Job Description

Newcastle, Australia | Posted on 13/07/2026

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Ready to review the pulse of real mining decisions?

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- Reassessing your next move in mining?
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- Want to move beyond optimising a single operation?
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- Looking for exposure to different mines, strategies, and development pathways?
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About the role

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Whether you've recently been made redundant, or you're starting to question the path of site-based roles, this is an opportunity to apply your experience differently.

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At Palaris, you move beyond production planning into advisory work where your judgement informs investment decisions, mine optimisation, options analysis, and project development strategy across multiple operations.

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What this role actually involves

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If you are looking for structured production planning or process-driven feasibility work, this is not that role.

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This is advisory work where judgement and insight matter. Your role is not to produce more detail. It is to frame the decision and improve the outcome. You will:

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- Lead and contribute to concept studies, red flag reviews, and technical due diligence
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- Deliver mine optimisation studies identifying practical improvements to performance, cost, and value
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- Undertake options analysis and trade-off assessments to determine the best development pathway
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- Support project development strategies not just evaluate existing plans
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- Assess mine plans, schedules, and assumptions identifying what drives value vs noise
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- Work directly with clients including operators, investors, and lenders
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- Apply your underground coal experience across multiple assets and contexts
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Most of our team come from major mining houses. They move because:

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- They want to move beyond optimising a single operation
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- They are frustrated by limited influence over key decisions
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- They want exposure to different mines, strategies, and development pathways
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- They prefer applying judgement over process
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- They want to be challenged and stretched
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Palaris is an independent advisory firm to the mining sector. We work where decisions carry consequence, supporting:

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- Resource companies (site and corporate)
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- Financial institutions and lenders
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- Equity investors
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Our work sits at the intersection of technical insight and capital decisions, with a focus on transparent, defensible judgement and practical optimisation.

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About you

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You are an underground coal mining engineer who understands both planning and reality. You likely have:

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- 5+ years of significant experience in underground coal operations
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- Strong capability in mine planning, design, and scheduling
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- Exposure to operational improvement, studies, or project development
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More importantly, you:

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- Understand what drives value, risk, and performance in a mine
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- Can step back from the model and challenge direction
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- Review a mine plan and quickly assess what does not make sense and why
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- Are comfortable contributing to client-facing discussions and decisions
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You will stand out if you bring:

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- Experience in mine optimisation, due diligence, or mine reviews
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- Exposure to financial evaluation, options analysis, or trade-off studies
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- A network where you are comfortable reaching out to keep your finger on the pulse
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Technical Requirements

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- Proficiency in Deswik, XPAC, Minex or similar
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- Full Australian working rights (no visa sponsorship available)
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What we offer

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- A 9-day fortnight and flexibility
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- Bonus structure aligned to individual performance
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- Lifestyle location for you and your family – Wollongong, Newcastle or Brisbane office.
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📌 Principal Mine Planning Engineer (Underground) (New South Wales)
🏢 Palaris Australia Pty
📍 New South Wales