Principal Geotechnical Engineer

About BHP

At BHP we support our people to grow, learn, develop their skills and reach their potential. With a global portfolio of operations, we offer a diverse and inclusive environment with extraordinary career opportunities. Our strategy is to focus on creating a safe work environment where our employees feel strongly connected to our values and objectives, and where the capability of our people is key to our success. 
 
Come and be a part of this success!

Work Location

This role is flexible to be based out of either Tucson or Miami, AZ.  

Purpose

BHP is searching for talented and motivated Geotechnical Tailings Engineer to assist in the design and delivery of mine closure projects and implementation of dam safety programs at its closed mine sites located in the USA.  The position will be within BHPs North American Legacy Assets Portfolio reporting through the Projects, Technical and Environment team.

About the Role

• To assist in the review of the facility geotechnical studies and interface with external geotechnical specialists for ensuring adequate controls are in place to minimize dam and closure risks;
• Engage the site managers, functional leads and the Engineer and Designer of Record in design, implementation and changes of systems and processes for managing dam and closure risks;
• Conduct conceptual level designs to inform decision making processes, and guide external consultants with progression of project studies and execution;
• Provide guidance to site operations and projects teams for the implementation of field fit designs to manage closure risks;
• Oversight of field programs at various sites in our portfolio
• Contribute to annual operational and sustaining capital budget preparation by supplying costs and recommendations;
• Collaborate with operations, engineers and maintenance personnel to continuously ensure good performance of tailings, and water management areas and to identify associated improvements including the tailings and site water management; 
• Actively support operation’s water team and engineers with analysis of material properties, water loss parameters, and operational changes for TSFs;
• Contributes to reviewing and updating dam risks, assessment of changing risks that may contribute increased liabilities;
• Participate in geotechnical reviews and external coordination of all dam studies; such as Dam Safety Reviews, liquefaction and stability assessments, dam break analyses, flood and runout analyses;
• Contribute to benchmark performance against other mining operations
• Assist in the collaboration with the responsible dam engineers across the BHP portfolio and the BHP’s Head of Tailings governance;
• Manage appropriate budgets for consulting and other services

About You

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in a management role in geotechnical and construction projects, understanding risk management and cost controls;
• Experience with studies to support design and construction of mine waste repositories in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, beneficial to have experience in Arizona;
• Experience with uranium tailings impoundments and familiarity with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission beneficial, particularly in the states of New Mexico and Utah;
• Coordinate with others to geotechnical field investigations, and manage integrated scientific and technical studies;
• Strong leadership skills to manage projects, consultants and deliverables;
• Solid interpersonal skills to interact and maintain effective relationships with consultants, and community stakeholders; and 
• Exercise judgment regarding details of work and application of standard methods
• B.Sc or M.Sc degree in geotechnical engineering or related engineering discipline with relevant engineering experience

Application Deadline

This posting will be active until 11:59pm CST on December 19, 2025. 

About Our Process

At BHP, we are committed to employing individuals who align with the BHP Charter Values and meet the requirements of the role. As part of the recruitment process, there are a number of checks which may be conducted to demonstrate applicants’ suitability for a role including police/criminal background checks, medical, drug and alcohol testing, due diligence checks, right to work checks, and/or reference checks.  The outcome of these checks is not determinative of whether or not BHP decides to make an offer of employment.

Support a Diverse Workforce

At BHP, we know that we are strengthened by diversity. We are an Equal Opportunity employer that is committed to making BHP a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and be at their best every day. We are focused on creating a workforce that is more diverse and represents the communities where we work and live. providing a work environment in which everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. We recognize that true diversity includes gender, age, race, disability status, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, education levels, and many more aspects of your identity. BHP is committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all. If you have a disability, we know that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. If you would like to reach out to someone about your situation and our recruitment process, please email us at inclusion@bhp.com.

At BHP, we aim to unlock the enormous potential that diverse and inclusive teams bring to the workplace, to leave a strong legacy within and beyond our operations for the generations to come.