Site Safety Manager – Underground Mining - #672

The candidate required to work at Goilala District, Mave Central Province, Papua New Guinea.

Client Overview

Our client is a publicly listed Australian mining and natural resources company focused on gold and base metals exploration and operations across Papua New Guinea. Since its establishment in 2020, the company has rapidly positioned itself as an emerging high-growth mining operator through the restart and expansion of historically significant underground mining assets and strategic exploration projects in highly prospective mineral regions.

Operating within remote and logistically complex environments, the company manages underground mining operations, processing plants, transport corridors, and camp infrastructure while maintaining strict commitments to international safety standards, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship. As part of its aggressive mine restart and ramp-up initiatives, the organization is strengthening its site leadership structure to support sustainable and safety-driven operational growth.

Job Role

The Site Safety Manager is the highest on-site HSE authority responsible for developing, implementing, and enforcing all health, safety, environmental, and emergency response systems across mining operations. This role holds direct accountability for site-wide safety performance across underground mining, processing facilities, logistics corridors, contractor operations, and remote camp environments.

The position requires a highly disciplined and operationally strong safety leader capable of building a proactive zero harm culture, leading high-risk incident investigations, managing emergency preparedness programs, and ensuring full compliance with international HSE standards and Papua New Guinea mining regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and enforce site-wide health, safety, and emergency management systems across underground and surface mining operations.
• Build and drive a proactive zero harm safety culture through training, coaching, and field leadership engagement.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve HSE management systems aligned with ISO 45001 standards and PNG mining regulations.
• Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and regulatory reporting using ICAM or equivalent methodologies.
• Conduct risk assessments and oversee critical hazard management programs across mining, transport, and processing activities.
• Manage site emergency response readiness including mine rescue, medical response, evacuation procedures, and crisis management protocols.
• Monitor and audit contractor HSE compliance, operational permits, and workforce safety performance.
• Ensure workforce competency, mandatory safety training, and compliance certifications are maintained across all operational teams.
• Provide executive-level reporting on site safety performance, risk exposure, audit findings, and corrective action progress.
• Act as the final authority to stop unsafe work or operations when critical risks are identified.

Requirements

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety, Mining Engineering, or related technical disciplines.
• Minimum 10 years of dedicated industrial safety experience within mining or heavy industrial operations.
• Proven leadership experience within underground mining operations is mandatory.
• Strong experience managing HSE systems, emergency response frameworks, and contractor safety governance.
• Certified in ICAM (Incident Cause Analysis Method) or equivalent incident investigation methodology.
• ISO 45001 Lead Auditor certification or equivalent HSE auditing qualification is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of underground mining hazards, heavy equipment operations, processing plant risks, and remote logistics safety management.
• Familiarity with Papua New Guinea mining regulations and reporting frameworks is highly advantageous.
• Strong leadership presence with the authority and confidence to enforce critical safety decisions in high-risk environments.
• Excellent analytical, reporting, communication, and workforce engagement capabilities.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory.