Principal Mechanical Engineer

About the Company:

The mining industry has steadily become worse at finding new ore deposits, requiring >10X more capital to make discoveries compared to 30 years ago. The easy-to-find, near-surface deposits have largely been found, and the industry has chronically under-invested in new exploration technology, relying on the manual techniques of yesteryear – even as demand accelerates for copper, lithium, and other metals to build electric vehicles, renewable energy, and data centers. KoBold builds AI models for mineral exploration and deploys those models—alongside our novel sensors—to guide decisions on KoBold-owned-and-operated exploration programs. In the six years since founding, KoBold has become by far both the largest independent mineral exploration company and the largest exploration technology developer. Our data scientists and software engineers, who come from leading technology companies, jointly lead exploration programs with our renowned exploration geologists. KoBold has proven its first discovery with materially less capital than the industry average and found one of the best copper deposits ever discovered: the copper is far more concentrated than the global average of copper mines, and this asset alone is expected to generate meaningful revenue for decades. KoBold has a portfolio of more than 60 other projects, each of which has the potential for another high-quality discovery. KoBold is privately held; investors include institutional asset managers T. Rowe Price and Canada Pension Plan Investments; technology venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BOND Capital, Durable Capital, StepStone, and Standard Investments; and natural resources companies Equinor, BHP, and Mitsubishi.

About the Role

This role will provide strategic technical leadership, assurance, and governance across all mechanical engineering components of the Mingomba mining project. You will be the mechanical engineering authority for the Owner’s Team, ensuring that all designs and execution meet the highest standards of safety, reliability, operability, and cost-effectiveness. As the discipline lead, you will guide the development and approval of the Mechanical Basis of Design, oversee the performance of engineering consultants, and ensure smooth integration of mechanical systems across both surface and underground infrastructure.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Governance

• Serve as the mechanical engineering technical authority for the project.
• Define and maintain mechanical engineering standards, design criteria, and specifications.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, corporate, and industry standards.
• Provide assurance that deliverables meet functional and lifecycle requirements.
• Lead mechanical discipline input into project risk, safety, and design review processes (HAZOP, HAZID, SIL).

Engineering Management & Integration

• Oversee mechanical engineering across project scopes: shafts, hoisting, dewatering, materials handling, workshops, ventilation, and surface interfaces.
• Coordinate interfaces with civil, electrical, controls, and process disciplines.
• Review and approve key engineering documents.
• Drive standardisation and technical alignment across project areas.

Project Delivery & Execution Oversight

• Support procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Lead technical evaluations for major mechanical packages.
• Resolve design and site engineering issues.
• Participate in FATs, SATs, and commissioning sign-offs.

Risk, Quality, and Compliance

• Ensure designs meet Mine Health and Safety, environmental, and statutory obligations.
• Maintain discipline risk registers and oversee mitigation.
• Drive lessons learned, audits, and continuous improvement.

Leadership, Mentoring, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead and mentor the mechanical engineering team.
• Provide strategic guidance and interface with EPCM.
• Represent the mechanical discipline in project and partner meetings.
• Engage operations to ensure maintainability and readiness

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
• Professional registration (Pr.Eng or equivalent).
• 15+ years in mining or heavy industrial mechanical engineering.
• 5+ years at principal or lead level.
• Strong experience in underground mine infrastructure.
• Proven experience in EPCM or Owner’s Team environments.
• Strong understanding of engineering assurance and design governance.

KoBold Metals is an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity for people of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Location: 

This position is a full-time contract

At this time, we are only accepting applications from Zambian nationals.

Location: Chiliabombwe, Zambia