# Lead Resource Geologist

**Company:** [Mariana Minerals](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/mariana-minerals)
**Location:** Houston, TX, San Francisco, CA
**Role:** Data Engineering
**Salary:** $140k – $175k/yr
**Experience:** 10+ years
**Skills:** Leapfrog, Datamine, Vulcan, Micromine, Geostatistics, Resource Estimation, Jorc, Ni 43-101, Drilling, Qa/Qc
**Posted:** 2026-03-04

> Leads geological modeling, resource development, and mine geology support for nickel and copper projects in open pit and underground operations. Provides technical inputs to mine planning and ensures compliance with reporting standards like NI 43-101 and JORC.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities

### Geological Modeling & Interpretation
- Own geological and mineral resource model governance, including assumptions, documentation, uncertainty, and technical defensibility
- Build, update, and maintain geological and resource models supporting open pit and underground mine designs and economic evaluation
- Interpret lithology, structure, alteration, and mineralization using drilling, mapping, and sampling data
- Define and apply domain-based modeling approaches and geostatistical methods appropriate for Ni and Cu deposit types

### Resource Development & Mine Geology Support
- Provide geological inputs to mine planning and scheduling, including ore/waste boundaries, grade trends, and structural controls
- Support grade control strategies and short-term geological models in both open pit and underground environments
- Drive near-mine resource growth through targeting, drill prioritization, and model-driven exploration
- Provide geological inputs to reserve conversion, including modifying factors, dilution assumptions, and model validation

### Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with mine planners, mining engineers, and geotechnical teams to ensure geological models are fit-for-purpose
- Translate geological uncertainty and risk into clear inputs for planning and engineering trade-off decisions
- Support technical study work across conceptual, PEA, PFS, and FS stages

### Data Quality & Technical Rigor
- Ensure high standards for geological data quality, QA/QC, and documentation
- Review and validate drilling, sampling, and assay data prior to model incorporation
- Maintain clear assumptions and traceability in all geological deliverables
- Ensure geological and resource work complies with applicable reporting codes (e.g. JORC, NI 43-101, CRIRSCO-aligned standards)

### Operational & Field Support
- Define geological objectives, data requirements, and standards for drilling, logging, and sampling, and provide geological oversight of field execution
- Undertake or review field mapping, underground mapping, and face mapping as required
- Support or lead reconciliation of geological and resource models against production data

## Requirements
- **Bachelor’s degree** in Geology, Geological Engineering, or a related field (**Master’s preferred**)
- **10+ years** of progressive experience in mine and/or resource geology
- Demonstrated experience supporting both open pit and underground mining operations
- Direct experience with nickel and copper mineral systems
- Strong applied geostatistical and mineral resource estimation experience, including domaining, variography, classification, and reporting
- Proficiency with geological modeling and estimation software (e.g., **Leapfrog**, **Datamine**, **Vulcan**, **Micromine**)
- Strong understanding of geological controls on mineralization and their implications for mining
- Ability to communicate geological concepts clearly to non-geologists
- Willingness to work across office and site environments as needed
- Professional Geologist (**P.Geo** or equivalent), or eligibility
- Demonstrated leadership of mineral resource estimates under reporting codes (e.g. **NI43-101**, **JORC**)
- Experience in greenfield or brownfield exploration programs tied to active mines

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