Head of Mines at Dangote Industries Limited

Dangote Group is one of Nigeria’s most diversified business conglomerates with a hard – earned reputation for excellent business practices and products’ quality with its operational headquarters in the bustling metropolis of Lagos, Nigeria in West Africa.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Mines

Location: Mtwara Plant, Tanzania
Job Type: Full time

Role Summary

• Senior technical and operational leader responsible for all quarry and mining activities, safe/efficient extraction of mix grade/high grade limestone and top red soil/clay, overburden removal, in-house drilling/blasting, HEMM fleet management, crusher feed quality, regulatory compliance, and long-term mine planning to ensure uninterrupted raw material supply to the plant.

Key Duties and Responsibilities
Mine Planning, Reserve Management & Licence Compliance:

• Develop and implement short-term, medium-term, and life-of-mine plans across Block 1 & 2 of SML 495/2013 and MLs 00616, 00617, 00618/2017.
• Manage mining sequence across active blocks to maintain limestone bench exposure, inter-burden clearing, and stockpile reserves.
• Update reserve estimates using survey data, blast reconciliations, and geological assessments.
• Coordinate with Survey Engineer for bench profiling, topographic surveys, and volumetric production reconciliation.
• Ensure full statutory compliance and on-time reporting to TMAA and MM; support formal licence issuance for pending ML blocks.
• Plan and initiate development of new mining blocks for a smooth transition from SML 495/2013 to future ML blocks.

Limestone & Raw Material Extraction:

• Plan and supervise daily extraction of mix grade, high grade, and feedable grade limestone across active mining faces.
• Manage excavation, segregation, and stockpiling of top red soil at the dedicated Red Soil Shed for cement manufacturing.
• Optimise blending of mix grade and high-grade limestone at the crusher feed point to deliver target chemistry ($text{CaO}$, $text{SiO}_2$, $text{Al}_2text{O}_3$, $text{Fe}_2text{O}_3$).
• Manage controlled separation and disposal of shale inter-burden and marl/sandstone layers to prevent quality dilution.
• Ensure limestone production targets are met monthly to support the plant target of over 3.4 MTPA.
• Maintain adequate limestone, red soil, and raw material stockpiles at crusher and plant stock areas.

Overburden & Mine Development Management:

• Plan and execute systematic overburden removal (top red soil, shale, marl/sandstone) to maintain exposed limestone benches.
• Develop a recovery programme to address overburden backlog and restore a minimum 12-month exposed reserve buffer.
• Manage overburden and reject hauling to the designated Reject Site (~2KM away) ensuring stable waste dump construction and NEMC compliance.
• Monitor OB and development volumes monthly and report variances with corrective action plans.
• Balance HEMM fleet allocation between overburden removal and limestone production.
• Manage topsoil stripping, preservation, and stockpiling in compliance with NEMC environmental permits and mine closure plans.

Drilling & Blasting Operations:

• Supervise and optimise in-house drilling using $2 times text{Flexiroc D60}$ drill rigs ($150text{mm}$ diameter, rotary percussive, 6–10M depth).
• Design blast patterns (Burden $B = 25text{–}35 times text{drill hole diameter}$; Spacing $S = 1.0text{–}1.5 times text{burden}$; Charging length = 2/3 hole length; Stemming = 1/3 hole length).
• Dynamically adjust drill patterns based on bench height, material hardness, and crusher feedback to minimise oversize boulders and RoM rejects.
• Control monthly explosive consumption to meet budget targets without compromising fragmentation quality.
• Manage the on-site Explosive Magazine (~2KM away) regarding storage, inventory control, issue registers, access security, and Tanzania Explosives Act / TMAA compliance.
• Manage procurement, transport, and storage of explosive materials (ANFO, calcium ammonium nitrate, detonators, boosters).
• Coordinate pre-blast notifications and exclusion zones with HSE, plant operations, and Mbuo Village representatives.
• Investigate blast performance outcomes to continuously improve fragmentation and explosive efficiency.

HEMM Fleet Management & Availability:

• Ensure maximum operational availability of the 16-type Dangote-owned HEMM fleet ($ge 85%$ target) across all mining activities.
• Implement rigorous Preventive Maintenance (PM) for CAT, Komatsu, and Terex equipment in coordination with Maintenance Supervisor/HEMM Manager.
• Monitor daily fleet availability, utilisation, and breakdowns; take immediate corrective action if operational fleet drops below requirements.
• Manage spare parts procurement, inventory, and lead times to reduce breakdown response times.
• Plan and submit CAPEX proposals for equipment replacements and additions (e.g., Terex TR60 dump truck, CAT 349D excavator, Mobile Lube Van).
• Drive structured skills development for operators and mechanics to improve machine care, handling, and on-machine maintenance.
• Implement retention initiatives to reduce high employee attrition among experienced HEMM operators and mechanics.
• Monitor and control AGO (diesel) consumption through fleet dispatch, haul route management, and idle-running reduction.
• Maintain haul roads and pit access roads using Motor Grader and Compactor.

Crusher Feed Management & Raw Material Quality:

• Ensure uninterrupted limestone feed to the primary crusher at target throughput of 900 TPH within size specifications.
• Monitor crusher running hours ($ge 403text{ hrs/month}$ target) and align feed schedules with plant demands.
• Liaise daily with Quality Control to verify limestone blend chemistry at the crusher feed point and adjust loading priorities.
• Investigate and resolve causes of crusher feed interruptions (oversize material, wet material, haul road blockages).
• Coordinate Wheel Loaders (CAT 980H and 988H) for crusher feed management and stockpile reclaiming.

HSE Compliance & Regulatory Management:

• Enforce HSE standards across quarry, blasting, and HEMM operations targeting Zero LTI.
• Ensure compliance with TMAA and MM conditions under SML 495/2013 and coordinate statutory inspections and returns.
• Maintain NEMC permits covering dust, noise/vibration, water management, topsoil preservation, waste dumps, and community impact mitigation.
• Manage blast vibration monitoring near Mbuo Village; ensure pre-blast notifications and warnings are strictly issued.
• Manage Explosive Magazine in compliance with the Tanzania Explosives Act (access, storage, quantity limits, registers).
• Maintain up-to-date risk assessments for high-risk activities (blasting, slope stability, HEMM, magazine, bench access).
• Manage slope stability monitoring and geotechnical inspections on quarry benches ($>5text{M}$ HG limestone bench and south face marl/shale).
• Ensure all personnel hold valid statutory competency certificates (Mine Blasting Certificate, HEMM operator certificates, etc.).
• Investigate all incidents, near misses, and damage events to implement root cause corrective actions.

Geological Knowledge & Deposit Management:

• Maintain working knowledge of stratigraphy: top red soil ($0text{–}2.5text{M}$), mix grade limestone ($8text{–}10text{M}$, $text{CaO} sim 47.58%$), shale inter-burden ($3text{–}5text{M}$), HG limestone ($2.5text{–}3text{M}$), and marl/sandstone inter-burden.
• Work with Geologist to update block models, track chemical variability, and plan selective mining for raw mill feed chemistry.
• Leverage 263-borehole exploration database (8,612 samples, 11,376.8m drilled) for mine planning, grade control, and reserve development.
• Plan timely development of ML 00616, 00617, and 00618/2017 blocks to transition as SML 495/2013 reserves deplete.
• Monitor depletion rates against Life of Mine plan and trigger development actions when reserve cover falls below thresholds.

Cost Management & Budgeting:

• Prepare and manage annual mines operations budget (HEMM maintenance/spares, explosives, AGO, labour, haul road maintenance, support services).
• Control mines cost per tonne of limestone to achieve/exceed benchmark targets via operational efficiency.
• Control explosive cost per tonne through blast design optimisation and competitive procurement.
• Prepare monthly cost variance reports with root cause analysis and corrective action plans for Plant Director.
• Evaluate and justify CAPEX investments for HEMM replacement and workshop infrastructure with payback analysis.

Reporting, Community Relations & Stakeholder Management:

• Submit daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports (production, OB removal, HEMM availability, blasting, powder factor, AGO/explosive consumption, cost per tonne).
• Maintain statutory records for TMAA, MM, and NEMC (survey records, blast registers, explosives registers, HEMM logs, environmental data).
• Manage community relations with Mbuo Village, Mayanga Ward, and Mtwara Rural District regarding vibration, dust, noise, jobs, and CSR.
• Represent the mines department at TMAA/MM inspections, NEMC environmental audits, and Group management review meetings.

Team Leadership & Capability Building:

• Lead and develop the team: Quarry Manager/Shift Supervisors, Drilling & Blasting Engineer, Survey Engineer, Geologist/Raw Material Analyst, HEMM Fleet & Maintenance Supervisor.
• Build a safety-first, performance-driven culture focusing on blasting discipline, machine care, and production consistency.
• Deliver training programmes for Flexiroc D60 drill operators, Komatsu PC1250 / CAT excavator/truck operators, blasting crews, and supervisors.
• Drive targeted retention initiatives to reduce employee attrition among experienced HEMM operators and mechanics.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Production, Raw Mill, Quality Control, Maintenance, Finance, Procurement, and HSE.

Qualifications and Experience
Educational Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering (Mandatory).
• Master’s degree in Mining Engineering, MBA, or Mine Management (Added advantage).
• Valid Tanzanian Mine Manager Certificate of Competency (TMAA/MM) (Highly desirable).
• Formal blasting competency certification (Shot Firer / Blasting Engineer) (Required).
• HSE certifications such as NEBOSH or IOSH (Added advantage).

Work Experience:

• 12–15 years in open cast / open pit mining with at least 5 years in a Head of Mines or senior management role.
• Proven experience in limestone quarry operations for a cement plant (multi-layer deposit geology, bench mining, selective grade extraction) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in in-house drilling and blasting with pneumatic/rotary percussive drill equipment (Flexiroc D60 or equivalent).
• Strong background in large HEMM fleet management (CAT, Komatsu, Terex) covering availability, PPM scheduling, and breakdown management.
• Experience working with TMAA, MEM, and NEMC in Tanzania or comparable mining regulatory environment highly desirable.
• Explosives magazine management and Tanzania Explosives Act compliance experience required.
• Prior experience in East Africa is a significant advantage.

Technical & Functional Skills:

• Open cast multi-bench mining methods, deposit stratigraphy, slope stability, and selective mining for blended raw material supply.
• Rotary percussive drilling and blast design (burden, spacing, powder factor, stemming, fragmentation optimisation, vibration management).
• Limestone deposit chemistry ($text{CaO}$, $text{SiO}_2$, $text{Al}_2text{O}_3$, $text{Fe}_2text{O}_3$) and cement manufacturing raw material requirements.
• Mine planning and reserve estimation skills; mine planning software experience is an advantage.
• HEMM fleet management (PM planning, availability tracking, MTTR/MTBF analysis, spare parts management).
• Financial acumen (budgeting, cost per tonne analysis, variance reporting, CAPEX justification).
• Thorough knowledge of Tanzania mining laws, TMAA regulations, MM requirements, NEMC environmental standards, and Tanzania Explosives Act.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; SAP experience is an advantage.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Strong field leadership with the ability to inspire and manage a large, field-based workforce in a remote, operationally demanding environment.
• Results-driven with clear focus on production targets, cost control, and safety performance simultaneously.
• Proactive risk manager — identifies threats to production or safety early and acts decisively.
• Excellent communicator across field operations, technical teams, and senior management.
• High integrity and unwavering commitment to safe mining practices, regulatory compliance, and community responsibility.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online