strongly valued

• Practical mining operations experience in open pit and/or underground environments.
• Established client relationships in the mining sector.
• Experience developing and winning consulting work.
• Experience with ITASCA software, such as FLAC3D, 3DEC, UDEC, PFC, or related numerical modeling tools.
• Experience integrating geomechanics with hydrogeology, structural geology, mine planning, monitoring data, and operational constraints.
• Recognition in the mining geomechanics community through publications, conferences, committees, or industry engagement.

Why ITASCA

For more than 45 years, ITASCA has helped clients solve complex geomechanics, hydrogeology, and engineering geology challenges through technical depth, practical judgment, and innovation.

At ITASCA, you will work on challenging projects where standard approaches are often not enough. Our work combines field experience, engineering interpretation, advanced analysis, and state-of-the-art ITASCA software to help clients make better decisions.

We are a collaborative, collegial, employee-owned company where technical excellence, curiosity, mentorship, mutual respect, and shared success matter. This is a place for senior professionals who want meaningful influence with clients, colleagues, and the direction of a growing North American consulting practice.

Location and travel

This is a full-time position based in the United States. Preferred locations are Denver/Lakewood, Colorado, or Minneapolis, Minnesota, but other U.S. locations, including hybrid/remote work options, may be considered for the right candidate.

Travel will be expected for client meetings, site visits, conferences, business development, and internal collaboration.

ITASCA may provide employment-based visa sponsorship (e.g. H1-B, L-1, TN, etc.) for this role, subject to business needs, candidate qualifications, and immigration regulations.

Compensation and benefits

We value your contributions and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Performance bonuses, including cash and company stock
• Health, dental, and vision benefits for you and your family
• Generous paid time off from day one
• Paid holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid parental leave
• Company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance

The anticipated salary range is $150,000-$200,000. Final compensation will depend on experience and qualifications.

ITASCA is an equal opportunity employer, a drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.