Graduate Mine Engineer - Rotational Program

Job Description

Job Description

WHAT WE OFFER

Your journey with Capstone Copper starts here. At Capstone, our people are the heart of our organization. We are focused on growth and are committed to unlocking the full potential of ourselves, our teams and our resources. We invest in our people to develop a skilled and engaged workforce, not only for today, but for the future. If you are looking for a purposeful, performance-driven and dynamic work environment, join us! 

Pinto Valley is an open-pit copper mine located at the west end of the historic Globe-Miami mining district of central Arizona, approximately 80 miles east of Phoenix. Pinto Valley has been in operation since 1972 and has produced more than four billion pounds of copper. Acquired by Capstone from BHP in 2013, the mine is fully permitted through 2039 and a study is underway to potentially extend the mine life through 2050.

Our proximity to the Greater Phoenix metro area provides prospective employees with the option to live in communities such as Mesa, Apache Junction, Gilbert, Chandler, San Tan Valley, or Florence. Our location offers a unique work-life balance, blending the rewarding opportunities of the mining industry with easy access to the vibrant energy of Downtown Phoenix, making it an ideal choice for both individuals and their families.

Capstone employees are eligible for an extensive total rewards package, designed to support your physical, mental, financial, and emotional well-being. This package includes, but is not limited to:

• 401(k) Savings Plan – Eligible from day one, contribute up to 90% of your salary with a dollar-for-dollar company match up to 6%, fully vested immediately.
• Retirement Boost – The company contributes 8.5% of your salary, increasing to 14.2%, with 100% immediate vesting.
• Employee Share Purchase Plan – After three months, contribute 2% to 7% of your salary (max $5,000/year) to buy company shares, with a 50% company match, fully vested upon grant.
• Annual Short Term Incentive Bonus – Up to 15% 
• Affordable Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits (effective on start date), including Telehealth options and additional supplemental insurances
• Disability and Life Insurance (effective on start date)
• Paid time-off, including vacation, holidays, sick leave, and parental leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Internal progression opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement

Position Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or similar technical discipline.
• Recent graduate or early-career engineer; previous mining internship, co-op, or field experience preferred.
• Strong commitment to safety and willingness to work in an active open pit mining environment.
• Able to work collaboratively with operations, engineering, geology, geotechnical, survey, maintenance, processing, and contractor teams.
• Able to use Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
• Exposure to mine planning, geology, dispatch, survey, or geotechnical software is preferred but not required.
• Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work outdoors and in ambient weather conditions.
• Valid State Driver’s License.
• Able to speak, comprehend, read, and write English.

Position Responsibilities 

• Demonstrate safety leadership and safety consciousness in all field, office, and project activities.
• Complete structured rotations through Mine Operations, Mine Engineering, Geology, and Geotechnical functions, with increasing responsibility as capability develops.
• Spend time in the field with mine supervisors, dispatch, equipment operators, engineers, geologists, and geotechnical personnel to understand how mine plans are executed safely and practically.
• Support daily, weekly, and longer-range mine planning activities, including production tracking, plan compliance, reconciliation, haulage review, and communication of risks or constraints.
• Assist with mine design and engineering tasks such as bench access, haul road layouts, dump planning, drill and blast interfaces, material movement tracking, and operational improvement projects.
• Support Mine Operations by helping understand plan priorities, constraints, equipment interactions, and opportunities to improve execution against the plan.
• Support Geology with ore control, sampling, mapping, blast-hole data review, ore/waste routing, stockpile tracking, and reconciliation between geology models and production results.
• Support Geotechnical with pit inspections, slope monitoring, ground hazard identification, TARP implementation, geotechnical data review, and communication of slope-related risks to operations and planning.
• Collect, analyze, and summarize operational and technical data using approved tools and formats; communicate results clearly to engineers, supervisors, and mine leadership.
• Participate in improvement projects during each rotation and present key findings, recommendations, and lessons learned to site leadership.

Work Environment

The Graduate Engineer will work in both office and field environments. Time allocation will vary by rotation; Mine Operations and Geotechnical rotations are expected to include significant field exposure, while Mine Engineering and Geology rotations may include a higher percentage of office-based technical work. The role requires regular interaction with active mining areas, field inspections, operational meetings, and technical planning activities.

ROTATION STRUCTURE

Rotation

Approx. Duration

Primary Development Focus

Mine operations

4-6 months

Field exposure, shift execution, equipment interactions, dispatch, daily priorities, and operating constraints.

Mine Engineering

4-6 months

Short-range planning, mine design, production tracking, reconciliation, drill and blast interface, and haulage review.

Geology

4-6 months

Ore control, sampling, mapping, grade control, routing, stockpile tracking, and reconciliation.

Geotechnical

4-6 months

Pit inspections, slope monitoring, TARP controls, ground hazard communication, and geotechnical support to planning and operations.

All candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment medical exam, drug and alcohol test, and background check. All positions require a pre-placement physical examination to ensure candidates are 'fit for duty’. Additional training and/or testing may be required. Capstone maintains a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

CAPSTONE COPPER IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.