Vice President, Mining Operations #0405KC

Our client is seeking a Vice President, Mining Operations to provide executive leadership across a growing mining organization with significant long-term resource development ambitions in Colorado. This is a career-oriented leadership role for an accomplished operator who can build capability, lead safely, and deliver operational performance in a complex, high-stakes environment.

As Vice President, Mining Operations, you will be accountable for the safe, efficient, and sustainable execution of mining operations, while helping shape the broader strategy of the business. You will play a critical role in building operational readiness, developing high-performing teams, and establishing the systems, standards, and culture required to support major project delivery and long-life asset development.

This position requires a leader who can operate strategically and practically—someone equally comfortable setting direction at the executive level and driving discipline, accountability, and continuous improvement in the field. You will help establish a culture centered on safety, credibility, performance, and operational excellence, while contributing to the successful development of multi-billion-dollar projects over the coming decades.

This role is based in Western Slope, Colorado and includes substantial travel requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for mining operations, with accountability for safety, production readiness, operational planning, cost discipline, and performance outcomes.
• Lead the development and implementation of mining operational strategies that align with the organization’s long-term business objectives.
• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary operations team capable of delivering safe and reliable performance across all phases of asset development and operations.
• Establish the systems, processes, and operating standards required to support startup, ramp-up, steady-state production, and future expansion.
• Partner closely with technical services, project development, permitting, environmental, health and safety, community relations, and corporate leadership to ensure integrated decision-making.
• Drive a culture of operational accountability, decentralized decision making, problem solving, and continuous improvement.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning, and retention strategies for critical operational leadership and site-based roles.
• Ensure a strong “without harm” mindset across people, assets, communities, reputation, and business performance.
• Lead operational risk identification and mitigation efforts, including emergency readiness, contractor oversight, and compliance with relevant safety and environmental standards.
• Contribute to project execution planning, construction readiness, commissioning, and operational transition activities.
• Act as a visible and credible leader with internal and external stakeholders, helping strengthen the organization’s reputation across the region and industry.

• Proven senior leadership experience in mining operations, ideally within a growth-oriented or asset development environment.
• Strong operating background with the ability to lead through startup, expansion, transformation, or large-scale project development.
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams in complex, capital-intensive industries.
• A clear commitment to safety leadership and the ability to embed a culture focused on zero harm to people, assets, and reputation.
• Deep understanding of operational excellence, production discipline, planning, reliability, cost management, and performance improvement.
• The judgment and maturity to balance strategic objectives with practical field realities.
• Experience working cross-functionally with technical, permitting, environmental, commercial, and corporate teams.
• A leadership style that is self-starting, resilient, collaborative, and grounded in accountability.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build trust across multiple levels of the organization.
• The ability to lead, support, and develop employees across generations and levels of experience.
• A reasoned and responsive approach to risk evaluation, decision making, and execution.

Preferred Background

• Significant mining industry experience in base metals, critical minerals, industrial minerals, or related resource sectors.
• Experience in the western United States or in jurisdictions with complex stakeholder, permitting, and operational dynamics.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Geology, or a related discipline; advanced qualifications beneficial but not required.
• Experience supporting large-scale project delivery, owner’s team environments, or long-life asset development programs is highly desirable.

Competitive base compensation and incentive opportunity.

The chance to join an ambitious and well-supported organization at a pivotal stage of growth.

The opportunity to shape operations, build teams, and make a lasting impact on a significant long-term mining development.

Career development, executive visibility, and the ability to contribute to work of genuine scale and importance.

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