Mine Manager – Underground Nickel-Copper Operation | American Midwest

Permanent | MineWerx Global Consulting

A Role Created by Promotion. A Career Defined by What Comes Next.

This position is available for a compelling reason: the incumbent has been promoted into a senior corporate role aligned with the company's most significant strategic priority — an advanced-stage nickel project moving toward operations, underpinned by a joint venture with a Tier-1 global mining major. Their elevation is a testament to the talent pathway this company offers. Your task is to step into operational leadership of this flagship mine and own it.

The Operation

Our client operates the only primary nickel-copper mine currently in production in the United States — a high-performing underground operation of significant scale and strategic national importance.

The mine employs approximately 450 people, operates in positive cash flow, and has delivered consistent production across more than a decade of continuous operation. Few underground base metal mines in North America can point to that combination of longevity, production continuity, and financial performance. It is a proven, well-capitalised operation — and the financial and reputational engine behind the company's broader growth agenda.

Critically, this is not a mine in decline. An active, multi-rig exploration program in the surrounding region is delivering exceptional high-grade results — including intercepts that rank among the most significant nickel-copper discoveries seen anywhere in the United States in recent years. A discovery announced in the region as recently as early 2025 was described internally as "historic" given the grade and width of mineralisation encountered. A further high-grade intercept followed in early 2026. An additional discovery in the same program represents the first high-grade nickel-copper find in the region in nearly a decade.

The Mine Manager will carry direct responsibility for Life-of-Mine planning and resource expansion investment decisions — meaning the person in this role will have a genuine hand in shaping how long and how productively this mine operates. That is not a responsibility many operational leaders get.

Why This Moment Matters

Our client is not a steady-state company. It is in active transformation.

An advanced-stage nickel development project — held in a joint venture with a Tier-1 global mining major — is progressing through permitting and moving toward construction and, ultimately, operations. The leadership bench being built at the operating mine today is the talent pool from which the company's next generation of operational leaders will be drawn.

As Mine Manager, you are not just running a mine. You are positioning yourself at the forefront of one of the most strategically significant domestic nickel development programs in the United States — backed by one of the world's preeminent mining organisations.

The US government has designated nickel-copper as critical to national security, and our client's operations are supported by substantial federal funding across multiple programs. This mine carries national significance alongside its operational mandate.

The Role

Reporting to the Managing Director, the Mine Manager has full accountability for the safe, efficient, and profitable operation of the mine — including underground production, surface operations, maintenance, technical services, and site infrastructure.

You will:

• Lead all underground and surface mining operations to deliver on safety, production, cost, and people targets
• Translate corporate strategy into clear operational priorities and measurable site goals
• Oversee Life-of-Mine planning and Mineral Reserve reporting
• Drive capital planning and ensure effective deployment to support operational and business objectives
• Build a high-performance leadership team and develop the next generation of site leaders
• Ensure full regulatory, environmental, and community compliance
• Champion continuous improvement across all operational functions

This is a role for a leader who runs toward complexity — not away from it.

What You Bring

• 12–15 years of underground mining experience, with at least 5 years in a senior operational or technical leadership role
• Demonstrated success leading complex underground operations and multidisciplinary teams
• Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, or related discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Strong command of operational systems, performance management, and mine planning integration
• A track record of building high-performing teams and developing future leaders

The Wider Picture

Our client's ownership and partnership structure is significant. A major strategic investor holds a substantial equity position with board representation, providing governance depth and network access. The advanced development JV with a Tier-1 global mining major — progressing through environmental permitting — represents a clear pathway to expanded operations and the next phase of the company's growth.

For the right operational leader, this is a rare convergence: a proven, decade-plus producing operation with genuine mine life extension potential, a world-class JV partner, federal backing, and a clear pathway to expanded leadership as the company's development pipeline moves toward production.

Apply today for an immediate response, and full brief, in assured confidence.

MineWerx Global Consulting

221 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000