Senior Geotechnical Engineer | Houston, TX | San Francisco, CA

Job Description

Company: Mariana Minerals
Location: Houston, Texas; Moab, Utah; San Francisco, California, United States (On-site)
Category: Mine Design and Planning
Job Type: Full-time
Experience Level: Senior-Level
Experience: 3-5 years
Salary: $120,000 – $150,000 USD/year

Job Summary
Mariana Minerals is seeking a Senior Geotechnical Engineer to support mine development, infrastructure design, and operations across open pit and underground mining projects.

This role focuses on geotechnical modeling, site characterization, slope stability, mine infrastructure design, geotechnical risk management, monitoring programs, and operational field support.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and execute geotechnical investigations including drilling, test pits, core logging, sampling, and in-situ testing
• Interpret geotechnical, structural, and hydrogeological data to develop site-specific ground and rock mass models
• Coordinate and review laboratory testing programs for soil and rock mechanics
• Perform slope stability analyses for open pits, waste dumps, leach pads, and stockpiles
• Provide geotechnical inputs to mine layouts, sequencing, and design trade-offs
• Develop and review geotechnical designs for haul roads, embankments, foundations, and site earthworks
• Integrate pore pressure, groundwater, and surface water considerations into geotechnical risk assessments
• Support dewatering and depressurization strategies to manage slope and excavation stability risks
• Identify geotechnical hazards related to slope stability, ground conditions, water, and seismicity
• Design, implement, and interpret geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring programs
• Provide geotechnical oversight and operational guidance during construction and active mining
• Develop and maintain Ground Control Management Plans and Trigger Action Response Plans
• Prepare geotechnical reports, memoranda, and design documentation
• Coordinate with external consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies as required
• Mentor junior engineers and technically review consultant deliverables

Qualifications
– Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical, Geological, or Civil Engineering; Master’s degree with geotechnical focus preferred
– 3–8+ years of geotechnical engineering experience in mining operations and projects

• Experience supporting open pit mining projects preferred
• Experience supporting underground mining projects is a plus
• Strong understanding of rock and soil mechanics, slope stability, and ground support principles
• Proficiency with geotechnical analysis software such as Rocscience, FLAC, PLAXIS, or GeoStudio
• Familiarity with mine planning and 3D modeling tools such as Leapfrog, Surpac, Deswik, or GIS platforms
• Strong technical writing and analytical skills
• Ability to work independently across office, site, and field-based environments
• Professional Engineer registration or working toward registration preferred
• Mine safety certifications such as MSHA or First Aid preferred

What We Can Offer You

• Estimated base salary of $120,000 – $150,000 USD/year
• Equity offer as part of the compensation package
• Opportunity to support mine development and infrastructure design for a mission-driven critical minerals company
• Exposure to open pit and underground mining projects
• Collaboration with geology, mine planning, mining engineering, infrastructure, and operations teams
• Opportunity to contribute to safe, efficient, and technically sound mine designs
• Collaborative culture focused on ownership, automation, and knowledge sharing

Why This Role Matters
This role is important because it helps Mariana Minerals integrate geotechnical expertise into mine design, infrastructure planning, construction, operations, and risk management across critical minerals projects.

Apply
👉 Apply online: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals/f8d6dee2-e47d-4509-8a0e-eb9e9a90a652

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