Head of Mines

AI summary

Dangote Industries Limited is hiring a Head of Mines to lead all quarry and mining operations at the Mtwara Plant in Tanzania. The role covers mine planning, limestone and raw material extraction, overburden management, drilling and blasting, HEMM fleet management, regulatory compliance, and long-term mine planning to ensure uninterrupted plant supply. This is a senior full-time technical leadership position.

• Senior technical and operational leadership role in mining
• Based at Mtwara Plant, Tanzania with full-time contract
• Responsible for quarry operations, drilling, blasting and HEMM fleet
• Must ensure statutory compliance and licence reporting
• Focus on uninterrupted raw material supply to the plant

Original source description

Head of Mines at Dangote Industries Limited ⏲ Jul 31, 2026, 4:02 AM ⋕ View all Manufacturing & Production jobs 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: Plan and initiate development of new mining blocks for a smooth transition from SML 495/2013 to future ML blocks. Coordinate with Survey Engineer for bench profiling, topographic surveys, and volumetric production reconciliation. 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. Ensure full statutory compliance and on-time reporting to TMAA and MM; support formal licence issuance for pending ML blocks. 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. Limestone & Raw Material Extraction: Maintain adequate limestone, red soil, and raw material stockpiles at crusher and plant stock areas. Ensure limestone production targets are met monthly to support the plant target of over 3.4 MTPA. Manage controlled separation and disposal of shale inter-burden and marl/sandstone layers to prevent quality dilution. 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 ($text{CaO}$, $text{SiO}_2$, $text{Al}_2text{O}_3$, $text{Fe}_2text{O}_3$). Plan and supervise daily extraction of mix grade, high grade, and feedable grade limestone across active mining faces. Overburden & Mine Development Management: Manage overburden and reject hauling to the designated Reject Site (~2KM away) ensuring stable waste dump construction and NEMC compliance. 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. Monitor OB and development volumes monthly and report variances with corrective action plans. 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. Drilling & Blasting Operations: Manage procurement, transport, and storage of explosive materials (ANFO, calcium ammonium nitrate, detonators, boosters). Investigate blast performance outcomes to continuously improve fragmentation and explosive efficiency. Supervise and optimise in-house drilling using $2 times text{Flexiroc D60}$ drill rigs ($150text{mm}$ diameter, rotary percussive, 6–10M depth). Coordinate pre-blast notifications and exclusion zones with HSE, plant operations, and Mbuo Village representatives. 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). Control monthly explosive consumption to meet budget targets without compromising fragmentation quality. Dynamically adjust drill patterns based on bench height, material hardness, and crusher feedback to minimise oversize boulders and RoM rejects. Manage the on-site Explosive Magazine (~2KM away) regarding storage, inventory control, issue registers, access security, and Tanzania Explosives Act / TMAA compliance. HEMM Fleet Management & Availability: Implement rigorous Preventive Maintenance (PM) for CAT, Komatsu, and Terex equipment in coordination with Maintenance Supervisor/HEMM Manager. Drive structured skills development for operators and mechanics to improve machine care, handling, and on-machine maintenance. Maintain haul roads and pit access roads using Motor Grader and Compactor. Monitor and control AGO (diesel) consumption through fleet dispatch, haul route management, and idle-running reduction. Implement retention initiatives to reduce high employee attrition among experienced HEMM operators and mechanics. Monitor daily fleet availability, utilisation, and breakdowns; take immediate corrective action if operational fleet drops below requirements. Ensure maximum operational availability of the 16-type Dangote-owned HEMM fleet ($ge 85%$ target) across all mining activities. 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). Crusher Feed Management & Raw Material Quality: Investigate and resolve causes of crusher feed interruptions (oversize material, wet material, haul road blockages). Ensure uninterrupted limestone feed to the primary crusher at target throughput of 900 TPH within size specifications. Liaise daily with Quality Control to verify limestone blend chemistry at the crusher feed point and adjust loading priorities. Coordinate Wheel Loaders (CAT 980H and 988H) for crusher feed management and stockpile reclaiming. Monitor crusher running hours ($ge 403text{ hrs/month}$ target) and align feed schedules with plant demands. HSE Compliance & Regulatory Management: Enforce HSE standards across quarry, blasting, and HEMM operations targeting Zero LTI. Maintain up-to-date risk assessments for high-risk activities (blasting, slope stability, HEMM, magazine, bench access). Ensure compliance with TMAA and MM conditions under SML 495/2013 and coordinate statutory inspections and returns. Manage blast vibration monitoring near Mbuo Village; ensure pre-blast notifications and warnings are strictly issued. Maintain NEMC permits covering dust, noise/vibration, water management, topsoil preservation, waste dumps, and community impact mitigation. Investigate all incidents, near misses, and damage events to implement root cause corrective actions. Ensure all personnel hold valid statutory competency certificates (Mine Blasting Certificate, HEMM operator certificates, etc.). Manage Explosive Magazine in compliance with the Tanzania Explosives Act (access, storage, quantity limits, registers). Manage slope stability monitoring and geotechnical inspections on quarry benches ($>5text{M}$ HG limestone bench and south face marl/shale). Geological Knowledge & Deposit Management: Monitor depletion rates against Life of Mine plan and trigger development actions when reserve cover falls below thresholds. Work with Geologist to update block models, track chemical variability, and plan selective mining for raw mill feed chemistry. 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. Plan timely development of ML 00616, 00617, and 00618/2017 blocks to transition as SML 495/2013 reserves deplete. Leverage 263-borehole exploration database (8,612 samples, 11,376.8m drilled) for mine planning, grade control, and reserve development. Cost Management & Budgeting: Control explosive cost per tonne through blast design optimisation and competitive procurement. Evaluate and justify CAPEX investments for HEMM replacement and workshop infrastructure with payback analysis. Control mines cost per tonne of limestone to achieve/exceed benchmark targets via operational efficiency. Prepare and manage annual mines operations budget (HEMM maintenance/spares, explosives, AGO, labour, haul road maintenance, support services). Prepare monthly cost variance reports with root cause analysis and corrective action plans for Plant Director. Reporting, Community Relations & Stakeholder Management: Represent the mines department at TMAA/MM inspections, NEMC environmental audits, and Group management review meetings. Submit daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports (production, OB removal, HEMM availability, blasting, powder factor, AGO/explosive consumption, cost per tonne). Manage community relations with Mbuo Village, Mayanga Ward, and Mtwara Rural District regarding vibration, dust, noise, jobs, and CSR. Maintain statutory records for TMAA, MM, and NEMC (survey records, blast registers, explosives registers, HEMM logs, environmental data). Team Leadership & Capability Building: Collaborate cross-functionally with Production, Raw Mill, Quality Control, Maintenance, Finance, Procurement, and HSE. Build a safety-first, performance-driven culture focusing on blasting discipline, machine care, and production consistency. Drive targeted retention initiatives to reduce employee attrition among experienced HEMM operators and mechanics. Lead and develop the team: Quarry Manager/Shift Supervisors, Drilling & Blasting Engineer, Survey Engineer, Geologist/Raw Material Analyst, HEMM Fleet & Maintenance Supervisor. Deliver training programmes for Flexiroc D60 drill operators, Komatsu PC1250 / CAT excavator/truck operators, blasting crews, and supervisors. Qualifications and Experience: Educational Qualifications: Master’s degree in Mining Engineering, MBA, or Mine Management (Added advantage). Formal blasting competency certification (Shot Firer / Blasting Engineer) (Required). Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering (Mandatory). HSE certifications such as NEBOSH or IOSH (Added advantage). Valid Tanzanian Mine Manager Certificate of Competency (TMAA/MM) (Highly desirable). Work Experience: Strong background in large HEMM fleet management (CAT, Komatsu, Terex) covering availability, PPM scheduling, and breakdown management. Explosives magazine management and Tanzania Explosives Act compliance experience: required. Demonstrated expertise in in-house drilling and blasting with pneumatic/rotary percussive drill equipment (Flexiroc D60 or equivalent). Experience: working with TMAA, MEM, and NEMC in Tanzania or comparable mining regulatory environment highly desirable. Prior experience: in East Africa is a significant advantage. 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. Technical & Functional Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; SAP experience: is an advantage. Limestone deposit chemistry ($text{CaO}$, $text{SiO}_2$, $text{Al}_2text{O}_3$, $text{Fe}_2text{O}_3$) and cement manufacturing raw material requirements. 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). Thorough knowledge of Tanzania mining laws, TMAA regulations, MM requirements, NEMC environmental standards, and Tanzania Explosives Act. Financial acumen (budgeting, cost per tonne analysis, variance reporting, CAPEX justification). HEMM fleet management (PM planning, availability tracking, MTTR/MTBF analysis, spare parts management). Mine planning and reserve estimation skills; mine planning software 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. High integrity and unwavering commitment to safe mining practices, regulatory compliance, and community responsibility. Proactive risk manager — identifies threats to production or safety early and acts decisively. Results-driven with clear focus on production targets, cost control, and safety performance simultaneously. Excellent communicator across field operations, technical teams, and senior management. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply online View all Jobs in Nigeria