Moving Up the Mining Engineer Career Ladder
The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics employment forecast for mining engineers is projecting continued growth at 8% for the ten-year window 2016-2026. With the demand for coal, metal, and minerals ever on the rise to meet the needs of growing markets for construction materials, computers, cars, and smartphones for the world, experienced mining engineers find themselves on one of the 21st Century’s most lucrative career paths.
If you’re a mining engineer with 5-7 years of field experience, the career ladder is wide open for your next move to the top with the right qualifications. But candidates should be aware that just as the bar for mining engineer salaries is on the rise so too is the bar for technical competence and leadership.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics report is also projecting a trend toward more engineering service firms who will need mining and geological engineers to provide specialized services for the growing number of companies choosing to outsource design, production, and exploration tasks to cut costs.
Key Skill Sets for Candidates
Obtaining the prerequisite BS in Mining Engineering is just the start, but 5-7 years of engineering experience need not be restricted to the mining industry specifically for candidates who can demonstrate competence and technical expertise in essential skills including:
Strategic Engineering
Under rigorous environmental scrutiny today’s mining engineers are responsible for planning and executing every stage of the mine operation from exploration, to mining processes, and mine closure and reclamation. Ground control engineering for underground and surface operations requires meticulous planning and design of every element of the mine system.
This includes all openings, ore pathways, pillars, structural supports, the extraction sequence, and the equipment required, all based upon analysis of the geological characteristics of the site. Development and execution of long-term mining plans are often essential responsibilities of the mine engineer.
Efficiency Enhancement
The philosophy of continuous improvement is always fundamental in successful mining companies. Top engineers are expected to spot and take action on opportunities to improve profitability with cost-effective process refinements. Engineers with Lean, Kanban, and Six Sigma qualifications should most certainly highlight those achievements.
Software Expertise
Experienced mine engineers should be able to demonstrate proficiency with Windows-based software and expertise with spreadsheets in particular.
Autodesk/Carlson engineering software for CAD, field data, and machine control is common in the mining industry and top mining engineer candidates should be well-versed in this and other popular engineering software.
Team Leadership
Today’s mine engineers hold management responsibilities which go well beyond raw engineering expertise. Candidates for the top jobs should be prepared to lead project teams and bring them from planning to completion while continuously speaking effectively to management and able to produce concise well-written reports.
Financial and Business Competence
An orientation to optimized profitability is an unwavering requirement for mid-level to senior mining engineers. Qualified mine engineers stay up to speed on market conditions, competition, and the cost implications of their decisions with a strong demonstrated ability to deliver results on time and on budget.
Top Mining Engineer Positions at Resource Erectors
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics mining and geological engineers with the advanced qualifications listed above have a median salary of $92,250, with the highest 10% earning more than $150,000.
At Resource Erectors we’ve made it our mission to match the top mining engineers with the industry-leading companies who seek their talents. Along with the mining industry, Resource Erectors provides career support and job placement services for candidates in the manufacturing, civil engineering, and construction industries.
When your company is building a team of the most highly qualified professionals Resource Erectors has a consistent history of placing candidates who go on to become long-term contributors to their company’s success. Over 80% of the candidates we’ve placed 5 years ago are now exemplary employees, still working productively for the companies who relied on Resource Erectors for recruiting expertise acquired with our nearly 20 years in the business.
When you’re ready to hire the best professionals in your industry, you’re ready for Resource Erectors! Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
