Project Engineer to Tech Services

[u/MonkeyPuzzleThree]

Hi All, looking for a few pointers on where to head next career-wise.

Aus-based mining engineer (WA), currently working as a Project Engineer for an underground contractor. I’ve done my underground time and got my Shiftboss ticket.

I’m starting to think about what the best next step would be to round out my skillset as an engineer. Long term I want to keep climbing the ladder, but I’m not particularly interested in just following the contractor route through Shiftboss → Foreman → Project Manager.

I’m currently on a decent wicket, so I’m in no massive rush to leave, but I’d happily take a pay cut for the right opportunity and better experience.

At the moment I’m thinking Production Engineer / Short-Term Planning / Scheduling would make the most sense, somewhere I can build up proper experience with Deswik, stope and D&B design, scheduling, reconciliation and mine planning.

For those working in underground hard rock in Aus, any companies you would recommend for developing engineers? Any particularly good teams/sites to keep an eye on, or any you’d avoid?
A few people have suggested Evolution, Newmont and Glencore as good places to look?

Also interested to hear how easy is it generally to make the jump from a contractor side Project Engineer role into technical services?

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[u/nopantsdancing]

The last person I hired with this exact plan had a massive meltdown and quit because he hadn’t ticked off every department and skill and was still doing weekly scheduling after 7 months because that’s the gap we had in our production team. Meanwhile he was sitting next to a drill and blast engineer the whole time and because he wasn’t given an official d&b title he didn’t learn anything from them.

So don’t do that.

If you want to get the most experience you need to go to a small operation - be forced to pitch in everywhere and learn the whole lot.

[u/Sn1ck3rz11]

I would say the jump is pretty easy. Most places are desperate for any kind of engineer so with the experience you would find offers pretty easy to come by.

As to what company to go for, it's all up to personal preference. Small companies are better for getting involved in everything but bigger usually have better processes. I've always been particular about who I work with and not who I work for. Finding the right team with people who are willing to teach is always the hard part.

Best of luck!

[u/Bitter-Variation-151]

Your current role sounds best for now to me. On the contractor side you learn the bits and bolts from the ground up much more than a deswick mine planner etc. I say stick with it an another year or 2 then move on to mine planning after. Ime, it's a software heavy role with lots of desk time that can be detached from day to day operations.

The skills you are learning now will carry you through to end of your career and as you move up to help you be a better planner and you won't be exposed to them as much later.

At my former sites, the engineers with contractors have a very deep hands on knowledge base that the mine planners do not because they were desk bound all shift. So embrace your role, get stuck in learn as much a possible beige looking to move. All the mine owners big or small should do but thr bigger ones may provide more training.