Mineral Processing Engineering jobs

The Company

Cornish Metals is an AIM listed Company working towards re-opening the 100% owned and fully permitted South Crofty underground tin mine in Pool, Cornwall.

In March 2025, we raised £57.4 million, anchored by the UK’s National Wealth Fund and Vision Blue Resources to advance South Crofty towards tin production once again. Tin is essential for electronics, renewable energy, and modern technology and demand is projected to increase by 30% in the next decade.

We are committed to ethical, responsible and domestic tin production and are proud to have strong local and national support.

Role requirements

The Production Engineer will be responsible for providing close assistance to the Production Manager at a key stage of setting up systems, processes and establishing the underground mine for pre-production development and subsequently for full production.

South Crofty is a hard‑rock, primary tin deposit in a multi-narrow vein system. The Production Engineer will have a key role working with operational, technical, backfill and geological teams to ensure safety, maximise value and meet long‑term strategic objectives.

Cornish Metals is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace. A copy of our Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Policy is available on request.

Principle responsibilities/role tasks

Specific duties as part of the role include, but are not limited to, the following:-

• Become a key member of the underground production team, utilising your experience and skills to help create a best practice and efficient underground mining operation.
• Providing technical assistance with establishing and managing major hazard policies for the underground mine and monitoring the associated safety systems for the underground production department, to set up a coherent and sustainable safety management system.
• Develop rolling operational short to mid-term mine production plans and align them with the long-term mining strategy and mine plan as derived from Technical Services.
• Work closely with the Mine Planning team to ensure a solid strategy as how to best execute the pre-production mining plans, of which a considerable component is developing a coherent training and competency program for those persons who will be working in the mine, as well as conducting optimisation studies to assess the best mining engineering methods for delivery and proactively identifying project risk areas.
• Assist with pro-actively tackling re-access methodologies and macro project management of identified remedial and primary works required during reopening of the mine.
• Assisting in the shortlisting and selection of new underground equipment for the life of mine, and its design and integration. The initial scoping and procurement of our required mining equipment, both mobile and fixed plant is going to be crucial to the success of the project, as is the commissioning and integration of said equipment upon its arrival, which you will also be required to assist with the execution of.
• A considerable volume of new equipment, both mobile and fixed plant, will be introduced to the mine in the near future. Change management and asset integration are integral facets of responsibly bringing this equipment into use and the Production Engineer will assist with running the process, documentation and roll-out of the management of those changes.
• Multiple procedures and training packages must be written and reviewed as we establish the underground mining operations. We are also seeking accreditation for our mining training packages, which entails an additional volume of work during the setup of said packages. The Production Engineer would assist the Production Manager and Training Department with this process.
• Assisting the Training Department with record keeping of the training of members of the Production Department. An intense period of training is underway for the next two-three years, which will require assistance from multiple stakeholders, in addition to helping establish integrated digital systems for training and competency management.
• Assistance with creating Risk Assessment Method Statements (RAMS). All works underground are to be carried out under the umbrella of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) or RAMS, the Production Engineer will assist with competently compiling RAMS and SOPS to deal with dynamic situations in the operation and assist the supervisory team accordingly in ensuring compliance.
• Assist with project cost control management and monitoring for the underground production department.
• Data validation. We are developing the potential to extract and utilise a considerable amount of data from the mining teams and equipment, but this needs assistance in establishing the appropriate systems and processes from the mining side to ensure accurate use of this data.
• An integrated site wide enterprise resource planning system is being introduced to the project and will require considerable time and input to establish. As Production Engineer, you will assist the Production team with managing this transition.

Working Environment

Primarily office based, however the role will require frequent underground inspections.

Conditions

• Lighting is limited; headlamps are often the only light source.
• Conditions are wet and muddy, including water from above and slippery, uneven ground underfoot.
• Close contact with muddy and ochre‑stained equipment and rock is common.
• Temperatures vary significantly: as low as 2°C in shallow areas and up to 30°C in deep workings.
• High humidity (up to 100%) and frequent draughts due to ventilation.
• Terrain includes steep gradients, loose ground, and confined spaces.
• The environment is often very noisy, requiring regular hearing protection.
• Work may involve heavy, vibrating handheld tools and manual handling up to 20kg.

Access & Underground Movement

• Main access to the deep workings is via an 8‑person cage in an 800m‑deep shaft.
• A secondary emergency “bullet cage” (4-person, 800mm diameter) is also used.
• Spaces can be narrow with restricted height, requiring comfort in confined areas.

Physical & Safety Requirements

• Ability to climb ladders in dark, wet conditions.
• Good level of physical fitness for manual handling and movement across difficult terrain.
• Ability to ride in small, confined shaft cages.
• Must wear and operate fall‑arrest harnesses and restraint equipment.
• Frequent work at height, including on ropes and fall‑restraint systems.
• Required participation in regular health assessments.

Key relationships

The role will report to the Production Manager - Mining, but there will be frequent interaction with the Technical Services Manager as well as the operational mining crews, particularly the Production Mine Captain, Shiftbosses and Lead Miners.

Skills and experience

The key skills and experience which are expected for this role are:

Essential

• Degree in Mining Engineering or a closely related field.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in underground mining operations.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• High level of competency in Microsoft Office software suite
• Proficiency in mine planning and design software (Deswik Suite preferred).

Desirable

• Operational experience in narrow vein hard‑rock mining underground operations.
• Experience of UK Mining Regulations.
• Experience of working / managing existing mine workings.
• Project management experience in mine development or expansion.
• Experience of operational planning and integration will be favoured.

Salary

£50,000 - £60,000 depending on experience.

Benefits

• Health & Dental Cashback
• Life Insurance
• Enhanced parental leave and sick pay
• Income protection insurance
• Enhanced pension contributions
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Personal days

Hours of work and work location

Full Time 37.5 hours a week, Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm. South Crofty Mine site.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £50,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person