Operational Excellence Engineer Jobs in Illinois

Company Summary

We are a U.S.-based, well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with seven wholly-owned operations: the New Afton gold-copper mine in British Columbia, Canada, the Rainy River gold-silver mine in Ontario, Canada, the Las Chispas silver-gold mine in Sonora, Mexico, the Palmarejo gold-silver mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Kensington gold mine in Alaska and the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota. In addition, the Company wholly-owns the Silvertip polymetallic critical minerals exploration project in British Columbia, Canada.

Coeur is the only mining company with headquarters in Chicago. The office is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Chicago, near public transportation. Coeur offers a flexible, hybrid work model and a culture that prioritizes health and safety, teamwork, career development, and growth. We are a growing business with various opportunities in accounting, IT, engineering, technical services, HR, and other corporate functions. If you want to grow your career in a progressive, team-oriented environment, apply today.

Position Overview

The Engineer, Operational Excellence is responsible for driving measurable, sustainable performance improvements across mining operations through engineering-based solutions, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement methodologies. The role partners closely with site leadership and corporate teams to identify, design, and implement initiatives that improve safety, productivity, cost efficiency, and operational reliability across current and newly acquired sites. This position requires strong engineering fundamentals, hands-on operational exposure, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for mine sites and leadership. This is a boots on the ground role to enable uptake of new technology and assimilate process changes into work practices.

Location: Remote

Key Responsibilities

• Support the identification, prioritization, and implementation of continuous improvement initiatives across mining and metallurgical operations.
• Design and implement engineering solutions that enable operational excellence initiatives, including process optimization, throughput improvement, cost reduction, and variability reduction.
• Apply structured improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, problem-solving frameworks) to diagnose operational gaps and develop sustainable solutions.
• Facilitate idea generation workshops and continuous improvement sessions with site personnel to capture frontline insights and translate them into actionable improvement projects.
• Collaborate with mine operations, mine planning, metallurgy, maintenance, and technical services to ensure solutions are practical, site-ready, and aligned with operational constraints.
• Analyze operational data using data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI) to identify trends, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop, maintain, and query databases using tools such as MySQL or Snowflake to support performance tracking and reporting.
• Utilize Python or other statistical analysis programs for data analysis, automation, and development of analytical tools that enhance operational visibility and decision-making.
• Engage site stakeholders through effective leadership, communication, and change management practices, fostering ownership and accountability for improvement initiatives.
• Provide on-site support and coaching to ensure initiatives are effectively implemented, adopted, and sustained over time.
• Support integration and performance improvement efforts at newly acquired sites, ensuring alignment with company operational excellence standards and practices.

Qualifications

• Experience:
  • 3–5 years of relevant professional experience.
  • Engineering background in Mining Engineering, Metallurgy, or a related discipline.
  • Experience in mine operations and/or mine planning is desirable but not mandatory.
• Technical Skills:
  • Proficiency with data visualization tools such as Tableau and Power BI.
  • Experience working with databases such as MySQL or Snowflake.
• Working knowledge of Python for data analysis and automation.
• Location:
  • Chicago Office or based at one of Coeur’s mine operations or offices.
• Travel:

Approximately 50% travel, primarily to mine sites

The salary range offered for this role is $95 - $110K. The salary range is a good-faith estimate. The salary offer to the successful candidate will be based on job-related education, training, and/or experience. The salary offer will not be based on a candidate’s salary history at other jobs, and by law, Coeur Mining will not seek information about salary history, and candidates should not share such information with Coeur Mining. Coeur Mining provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits, health benefits, paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Coeur Mining also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.