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Mine Planning Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Golden Queen Mining

Senior Mine Planning Engineer

Mojave, CA

$125.80K - $172.80K/yr

You have five or more years' experience in mine planning in a large open cut mining environment or complex poly-metallic value chain. You enjoy working in cross-functional and multi-disciplinary ...

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$56.5K

$97.8K

$168.5K

How much do mine planning jobs pay per year?

As of May 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for mine planning in the United States is $97,771.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $74,500.00 and $112,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Mine Planning job?

A Mine Planning job involves designing and optimizing the extraction of mineral resources to maximize efficiency, safety, and profitability. Professionals in this role develop short-term and long-term plans, considering factors such as geology, equipment, costs, and environmental impact. They use specialized software and data analysis to create detailed models and schedules for mining operations. Mine planners collaborate with engineers, geologists, and operations teams to ensure sustainable and efficient resource extraction.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Mine Planning position, and why are they important?

To excel in Mine Planning, a strong background in mining engineering, geology, and resource estimation, typically with a degree in a relevant field, is required. Expertise in mine planning software (such as Surpac, MineSight, or Datamine), CAD tools, and knowledge of safety and regulatory standards are vital for technical success. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and effective communication enable collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and management. These capabilities ensure the creation of safe, efficient, and cost-effective mine plans critical to a mining operation’s profitability and safety.

What are the typical daily tasks and responsibilities of someone working in Mine Planning?

As a Mine Planning professional, your daily tasks typically involve developing and updating short- and long-term mine plans, analyzing geological data, and optimizing extraction methods for maximum efficiency and safety. You'll collaborate closely with geologists, mining engineers, and production teams to coordinate schedules and resources. Regular responsibilities also include reviewing operational data, ensuring compliance with environmental and safety regulations, and supporting budgeting and forecasting activities. This role balances time in the office using specialized software with occasional site visits to ensure plans are practical and achievable in the field.
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What cities are hiring for Mine Planning jobs? Cities with the most Mine Planning job openings:
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Mine Planning jobs near you
Infographic showing various Mine Planning job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 97% Full Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 25% Physical, and 75% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $97,771 per year, or $47 per hour.
Principal Mine Planning Engineer

Principal Mine Planning Engineer

Compass Minerals

Franklin, LA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago

Compass Minerals rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 9 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 29 rated mining

Job description

We invite you to Explore the Potential of being part of something Clearly Essential!
Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP) is a leading global provider of essential minerals focused on safely delivering where and when it matters to help solve nature's challenges for customers and communities. The company's salt products help keep roadways safe during winter weather and are used in numerous other consumer, industrial, chemical and agricultural applications. Its plant nutrition products help improve the quality and yield of crops while supporting sustainable agriculture. Compass Minerals operates 11 production and packaging facilities with more than 1,800 employees throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Visit compassminerals.com for more information about the company and its products.
Summary: The Principal Mine Planning Engineer is the senior technical authority for underground mine planning, responsible for the integrity, optimization, and execution-readiness of short-term, mid-range, and life-of-mine plans.
This role provides strategic and operational leadership for a large underground mining operation, ensuring mine plans are safe, practical, compliant, and aligned with production, safety, and business objectives. The position leads multidisciplinary planning teams, integrates technical disciplines, and serves as the primary interface between strategic planning and day-to-day execution.
Essential Job Functions: Included but not limited to the following:
(Management reserves the right to add or modify the duties and responsibilities at any time.)
  • Serve as the senior technical authority for underground mine planning, providing independent expert judgment, technical direction, and assurance for short-term, mid-range, and life-of-mine plans.
  • Lead and mentor engineers, surveyors, technicians, interns, and technical contractors in the development and execution of mine plans and planning strategies.
  • Develop, optimize, and technically govern mine plans that integrate geology, geotechnical conditions, ventilation, utilities, equipment capabilities, and operational constraints.
  • Direct and technically govern mine design activities, including development layouts, sequencing, pillar design, and supporting infrastructure.
  • Provide technical oversight of underground utilities and systems-including ventilation, atmospheric monitoring, power, water, compressed air, and communications-to ensure regulatory compliance, safety, and execution feasibility.
  • Convert strategic and long-range mine plans into actionable, clearly sequenced execution plans that operations can reliably implement.
  • Serve as the primary interface between mine planning and execution, ensuring plans are clearly communicated, understood, and executable by operations and frontline leadership.
  • Facilitate technical syndication of mine plans across operations, maintenance, safety, leadership, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment, feasibility, and shared ownership.
  • Facilitate and participate in technical reviews, planning forums, and execution-readiness discussions to proactively identify risks, conflicts, and constraints prior to implementation.
  • Apply advanced analytics, scenario modeling, and trade-off studies to optimize mine design, sequencing, production rates, recovery and capital efficiency.
  • Support ground control inspection, monitoring, and risk mitigation programs in collaboration with geotechnical teams.
  • Support exploration programs, including drilling, seismic activities, and geologic modeling; contribute to mineral resource and reserve estimation and validation.
  • Assess plan performance through reconciliation and variance analysis; integrate lessons learned and operational feedback into continuous plan improvement.
  • Create and sustain high-quality planning deliverables, including schedules, layouts, models, and technical documentation that clearly articulate design intent and assumptions.
  • Guide production scheduling and mine services planning while driving continuous improvement in planning processes.
  • Identify, assess, and escalate planning-driven risks and constraints that may impact safety, production, schedule, or capital outcomes; lead mitigation planning in collaboration with stakeholders.
  • Lead or contribute to capital projects related to underground development and infrastructure upgrades.
  • Act as a key contributor to annual budgeting, forecasting, long-range capital planning, and resource and reserve reporting.
  • Enforce compliance with safety standards, regulatory requirements, and company engineering practices while optimizing operational and economic outcomes.

Minimum Required Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Education and Experience:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Mining Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Geology, or a related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • 10 years of progressive experience in underground mining operations with increasing technical responsibility.
  • Demonstrated expertise in short-term, mid-range, and life-of-mine planning for underground operations.
  • Demonstrated advanced proficiency in mine planning tools and methodologies, with emphasis on planning quality and design support rather than software operation alone.
  • Proficiency in mine planning, surveying, AutoCAD, ventilation modeling, and related software (e.g., Deswik, Maptek, Leica Geosystems, GPS, VnetPC, Ventsim, and AggFlow).
  • Strong data literacy; experience querying databases and building dashboards and analytics in Power BI.

Preferred:
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license.
  • Experience managing and/or mentoring technical teams.
  • Experience managing a salaried and hourly workforce.
  • Experience working in unionized environments.

Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Ability to walk up to 2 miles over uneven underground and surface terrain.
  • Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, climb ladders, and crawl in confined or restricted spaces.
  • Ability to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds routinely and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
  • Vision abilities include close vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
  • Periodic work in hoists, shafts, and underground mine environments involving close-quarters conditions, limited clearance, vertical access, and exposure to hot, humid, dusty, and noisy conditions.
  • Perform indoor and outdoor work in adverse weather conditions.

Compass Minerals is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are firmly committed to making all employment-related decisions without regard to race, ancestry, ethnicity, color, religious creed or belief, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy and breastfeeding), age, military or veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by law. Learn more about equal employment opportunity laws at dol.gov. April 2026
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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