Quantity Surveyor & Estimator

SUMMARY:
We are seeking a Quantity Surveyor (QS) & Estimator to join the Closure Planning team. This isn’t a standard "bricks and mortar" QS role. You will be at the forefront of Closure Liability Modelling, helping to assess, develop, and update the financial provisions required to restore massive mining and industrial landscapes. You will use a mix of traditional estimation and industry norm data tools to ensure our clients' environmental guarantees and balance sheets are accurate and compliant.

POSITION INFO:
QUALIFICATIONS:
-Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Quantity Surveying and/or National Diploma in Building or Quantity Surveying.
-Valid driver’s license.
-Valid passport.
-No criminal record

EXPERIENCE:
-Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in the Quantity Surveying and Construction industry.
-Experience within the mining and mine closure industry will be highly advantageous.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS:
1.⁠ ⁠Technical Quantity Surveying Skills:
While the context is different, the fundamental "toolbox" of a QS remains essential:
-Advanced Cost Estimation: Ability to perform "bottom-up" first-principle estimating for activities like demolition, earthworks, and decontamination.
-Life Cycle Costing (LCC): Projecting costs up to Life of Mine (LoM) (as required by many international standards) rather than just a 2–5year construction cycle.
-Measurement of Mining Features: Quantifying massive earth-moving requirements, waste rock dumps, and tailings storage facilities (TSF) using spatial data.
-Risk & Contingency Modelling: Using probabilistic frameworks (e.g., Monte Carlo simulations) to account for the high uncertainty in long-term rehabilitation costs.
2.⁠ ⁠Domain-Specific Mining Knowledge:
You cannot calculate what you don't understand. A specialist QS must master:
-⁠Rehabilitation Earthworks: Understanding "cut and fill" balances to create free-draining, natural post-mining topographies.
-Environmental Engineering Basics: Knowledge of soil capping, acid mine drainage (AMD) mitigation, and water treatment plant operational costs.
-Social & Labor Plans (SLP): Estimating the "soft" costs of closure, such as workforce retrenchment, community re-skilling, and social infrastructure handover.
-Mineral Processing: Understanding how different ore types affect the complexity of plant decommissioning and hazardous waste disposal.
3.⁠ ⁠Regulatory & Financial Compliance:
This is perhaps the most critical skill set, as closure estimates are often legal requirements for financial provisioning:
-Legislative Fluency: Deep understanding of local laws (e.g., GNR 1147 in South Africa) and international benchmarks like ICMM guidelines.
-AACE International Standards: Proficiency in ranking estimates from Class 5 (conceptual) to Class 1 (definitive) as the mine nears the end of its life.
4.⁠ ⁠Software & Tools Proficiency:
Modern mine closure QS work has moved far beyond simple spreadsheets:
-AutoCAD, Global Mapper, and GIS software.
-Data Integration: Using CellBIM or similar tools to link 3D mine models directly to Excel-based cost schedules.
-Advanced computer literacy, including MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and MS Teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Liability Assessment: Assist in calculating "Rehabilitation and Closure" costs, from earthworks and demolition to long-term water treatment.
-Model Development: Support the creation and updating of complex Closure Liability Models (using Excel and estimation software).
-Data Validation: Use change detection to audit large sets of historical site data, ensuring that unit rates for labour, fuel, and materials are current and localized.
-Quantity Take-offs: Perform digital measurements from site plans, drone surveys, and 3D models to determine the volume of material movement required for landform shaping.
-Benchmarking: Assist in comparing estimated costs against actual "as-built" closure data to refine our predictive algorithms.
-Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work alongside Civil Engineers, Hydrologists, and Environmental Scientists.