Drill Operational Specialist

Our Opportunity

Work Location: Perth CBD- Fortescue’s Perth office is located on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people. 

Roster: 4 Days On / 3 Days Off

Duration: 12 Month Contract or Secondment

Play a key role in bringing the next generation of electric and autonomous drilling into live operations.

As HIVE Drill Operations Readiness Specialist, you’ll help lead the operational transition of Fortescue’s Epiroc electric and autonomous drill fleet into the HIVE, ensuring our people, processes and systems are ready to safely adopt and sustain this new capability.

Reporting to the Superintendent HIVE Drill Control, you’ll be the critical link between Drill Control and the teams delivering the technology. You’ll coordinate readiness planning, testing, training, operating procedures and handover, translating complex technical requirements into practical ways of working for our control-room teams. This is an opportunity for an operationally credible specialist to influence how new autonomous technology moves from project delivery into safe, sustainable production.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and coordinate the HIVE Drill Control readiness plan, tracking requirements, risks, dependencies and progress against key transition milestones.
• Act as the primary operational-readiness interface between HIVE Drill Control and Technology Projects, coordinating inputs, decisions and the progressive transition into BAU operations.
• Translate Epiroc operating requirements into practical HIVE procedures covering remote operations, control modes, switching, geofences, cable management and fault response.
• Coordinate simulator, desktop and field testing, commissioning and Site Acceptance Testing, ensuring defects, limitations and operational actions are captured and resolved.
• Coordinate training and capability readiness, including competency requirements, SME and vendor training, training materials and identification of capability gaps.
• Support Hypercare, post-deployment stabilisation and formal handover, ensuring operational knowledge, procedures and residual responsibilities transition to enduring owners.

Qualifications and Experience

• Demonstrated experience in mining operations, control-room operations, autonomous systems, drill operations, operational readiness, commissioning or a comparable transition environment.
• Strong understanding of operational readiness, safe operating practices, operational risk, commissioning and the transition of new technology into live operations.
• Knowledge of drill operations and autonomous technology, with exposure to control modes, cable management, electrical interfaces, fault response or mining systems highly regarded.
• Proven ability to coordinate multiple technical and operational workstreams, manage risks and dependencies, and convert project requirements into practical operating procedures.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the confidence to align operational, project and technical teams while constructively challenging readiness gaps.
• Relevant operational, technical or trade qualifications are desirable, with project management, operational readiness, training or autonomous technology qualifications highly regarded.

About Us

Be part of something big. Fortescue is leading the world with our plan to decarbonise our iron ore operations, projects that harness renewable energy and the development of technology that will change our planet forever.

Our Commitment

Fortescue celebrates individual strengths and team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Our global workforce drives and promotes an inclusive culture, both within our organisation and throughout the communities we interact with. Diverse backgrounds include First Nations Peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ community, gender, neurodiverse, cultural diversity, all age groups, and those with an intersectional or multiple diverse characteristics. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

https://fortescue.com/careers 

Internal Candidates / Current Contractors please apply via Success Factors Careers Portal. For further information on how to apply please visit the Fortescue Hub. 

Fortescue reserves the right to close applications early should a suitable pool of candidates be identified. Fortescue will never contact you to ask for payment of any kind, whether directly or through a third party.