Backfill Engineer – Underground Mining

About the role

The Backfill Engineer will lead the technical design, planning and operational oversight of all backfill activities in an underground mining environment. Working across multiple Australian sites, the role covers the full backfill cycle from material selection and mix design to execution, quality control and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Develop detailed fill plans, exposure sequences, inrush exclusion zones and pour instructions and communicate them to operational teams.
• Prepare work instructions, reticulation and barricade plans to ensure timely pre‑fill works.
• Manage mix design and fill recipe development, updating recipes based on QA/QC results and operational feedback.
• Perform routine QA/QC of backfill materials, maintain the associated database and provide inputs for engineering decisions.
• Troubleshoot issues in materials, plant operations, distribution and QA/QC systems.
• Monitor daily backfill production, system downtime and KPI performance.
• Maintain weekly and three‑month backfill schedules aligned with the broader mine plan.
• Lead safety compliance through inspections, procedure reviews and task observations.
• Chair regular backfill meetings, drive corrective actions and lead improvement projects.

Required profile

• A degree in Mining, Geotechnical, Chemical, Mechanical or Civil Engineering (or related discipline).
• 2–8 years of underground mining experience, with at least 2 years in a dedicated backfill engineering role.
• Hands‑on experience with paste fill systems and a solid understanding of stope sequencing and fill planning.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot paste plant and reticulation systems in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work with operators, supervisors, managers and technical stakeholders.

Required skills

• Paste fill systems
• Mix design and fill recipe development
• QA/QC of backfill materials
• Troubleshooting paste plant and reticulation systems
• Stope sequencing
• Fill planning and scheduling