Assistant Plant Manager / Safety Manager

Assistant Plant Manager

Our client is seeking a highly capable Assistant Plant Manager to serve in a critical, hands-on leadership role supporting the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of an underground mining facility.

This individual will initially serve as both the site's EHS/MSHA leader and mining engineering expert, taking ownership of site safety, regulatory compliance, mine planning, permitting, engineering projects, and surface production oversight. The successful candidate will be a visible leader who can balance strategic planning with hands-on involvement in daily operations.

As the facility continues to grow and reaches targeted production levels, the company plans to add a dedicated Safety Manager. At that point, the safety and EHS responsibilities currently held by the Assistant Plant Manager will transition to the new Safety Manager, allowing the Assistant Plant Manager to focus more heavily on mining operations, engineering, production leadership, mine planning, capital projects, and overall site performance.

Key Responsibilities

Safety, EHS & MSHA Leadership

Own and lead site EHS and MSHA compliance performance, including program governance, regulatory readiness, compliance systems, and communication of requirements to site leadership.
Champion a strong safety culture through visible leadership, employee coaching, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Maintain productive relationships with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies.
Lead incident and accident investigations and develop effective corrective and preventive action plans.
Conduct routine inspections, GEMBA walks, and safety audits; document findings and ensure corrective actions are completed.
Maintain mine maps, fire and evacuation plans, employee exposure records, and MSHA compliance systems.
Prepare and submit required MSHA reports, including man-hour reporting and reportable incidents.
Administer the MSHA training program, including scheduling, documentation, retraining, and compliance records.
Lead safety training, tailgate talks, emergency drills, and emergency-response exercises.
Own the site's emergency preparedness and response program, including readiness planning, drills, and mine rescue coordination where applicable.
Respond to and appropriately escalate safety, health, environmental, and regulatory concerns while ensuring corrective actions are implemented and verified.
Mining Engineering & Operations

Serve as the site's primary mining engineering resource.
Oversee mine planning, ventilation, roof control, mining advancements, and long-term mine development.
Provide direct supervision of surface production operations, ensuring production objectives are achieved safely and efficiently.
Coordinate mine engineering and construction projects involving internal personnel and external contractors.
Support facility design, process modifications, structural and geological troubleshooting, and other mine-related engineering challenges.
Prepare cost schedules, technical reports, and capital expenditure recommendations.
Support long-term mine and quarry capital planning.
Utilize AutoCAD or equivalent software for mine design, modeling, mapping, and condition monitoring.
Identify and resolve operational, engineering, safety, and regulatory issues as they arise.
What Makes This Opportunity Unique

This is an opportunity for a mining professional to take on a broad and highly visible leadership role within a growing operation. Initially, the Assistant Plant Manager will have significant responsibility for both site safety and mining engineering, providing the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the facility's safety culture, regulatory compliance, production performance, and long-term growth.

As production expands and the organization reaches the appropriate operating scale, a dedicated Safety Manager will be added to the team. The Assistant Plant Manager will then transition away from the day-to-day ownership of EHS and safety responsibilities and focus more fully on operations leadership, mine engineering, production, capital projects, mine planning, and overall facility performance.

This progression makes the position particularly attractive for a candidate who wants to grow into a broader operational leadership role while leveraging a strong foundation in mining engineering and MSHA compliance.

Education & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering or a closely related discipline required.
Minimum of four years of experience in underground mining operations.
Strong working knowledge of MSHA regulations, compliance requirements, and underground mine safety practices.
Experience with mine planning, ventilation, roof control, mine design, and mining advancements.
Experience overseeing engineering projects, contractors, and capital improvements.
Mine Rescue experience is a plus.
Strong knowledge of bulk solids handling, industrial equipment, and underground mining operations.
Experience using AutoCAD or similar engineering and mine design software.
Key Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Accountability – Takes ownership of results and holds themselves and others to high standards.
Big Picture Thinking – Understands how decisions impact safety, production, quality, cost, compliance, and customer service.
Effective Communication – Clearly communicates expectations, requirements, and concerns while escalating issues appropriately.
Continuous Improvement – Identifies opportunities to improve safety, productivity, quality, and operational performance.
Initiative – Proactively identifies and addresses issues before they become larger operational or regulatory concerns.
Hands-On Leadership – Maintains a strong presence in the operation and leads by example.
Problem Solving – Effectively addresses complex engineering, operational, regulatory, and safety challenges.
Why Consider This Opportunity?

This role provides the opportunity to become a key member of the leadership team at a growing underground mining operation. The successful candidate will have broad responsibility, meaningful visibility, and the ability to directly influence the site's safety culture, regulatory performance, engineering strategy, production operations, and long-term growth.

For an experienced mining engineer with strong MSHA knowledge, operational leadership ability, and a desire to grow into a broader plant or mine leadership position, this is an opportunity to build a lasting impact while helping shape the future of the operation.