Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Underground Project Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Underground Project Manager is the lead on underground construction, tunnelling and mine development projects — accountable for end-to-end delivery including scope definition, cost and schedule control, contractor management, HSE leadership, geotechnical and ground control strategy, procurement, commissioning and handover. This role requires strong technical experience in underground works (tunnelling, shaft sinking, cut-and-cover, raise boring, shotcrete, blasting), demonstrated project controls capability (budgeting, forecasting, Primavera/MS Project), and a proven track record of delivering safe, on-time, on-budget outcomes while engaging internal and external stakeholders.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Underground Engineer / Mine Development Engineer
Site/Construction Engineer (underground projects)
Senior Geotechnical Engineer with underground experience

Advancement To:

Senior Project Manager / Project Director (Underground Programs)
Underground Operations Manager / Mine Manager
Head of Underground Projects / Program Director

Lateral Moves:

Tunnelling Manager / Tunnel Works Lead
Contracts Manager (Construction/Mining)
Mine Development Manager / Mine Planning Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the delivery of underground construction and development projects from pre-construction through commissioning and closeout, managing scope, schedule and cost to meet contractual and company targets for an underground project portfolio.
Prepare, review and own detailed project execution plans (PEP) and method statements for tunnelling, shaft sinking, declines and production development, ensuring alignment with geotechnical recommendations and regulatory requirements.
Develop, manage and report on project budgets and forecasts, implement rigorous cost control processes, approve change orders, and lead value engineering workshops to optimize total cost of ownership.
Create and maintain detailed construction schedules using Primavera P6 / Microsoft Project, drive critical path activities, identify schedule risks, and coordinate remedial actions with planners and contractors to recover program delays.
Drive contractor procurement and management activities: develop tender packages, evaluate bids, negotiate terms, issue contracts, and provide day-to-day commercial and technical governance to minimize claims and disputes.
Lead project risk management and mitigation: maintain risk registers, implement mitigation plans for geotechnical uncertainty, ground control and water ingress, and escalate critical risks to senior leadership with recommended actions.
Own health, safety and environmental performance on site — set safety expectations, enforce HSE standards (permit to work, emergency response, confined space, ventilation), lead incident investigations, and implement corrective actions to achieve target TRIF/MTI metrics.
Coordinate geotechnical monitoring and instrumentation programs (convergence monitoring, piezometers, extensometers), interpret data with the geotechnical team, and adapt ground support and sequencing based on monitoring results.
Design and validate ground control systems (rock bolts, mesh, shotcrete, steel sets), oversee shotcrete and fibre reinforcement application, and ensure quality control of underground support installation.
Oversee drilling and blasting or mechanical excavation operations, ensure blast designs meet vibration/airblast limits and permit conditions, and supervise the interface between blasting operations and downstream development activities.
Manage ventilation, pumping and dewatering systems for safe underground operations; work with ventilation engineers to implement airflow modeling, control diesel particulate exposure, and ensure compliance with air quality requirements.
Direct commissioning and handover activities for underground infrastructure (power, communications, conveyor/tailings systems, ventilation), ensuring functional testing, snagging, and documentation meet handover criteria.
Establish and maintain robust QA/QC systems on site; plan and execute inspections, non-conformance management, materials verification and testing regimes according to project specifications and codes.
Provide technical leadership and mentoring to site teams and supervisors, cultivate multi-disciplinary collaboration across engineering, procurement, construction and operations, and drive a high-performance delivery culture.
Prepare and present comprehensive progress reports, board-level summaries and stakeholder briefings showing cost-to-complete, schedule performance, risk status and key technical issues for underground works.
Coordinate logistics and materials management for remote or constrained underground sites: develop bulk material handling plans, manage plant/equipment mobilization, and optimize supply chain to minimize downtime.
Lead stakeholder and community engagement for underground projects including local authorities, landowners, indigenous communities and permitting agencies to secure access, permits and social license to operate.
Integrate environmental management into underground project planning: manage groundwater management plans, waste rock handling, environmental monitoring and compliance with permit conditions.
Implement and track productivity and performance metrics (developed meters/day, advance rates, equipment utilization), identify bottlenecks and deploy continuous improvement initiatives to improve advance rates and reduce costs.
Manage claims, variations and contractual disputes with contractors and suppliers; lead negotiations, prepare substantiated change requests and work with legal/commercial teams to resolve issues to protect project outcomes.
Ensure regulatory and permitting compliance across all underground activities (mining/commercial permits, explosives, blasting, water and environmental permits), prepare permit applications and manage inspections by regulators.

Secondary Functions

Support pre-feasibility and feasibility studies by providing constructability input, cost estimates and execution strategy for underground options.
Work with procurement to define long-lead items, equipment specifications (load haul dump, underground drills, shotcrete rigs, raise boring rigs) and assist in supplier selection for critical underground plant.
Contribute to organisational standards: update project execution templates, HSE procedures and QA/QC checklists based on lessons learned from underground delivery.
Coach and develop site supervisors, foremen and engineers to build underground delivery capability and succession pipelines.
Lead or contribute to emergency response planning and drills for underground incidents including fires, inundations and ground falls.
Participate in post-project reviews and handback audits; capture best practices and continuous improvement opportunities for future underground projects.
Provide technical input into mine planning and short-term scheduling to ensure development sequence alignment between project and operations.
Maintain up-to-date project documentation, as-built records, design change logs and handover dossiers to support operations and regulatory record keeping.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven expertise in underground construction and mining methodologies: tunnelling (TBM and drill & blast), shaft sinking, raise boring, cut-and-cover and development headings.
Project controls proficiency: developing, maintaining and reporting schedules in Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project and applying earned value and schedule risk analysis.
Cost management and commercial acumen: budgeting, forecasting, cost-to-complete, change management and contract administration for NEC/FIDIC/AS contracts.
Strong HSE systems knowledge: permit-to-work systems, confined space entry, ventilation management, explosives handling and incident investigation.
Geotechnical interpretation skills: working with geotechnical engineers on rock mass classification, support design, convergence analysis and instrumentation data interpretation.
Ground support and shotcrete technology: specification, QA/QC and inspection of rock bolt systems, mesh, fibre shotcrete and sprayed concrete application.
Ventilation and dewatering system design basics: modeling airflows, fan selection, water management plans and pump system specification.
Equipment and fleet selection for underground operations: LHDs, scalers, jumbo drills, raise boring and shotcrete rigs, and understanding of maintenance regimes.
Regulatory and permitting experience across mining, environmental and explosives legislation relevant to underground works.
Quality assurance and inspection: development of inspection plans, non-conformance management and materials testing for underground concrete and steel.
Risk management and mitigation planning for geotechnical uncertainty, water ingress, and contractor interfaces.
Proficient with Microsoft Office suite (advanced Excel for cost control), Power BI/Tableau for dashboards, and competence in engineering drawing review (AutoCAD).
Familiarity with remote or constrained site logistics, materials handling and supply chain planning for underground projects.
Contract negotiation and dispute resolution skills: managing claims, variations and commercial negotiations with contractors and suppliers.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and team development: motivate multidisciplinary teams and foster a safety-first delivery culture.
Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication: influence and present complex technical and commercial information to executives, regulators and community groups.
Problem solving and decisive decision making under pressure, with evidence-based rationale and timely escalation where required.
Negotiation and persuasion skills for commercial settlements, contractor performance management and stakeholder alignment.
High attention to detail while maintaining the ability to see and drive strategic outcomes across the project lifecycle.
Adaptability and resilience in remote, high-risk and fast-changing underground environments.
Coaching and mentoring capability to upskill site teams and build long-term capability.
Cultural sensitivity and community relations awareness when working with local and indigenous stakeholders.
Time management and prioritization of multiple concurrent workstreams.
Continuous improvement mindset: identify productivity improvements and implement Kaizen-style initiatives on site.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geological Engineering, or Construction Management (or equivalent) with strong underground experience.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Mining/Civil/Geotechnical Engineering, MBA or Project Management certification (PMP, PMI-RMP).
Formal HSE/NEBOSH or industry-specific safety qualifications are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mining Engineering
Civil or Structural Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Construction Management
Project Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7–15+ years of progressive experience in underground construction or mine development, including at least 5 years in a project management or site leadership role.

Preferred:

10+ years managing medium to large-scale underground projects (tunnelling, shaft sinking or mine development) with demonstrable delivery of complex technical scope on schedule and within budget.
Proven track record of contractor management, complex stakeholder engagement, regulatory permitting and exemplary HSE performance.
Experience operating in remote locations and handling logistically challenging projects, with international exposure desirable.