Director, Hydrogeology

112 Oxford Road, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, 2198

Private Bag X 20, Rosebank, 2196, South Africa   

Tel: +27 (0) 11 637 6000

Fax: +27 (0) 11 492 0233  

Website: www.anglogoldashanti.com

The Director, Hydrogeology is a senior technical leadership role that provides expert hydrogeology and hydrology oversight across AngloGold Ashanti’s global asset portfolio. The Director of Hydrogeology guides risk‑informed water management, strengthens strategic and business planning, and ensures geotechnical and environmental water systems align with operational and long-term value objectives. The role leads knowledge transfer across the discipline, advances technology and research initiatives, and mentors technical teams to enhance geotechnical and hydrological risk management capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Safety & Compliance

• Model AGA’s Safety Vision and Values and promote a culture where safety is the first priority.
• Support incident and accident investigations as required.
• Understand and meet all internal and external compliance obligations relevant to the role.

Technical Leadership

• Provide expert hydrogeology and hydrology input into risk‑benefit assessments supporting Business Plans, Strategic Plans, and Full Asset Potential (FAP) analyses.
• Direct the implementation of functional geotechnical systems (standards, guidelines, processes) to ensure effective control of inundation and water‑related geotechnical hazards.
• Audit geotechnical engineering designs to ensure alignment with Business Plans; develop corrective roadmaps where deviations occur.
• Offer technical guidance on environmental water management, site‑wide water balances, and hydrological considerations for all assets.
• Oversee discipline-specific contributions to quarterly integrated plans and tactical execution where required.
• Provide structured feedback and updates to VP Technical, VP Geotechnical Engineering, and Project/Mine Management.

Knowledge Management & Community of Practice

• Lead discipline-wide knowledge transfer through Communities of Practice.
• Develop, implement, and maintain value‑adding geotechnical engineering guidelines and processes.
• Define and maintain technical KPIs/KPAs for hydrology and hydrogeology.

Strategic & Cross-Functional Contribution

• Contribute to the CTO Technical Team and collaborate with external bodies influencing geotechnical and hydrological standards.
• Lead research partners and industry collaborators to deliver innovations aligned with AGA’s Technology Roadmap.
• Support annual strategy cycles, FAP processes, and quarterly integrated planning.

Scheduling & Delivery

• Manage multiple competing deadlines effectively.
• Provide discipline‑specific input in support of companywide strategic and business planning.

People Leadership

• Mentor and coach hydrogeology and geotechnical engineering teams to build deep technical capability and strengthen geotechnical risk management across the business.

Technical Expertise Required

Safety (Advanced)

• Recognizes and addresses safety risks and drives focus on safety objectives.

Design Basis & Design Specification (Mastery)

• Deep understanding of foundational sciences relevant to mining.
• Ability to steer research initiatives that enhance design basis and design specifications.
• Experience influencing long-term companywide design strategies.

Integrated Monitoring (Mastery)

• Expertise across mining methods and monitoring technologies.
• Recognized leader in monitoring design, data analysis, and reconciliation.

Data-Based Decision Making (Mastery)

• Integrates diverse data sources to interpret and prioritize geotechnical and hydrological risks.
• Understands limitations, uncertainty, and data quality considerations.

Engineering Tools (Mastery)

• Advanced knowledge of rock engineering systems (RES) and numerical modeling.
• Able to identify threats and opportunities in extraction geometries and schedules.

Cross-Functional Awareness (Advanced)

• Broad awareness of all major mining functions and ability to contribute effectively in multidisciplinary settings.

Innovation (Mastery)

• Guides step‑change research and development activities.
• Actively tracks emerging technologies and identifies opportunities for breakthrough improvement.

Project Management (Advanced)

• Strong understanding of AGA project management standards for major projects (> $50M).
• Capable of directing engineering design contractors and technical test work.

Business Acumen (Advanced)

• Communicates geotechnical and hydrological optionality effectively.
• Understands how geotechnical designs integrate into value models and economic frameworks.
• Able to educate others on value modeling principles.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: Minimum 15 years of hydrogeological experience in the mining industry.
• Education: Post‑graduate degree in Hydrogeology (required). Additional business qualification (e.g., MBA) preferred.
• Language: Proficiency in English; Spanish, Portuguese, and/or French beneficial.
• Strong understanding of exploration, mine development, and operational mining activities.
• Demonstrated experience in water management design and implementation.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
• Proven capability to rapidly interpret data and make sound tactical decisions.
• Demonstrated experience managing competing priorities from a whole‑of‑business perspective.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Cultural agility and willingness to work across diverse environments.
• High energy, enthusiasm, and a strong performance orientation.
• Willingness to travel extensively.

AngloGold Ashanti Limited

Directors:  G Patterson     J Munanka     KV Naidoo     B Sangqu     B Chauke