Drill & Blast Manager (Open-Cast Coal Mining)

In brief

**Overview** The Drill & Blast Manager at Oza Holdings will manage all drilling and blasting operations in an open-cast coal mining environment. This role is crucial for ensuring safe, cost-effective, legally compliant, and productive operations, with a focus on blast design, execution, contractor management, fragmentation quality, vibration control, explosive management, and continuous improvement to support production targets. **What you will do** As Drill & Blast Manager, you will: * **Manage Safety & Compliance:** Ensure adherence to the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), Explosives Act, and company standards. You will develop and maintain drill and blast procedures, lead risk assessments, pre-blast inspections, and post-blast evaluations, investigate incidents, implement corrective actions, and ensure the safe storage, transport, and use of explosives. * **Plan Drill & Blast Activities:** Develop daily, weekly, and monthly drill and blast schedules. You will design blast patterns based on geological conditions, optimise burden, spacing, stemming, and powder factors, coordinate drilling, charging, and firing activities, and ensure blast readiness in collaboration with production and mine planning teams. * **Optimise Blast Performance:** Monitor fragmentation quality, minimise fly rock, overbreak, backbreak, and vibration. You will work to improve diggability and downstream crusher performance, analyse blast results, and implement continuous improvements. * **Manage Contractors:** Oversee drilling and explosive service providers, monitoring their productivity and compliance. You will conduct performance reviews and ensure contractual obligations are achieved. * **Control Explosives:** Manage explosive consumption and reconciliation, maintain explosive inventory, monitor blast costs, and ensure accurate reporting and statutory records. * **Provide Operational Leadership:** Lead Drill & Blast Supervisors and technical personnel, coaching and mentoring team members. You will manage departmental budgets, participate in production planning meetings, and support operational excellence initiatives. * **Report Performance:** Prepare production and blasting reports, analyse Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and recommend improvements, present monthly operational performance, and report on costs, productivity, and safety. **Requirements (from the original advert)** * Degree or National Diploma in Mining Engineering. * Valid Blasting Certificate for Opencast Mines. * Mine Manager's Certificate of Competency advantageous. * Minimum 10 years' open-cast mining experience. * At least 5 years in a Drill & Blast management role. * Coal mining experience is essential. * Experience managing drilling and blasting contractors. * Knowledge of the Mine Health and Safety Act MHSA. * Valid driver's licence. **Who should apply** This role is suited for an experienced professional with strong leadership and people management skills, capable of ensuring safe, compliant, and productive drill and blast operations in an open-cast coal mining environment. The ideal candidate will possess excellent planning and organisational skills, technical expertise in drill and blast engineering, and strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. They should be proficient in cost management, contractor management, communication, and stakeholder engagement, capable of making decisions under pressure, and committed to continuous improvement. Essential qualifications include a relevant mining engineering degree or diploma, a valid Blasting Certificate for Opencast Mines, at least 10 years of open-cast mining experience (with 5 years in a management role), specific coal mining experience, contractor management experience, knowledge of the MHSA, and a valid driver's licence. **Deadline** Not specified **Reference** Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/drill-blast-manager-open-cast-coal-mining-oza-holdings-1 Source: myjobmag

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