Senior Engineer, Research and Development, School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources

The Geotechnical Center of Excellence (GCE) is a stakeholder-led research and professional development organization within the University of Arizona's School of Mining and Mineral Resources. The Senior Engineer, R&D (R&D Engineer/Scientist III) serves as a senior technical leader advancing applied geotechnical research and training programs focused on mine slope stability, highwall safety, and thermal imaging technologies for real-time rockfall detection and slope monitoring. This position will lead and help execute GCE's field data collection programs in collaboration with industry partners and students, ensuring data integrity and safety in mine-site environments. It also provides technical leadership for the development and delivery of professional courses, mentoring junior staff and students to build capacity for future research and industry practice.

This position requires occasional travel to mine sites for field deployments and industry events. Field work may involve exposure to weather extremes and active mine conditions.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties and Responsibilities:

Research & Development:

• Design and lead applied geotechnical research on highwall safety, slope monitoring, and thermal imaging systems.
• Lead and participate in field data collection programs, including instrument deployment, data acquisition, and analysis on active mine sites.
• Serve as primary author, internal reviewer, and/or lead contributor to peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, technical reports, abstracts, and presentations.
• Represent GCE research at industry and academic conferences and serve as a technical lead on project communications with stakeholders.

Professional Development & Knowledge Transfer:

• Serve as technical lead for the development of new professional courses and ongoing technical lead for recurring courses on slope stability, monitoring technologies, and data analytics.
• Collaborate with subject-matter experts to develop and deliver engaging, industry-aligned learning content.

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Building:

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with industry members, technology providers, and academic partners.
• Represent GCE in external collaborations and contribute to strategic project planning with members and sponsors.

Supervision, Mentor ship, and Capacity Building:

• Supervise and mentor graduate students, undergraduate research assistants, and junior R&D Engineers.
• Provide structured mentor ship in research methods, field deployment, data analysis, publication development, and professional communication.
• Assign work, review deliverables, monitor progress, and support skill development to build future technical competency and capacity within the Center.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of geotechnical principles, monitoring technologies, and data interpretation.
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills to develop junior staff and student engineers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across academia, government, and industry.
• Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and analytical rigor in solving complex geotechnical problems.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geology, or a related discipline.
  
• Demonstrated experience in geotechnical fieldwork, data analysis, and communication.
  
• Experience in open-pit slope monitoring, highwall safety, or thermal/remote sensing applications.
  
• Demonstrated experience leading projects and mentoring technical staff.
  
• Experience with Python or similar programming languages is strongly preferred.
  
• Demonstrated record of technical writing and publication (peer-reviewed or industry) and experience presenting research findings to professional audiences.