What's your job about?
I work for BHP in their coal assets as a Geotechnical Superintendent. I manage a team of Geotechnical Engineers across 5 sites. I work 8 days on 6 days off roster, FIFO from Brisbane to the Bowen Basin. Working with teams across multiple sites means I move around a lot and try to spend 1-2 days at each site per roster. A requirement of the role is to be an RPEQ (Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland) as we supervise the work of other engineers.
The superintendent's role focuses on reviewing the hazard management and design documents that the site engineers complete. I also oversee risk management, get involved with our high-consequence designs and hazard management, work on improvement projects and initiatives that impact all sites and help to ensure best practice is consistent across sites. We also want to make sure we’re training, developing and upskilling our team.
A typical day for me can be very dynamic as we have to adjust and prioritise based on what the needs are for the operations. I could be reviewing hazard reports or monitoring plans, consulting with a site geotechnical engineer on their design/hazard controls, and reviewing a Geotechnical Pit Layout (mine design) for a particular site. Or I could be working on improving group-level documents, getting involved with audits or creating information briefs to share learnings across the coal business.
What's your background?
I was born and grew up in Brisbane. I didn’t really consider an engineering degree until my last semester of high school where I kind of landed on it because I really enjoyed science and maths and thought it would be a good practical application. Due to this, I hadn’t really considered a major until I was at university – I considered Biomedical before landing on Civil Engineering because I wanted to design the next Millau Viaduct or Burj Kahlifa – very different from what I am doing now! I got my first exposure to mining during an internship and although I worked in the civil industry for one year after university, I returned to mining the following year in the BHP Graduate Program.
I have spent the past 9 years with BHP working across a number of their coal assets as the site Geotechnical Engineer and for the past 12 months as one of the Geotechnical Superintendents. I’ve had many career highlights but a call out would definitely be being recognised as an Exceptional Young Women in Mining and Resources at a state (QLD) and national level. I’ve also co-authored papers and presented at conferences and been involved in geotechnical societies.
I currently work FIFO from Brisbane to the Bowen Basin. My husband also works in resources and we have one child with another one on the way this year.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
I have pursued this job through a civil engineering degree with a focus on geotechnical engineering, however, I’ve also seen Mining Engineers and Geologists take on the role. I think the most important thing is to have a keen interest in geology and rock mechanics and how these influence my design. You also need to have a great appreciation for safety in design, risk management, a problem-solving attitude and great communication skills. There’s no point in having a good idea if you can’t communicate it to the wide variety of people you work with.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about my job is getting to work with many stakeholders across such a span of the mine lifecycle. We are involved in exploration planning, long and short-term mine planning, operations, hazard management and mine closure. Additionally, we have a great mix of in the field “hands-on” work on-site as well as getting to put our engineering skills to work in the office and doing designs and assessments.
What are the limitations of your job?
Being a Geotechnical Engineer comes with a lot of responsibility. You are heavily involved with managing a principal hazard (a hazard which could cause fatalities). You have to have great attention to detail and be thorough to ensure that we are managing the risk at an acceptable level and keeping people safe.
A lot of the work we do also requires in field inspections and monitoring – therefore, whilst there are some projects and design work that can be done remotely, the role in your formative years will likely be site based. The site engineers often work roster to ensure we have adequate operational coverage.
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