Lead Underground Mining Engineer

About us Stealth Critical Metals (stealth.earth) is building a new way to mine. Our patented system reaches deep, high-grade orebodies from surface through boreholes, combining directional drilling, wireless-initiated blasting, and hydraulic extraction. No shafts, no tunnels, and no people underground. The goal is to make deep critical-metal deposits economic that conventional methods leave in the ground. We are a funded, remote-first team from mining and oilfield services, preparing our first field pilot at a porphyry copper deposit in the southwest US. The role Bring underground drill-and-blast engineering in-house. You will own the blasting program for our pilot, from design and documentation through MSHA engagement and field execution. Our team is strong in drilling and systems engineering; you will own the mining and blasting side. This is a hands-on engineering role, with title and level set by experience. Why join Apply drill-and-blast engineering to a new mining architecture, working from first principles rather than precedent. Own the blasting program end to end, at a company where your decisions shape the technology. Work alongside veterans of leading oilfield service, explosives, and mining companies. Hold early-stage equity in a company building next-generation mining technology for critical metals. Key responsibilities: pre-pilot design Own the blasting program: develop blast designs (pattern geometry, powder factor, charge distribution, timing, and confinement) and fragmentation targets for borehole extraction, finalized with our explosives supplier’s engineers. Write the program documentation: blast plans; integration of the explosives supplier’s storage, handling, and transport procedures; misfire procedures; and the vibration and airblast monitoring plan. Lead MSHA engagement and the explosives safety case for a wireless initiation system new to this application, directing our MSHA regulatory specialist. Set stope siting and geometry with geomechanical input (hydraulic radius and stability graph), and scope and coordinate external numerical modeling. Define draw control, dilution limits, and the oversize-intervention strategy. Translate the integrated engineering plan into an executable pilot mining specification. Key responsibilities: pilot execution Oversee blast rounds on site with licensed blasters, confirming each round follows the blasting program. Assess each blast (fragmentation, vibration, and misfires) and recalibrate charge, geometry, and timing for the next round. Manage ground and collapse risk, and own surface-safety procedures around the boreholes. Host MSHA inspections and keep explosives and compliance records audit-ready. Capture blast, fragmentation, and recovery data to calibrate our scale-up models. Required skills, expertise, and qualifications Degree in mining engineering or related field. 5+ years of mining engineering experience, including hands-on underground drill-and-blast (long-hole open stoping, VCR, or similar). Blasting programs: you have drafted blast designs, loading and firing procedures, and explosives handling and storage procedures at an operating mine. Working knowledge of applied geomechanics and ground control. Demonstrated field execution track record: a working engineer, not a desk planner. Willing to work on site during pilot operations. Intellectual flexibility: comfortable operating outside conventional mining paradigms (no shaft or tunnel, personnel-free downhole, and surface access only). Must adapt mining-engineering rigor to a fundamentally different architecture rather than defaulting to legacy methods. Demonstrated knowledge of MSHA and applicable BATF regulations, direct experience with field MSHA inspectors, including hosting inspections, and keeping an explosives program compliant. Must be authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship. Preferred Blast design software (e.g., JKSimBlast, SHOTPlus, or O-Pitblast) and fragmentation analysis. Experience with electronic or wireless initiation systems. Blast vibration and airblast monitoring. Location Remote, ideally based in: Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, or Nevada, with on-site work at our southwest US pilot site during pilot operations. Compensation Market-competitive salary, startup equity, and benefits.