Mine Planning Engineer

Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers

About the role

We’re seeking a technically strong and commercially aware Mine Planning Engineer to join WesCEF Minerals. In this role, you will integrate Mineral Resource estimates into practical and economic mine plans while coordinating the technical studies required to support scoping, pre-feasibility, feasibility studies and statutory mining proposals. You will bring planning discipline, study integration and technical rigour to support internal decision-making and advance development opportunities aligned with WesCEF Exploration’s objectives.

Key responsibilities

  • Develop life-of-mine mine designs and schedules, integrating Mineral Resources and modifying factors to generate practical, value-based mining inventories.
  • Undertake mine optimisation and trade-off studies, including pit shells, pushbacks, cut-off sensitivities and stockpiling strategies, to support informed investment and development decisions.
  • Prepare production schedules and key planning inputs, including ore and waste profiles, strip ratios, mining rates and equipment productivity assumptions, for study work and statutory documentation.
  • Define and maintain mine design criteria and planning assumptions across geotechnical, hydrogeological, dilution, recovery, haulage and operational constraints, ensuring traceable QA/QC of planning models.
  • Coordinate internal and external technical study inputs across geology, metallurgy, geotechnical, hydrology, environment, approvals and infrastructure disciplines, tracking actions, deliverables and critical path dependencies.
  • Support budgeting and economic evaluation by providing planning inputs to cost and cashflow models and contributing to sensitivity analysis and scenario evaluation.
  • Produce planning deliverables, including mine designs, layouts, schedules, reports and presentations, for internal governance, JV engagement and regulator submissions.
  • Work closely with operational teams, where applicable, to reconcile plan versus actual outcomes and update designs and schedules based on site learnings and constraints.
  • Embed safety and risk management into planning workflows and drive continuous improvement in planning tools, systems, document control and study delivery.

About you

  • Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering or equivalent.
  • Strong understanding of mine planning fundamentals, including design criteria, sequencing, cut-off grade concepts and schedule dependencies.
  • Demonstrated experience integrating Mineral Resource models into practical mine plans and translating geological confidence into planning assumptions.
  • Experience in mine design, optimisation and production scheduling, including trade-off analysis and scenario evaluation.
  • Working knowledge of geotechnical, hydrogeological, drill and blast, ventilation, haulage and dilution and recovery factors that influence mine design outcomes.
  • Competence with industry-standard mine planning software such as Deswik, Vulcan, Surpac, Datamine, MineSight or similar, supported by strong spreadsheet and data analysis capability.
  • Experience preparing planning inputs and technical documentation for study phases, internal governance and statutory mining proposal processes.
  • Sound commercial awareness, including exposure to cost inputs, economic evaluation and schedule sensitivity analysis.
  • Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate across technical disciplines and communicate planning outcomes clearly.
  • A demonstrated commitment to safety, integrity, collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.

What we offer

At Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF), we value our people and offer a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, development and career growth, including:

  • Competitive remuneration, including access to the Wesfarmers employee share plan and participation in our annual incentive plan.
  • Flexible working arrangements, including work-from-home options where applicable.
  • Salary sacrifice opportunities, including novated leasing.
  • Access to a wide range of employee benefits across the Wesfarmers Group, including staff discounts at Bunnings, Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Kleenheat, as well as access to Wesfarmers-sponsored arts and cultural events.
  • Paid parental leave of up to 18 weeks.
  • Ongoing professional development and career opportunities across WesCEF and the broader Wesfarmers Group.

Why WesCEF

At WesCEF, we are committed to building an engaged, high-performing and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities in which we operate. We value diversity of thinking, skills and experience, knowing this drives innovation and better business outcomes.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.

We are proud to support flexible working arrangements and understand that flexibility looks different for everyone. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to discuss your needs as part of the application process.

Applications close: Sunday 19th July 2026.

Our recruitment process considers your alignment to our company values and the requirements of the role. We also have several checks which may be conducted to demonstrate your suitability for the role including but not limited to psychometric assessment, police checks, medical, drug and alcohol testing, right to work check, qualifications, due diligence and/or reference checks.

We reserve the right to commence the recruitment process prior to the closing date. Therefore, it is recommended to apply as soon as possible.

Agency applications will not be accepted.

This position are for applicant with Work Rights for Australia.