Senior Civil Engineer - Water Management

At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to providing an employment package that recognizes excellence, encourages safe production and a culture supported by our core values. Here, you’ll find a collaborative environment where safety is a top priority, all opinions are valued, and people are empowered to grow in their career. Apply Today!

Where You Will Work

Located approximately 50 miles northeast of Safford, Arizona on U.S. Highway 191, Morenci operations (an open-pit copper mining complex) has been in continuous operation since 1939. The operation consists of two concentrators, crushed-ore leach pad and stacking system, a low-grade run-of-mine (ROM) leaching system; four SX plants; and three EW tank houses that produce copper cathode.

Morenci is a unique company town where our employees and their families can reconnect with nature through hiking, fishing, camping, hunting and numerous parks. The company offers several amenities, including company housing OR employees who are required to work on-site are eligible for a $750 monthly housing allowance, provided they meet program guidelines, a newly constructed daycare and community center, library, health-care facilities, state-of-the-art fitness centers, a movie theater and a skate park. Our dedicated Parks and Recreation Division plans activities for people of all ages, making sure there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Visit the Morenci town website to learn more.

What You Will Do

Supervise, provide technical guidance, interpret, manage projects/tasks and/or participate in activities to maintain operational performance and quantify site-wide water management with focus on Tailings/Crushed Leach facilities and overall process water and storm water facilities. Water balance activities include inspection, measurement, interpretation, analysis, coordination, problem solving, forecasting, reporting, and may include project design support. Review and improve the performance of existing tailings, crushed leach, and water management systems.

• Apply working knowledge of engineering principles related to site-wide water systems to quantify water accounting, using water data measurement & collection, flow mapping, analysis, interpretation and problem solving
• Provide guidance and instruction to multidisciplinary teams in the management of operational water data, reporting, synthesizing and forecasting; assign tasks as necessary
  • Review, improve and apply tailings, crushed leach, and water management systems to achieve good practice
  • Review reports for design and operations projects and provide recommendations to site team and to project consultants
• Execute or interpret and oversee maintenance of site-wide water operations and planning simulation model. Incorporate water use scenarios that consider specific production plans and climate scenarios to quantify water balance performance
  • Use predictive simulations to support design projects for capital infrastructure
  • Use results to formulate value-added solutions to identified challenges or as requested
• Contribute to site strategic planning and budgeting efforts for water engineering management areas
• Develop and/or review scopes of work, evaluate proposals, draft formalized internal requests for funding, and administer contracts with vendors for the provision of services and equipment as approved and required
• Identify opportunities for site-wide water management improvements and determine associated value for water conservation measures or risk reduction measures
• Performs other duties as required

What You Bring to Freeport

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related Engineering discipline from an accredited curriculum with five (5) years of experience in applicable field of expertise, OR

• Master's degree in Civil Engineering or related Engineering discipline from an accredited curriculum with three (3) years of experience in Engineering or related Scientific field

• Knowledge of principles and practice of civil, geotechnical, water resources, water quality/treatment (environmental), and/or geological engineering

• Demonstrate technical competence through design and/or operations experience in at least one of the following work areas: tailings storage, leach stockpiles, water dams, process water balance

• Proficient in MS Office and other engineering tools (CAD, analytical, mapping)

• Fluency in English

• Certified Engineer-in-Training or equivalent

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing to a diversely educated audience

• Present a positive, professional image

• Self-motivated, energetic, able to execute, and client-service oriented

• Be able to prioritize tasks and work well under pressure

• Ability to develop and maintain awareness of occupational hazards and safety of yourself and others

• Skilled in following safety practices and recognizing hazards

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or similar with water resources engineering or process specialization.
• Professional Engineering license or the ability to obtain one within 2 years.
• Experience in surface water hydrology, hydraulics, and groundwater hydrology.
• Demonstrated expertise and proficiency in the GoldSim simulation software including development of water balance models and their calibration for water accounting and forecasting scenarios.
• Experience using engineering software (AutoCAD/Civil 3D, ArcGIS, HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, GoldSim), programming languages (Python, R).
• Experience with utilizing bathymetric and topographic survey data to inform water studies and models.
• Experience working in Mining environment especially with tailings storage facilities, water dams, leach stockpiles, and water treatment.
• Experience with cost estimating for civil projects, project scheduling, and project controls.
• Able to evaluate and implement new methods and techniques in design projects and operational support.
• Superior interpersonal as well as written and oral communication skills with diverse teams of technical and non-technical staff.

What We Offer You

The estimated annual pay range for this role is currently $97,500-$138,000 . This range reflects base salary only and does not include bonus payments, benefits or retirement contributions. Actual base pay is determined by experience, qualifications, skills and other job-related factors. This role is eligible for additional discretionary and incentive payment considerations based on company and individual performance. More details will be shared during the hiring process. Click here to view a sample of Total Rewards Estimate for this role.

• Employees who are required to work on-site are eligible for a $750 monthly housing allowance, provided they meet program guidelines
• Affordable medical, dental and vision benefits
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) plan with employer contribution/match
• Paid time off, paid sick time, holiday pay, parental leave
• Tuition assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discounted insurance plans for pet, auto, home and vehicle
• Internal progression opportunities
• Learn more about our competitive and comprehensive benefits package!

What We Require

• Candidates may be required to pass a medical exam.
• Candidates must pass all required training and/or testing.
• Employees may be required to work a non-standard schedule, which may include shift work (other than day shift) at a 24/7, 365-day operation.
• Freeport-McMoRan promotes a drug/alcohol-free work environment using mandatory pre-employment drug testing and on-going drug and alcohol testing, as allowed by applicable laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Please be advised that Freeport-McMoRan will never request payment for job-related expenses from applicants. If you receive any suspicious emails, please disregard them, and report the incident to View email address on aiapply.co.