Head of Mines
Dangote Cement Tanzania — Mtwara Limestone Mines
| Location | Mtwara Plant, Tanzania |
| Company | Dangote Industries Limited |
| Job Type | Full-Time |
| Industry | Mining / Quarry Operations / Cement Raw Materials |
About the Role
Dangote Cement Tanzania is seeking an accomplished Head of Mines to take full technical and operational leadership of the Mbuo Village limestone mines in Mayanga Ward, Mtwara Rural District. This is the senior-most mining role at the site — accountable for a resource base large enough to supply the plant for close to two centuries and for every aspect of extraction, from mine planning and drilling and blasting to fleet management, quality control, and regulatory compliance.
This is a rare opportunity for an experienced mining leader to run a large-scale, long-life limestone operation feeding a major cement plant, with full ownership of production, safety, cost, and reserve strategy.
Operation Overview
| Mine site | Mbuo Village, Mayanga Ward, Mtwara Rural District |
| Licences | Special Mining Lease SML 495/2013 (11.27 km², 2 active blocks) plus three additional Mining Leases (ML 00616, 00617, 00618/2017) |
| Total mineral rights area | 37.96 km² |
| Estimated limestone resource | 666,955,677 MT — a 187-year reserve life at current plant capacity |
| Plant capacity supported | 3.0 MTPA cement plant; limestone target above 3.4 million tonnes/year |
| Exploration base | 263 boreholes, 8,612 samples, 11,376.8 metres drilled |
Key Responsibilities
Mine Planning, Reserves & Licence Compliance
- Develop and manage daily, monthly, quarterly, annual, and life-of-mine plans across all active and future lease blocks.
- Maintain and update reserve estimates using survey data, blast reconciliations, and geological assessments.
- Coordinate bench profiling, topographic surveys, and volumetric reconciliation with the Survey Engineer.
- Ensure full statutory compliance and reporting to TMAA and MM, and support formal licensing of ML 00616, 00617, and 00618/2017.
- Plan new block development ahead of time to ensure seamless transition as reserves are progressively mined out.
Limestone & Raw Material Extraction
- Supervise daily extraction of mix-grade, high-grade, and feedable-grade limestone from the multi-layer open-cast deposit.
- Manage segregation and stockpiling of top red soil for use as a raw material input.
- Optimize blending of limestone grades at the crusher feed point to meet target chemistry (CaO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃).
- Manage separation and disposal of shale and marl/sandstone inter-burden to protect limestone quality.
- Maintain adequate stockpiles at all times to prevent plant stoppages.
Overburden & Mine Development
- Plan and execute systematic removal of red soil, shale, and marl/sandstone overburden to keep limestone benches exposed well ahead of extraction.
- Address the current overburden backlog and restore a minimum 12-month exposed reserve buffer.
- Manage waste dump construction and NEMC-compliant reject site operations.
- Balance HEMM fleet allocation between overburden removal and limestone production.
Drilling & Blasting Operations
- Plan and optimize in-house drilling using the Flexiroc D60 fleet (150mm rotary percussive, 6–10m holes).
- Design blast patterns for target powder factor, burden, spacing, charging, and stemming ratios.
- Adjust patterns for bench height and material hardness to minimize oversize and RoM rejects.
- Manage the on-site Explosive Magazine — storage, inventory, security, and compliance under the Tanzania Explosives Act and TMAA regulations.
- Coordinate pre-blast notifications and exclusion zones with HSE, plant operations, and the Mbuo Village community.
HEMM Fleet Management
- Maintain ≥85% availability across the full 16-type Dangote-owned HEMM fleet (CAT, Komatsu, Terex).
- Implement a rigorous preventive maintenance schedule with the Mines Maintenance Supervisor/HEMM Manager.
- Manage spares procurement, CAPEX planning for fleet replacement/additions, and operator/mechanic skills development.
- Drive initiatives to reduce attrition among experienced HEMM operators and mechanics.
- Monitor and control diesel (AGO) consumption and maintain haul roads.
Crusher Feed Management & Quality
- Ensure consistent limestone feed to the primary crusher at 900 TPH target throughput.
- Monitor crusher running hours (target ≥403 hrs/month) and align feed schedules with production demand.
- Liaise daily with Quality Control on blend chemistry; resolve causes of feed interruptions.
HSE & Regulatory Compliance
- Enforce HSE standards across all quarry, blasting, and HEMM operations, targeting zero LTIs.
- Ensure full compliance with TMAA, MM, and NEMC environmental permits.
- Manage blast vibration monitoring and community notification protocols near Mbuo Village.
- Oversee slope stability monitoring and geotechnical inspections of active benches.
- Ensure all personnel hold valid statutory certifications (blasting, HEMM operation, etc.).
Geology & Deposit Management
- Maintain deep understanding of the Mtwara limestone deposit stratigraphy and grade variability.
- Work with the Geologist to update block models and plan selective mining for consistent raw mill feed chemistry.
- Use the exploration database to guide grade control and reserve development decisions.
Cost Management & Budgeting
- Prepare and manage the annual mines operations budget (HEMM, explosives, AGO, labour, haul roads).
- Drive down cost per tonne of limestone and cost per tonne of explosives through operational efficiency.
- Prepare monthly cost variance reports and CAPEX justifications for Plant Director review.
Reporting & Stakeholder Management
- Submit daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports covering production, OB removal, fleet availability, blasting, and cost.
- Maintain all statutory records required by TMAA, MM, and NEMC.
- Manage community relations with Mbuo Village and Mtwara Rural District stakeholders.
- Represent the mines department at statutory inspections and Dangote Group management reviews.
Team Leadership
- Lead the mines team: Quarry Manager/Shift Supervisors, Drilling & Blasting Engineer, Survey Engineer, Geologist, and HEMM Fleet & Maintenance Supervisor.
- Build a safety-first, performance-driven culture and deliver structured training programmes.
- Drive retention initiatives for skilled HEMM operators and mechanics.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering (mandatory).
- Master’s degree, MBA, or Mine Management qualification is an advantage.
- Valid Tanzanian Mine Manager Certificate of Competency (TMAA/MM) highly desirable.
- Formal blasting competency certification (Shot Firer / Blasting Engineer) required.
- NEBOSH or IOSH certification is an advantage.
Experience
- 12–15 years in open cast / open pit mining, including at least 5 years as Head of Mines or in senior management.
- Proven limestone quarry experience for a cement plant — multi-layer deposit, bench mining, selective grade extraction.
- Expertise in in-house drilling and blasting with rotary percussive equipment (Flexiroc D60 or equivalent).
- Strong background managing large HEMM fleets (CAT, Komatsu, Terex).
- Experience with TMAA, MEM, and NEMC or a comparable mining regulatory environment.
- Explosives magazine management and Tanzania Explosives Act compliance experience required.
- Prior East Africa experience is a significant advantage.
Technical & Functional Skills
- Open-cast multi-bench mining, deposit stratigraphy, slope stability, and selective mining.
- Blast design: burden, spacing, powder factor, stemming, fragmentation, and vibration management.
- Limestone chemistry (CaO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃) and raw material requirements for cement.
- Mine planning and reserve estimation; mine planning software experience an advantage.
- HEMM fleet management — PM planning, availability tracking, MTTR/MTBF, spares.
- Budgeting, cost-per-tonne analysis, variance reporting, and CAPEX justification.
- Knowledge of Tanzania mining laws, TMAA, MM, NEMC, and the Tanzania Explosives Act.
- MS Office proficiency; SAP experience an advantage.
Behavioural Competencies
- Strong field leadership in a remote, operationally demanding environment.
- Results-driven, balancing production, cost, and safety simultaneously.
- Proactive risk manager with decisive action on emerging threats.
- Excellent communicator across field, technical, and senior management levels.
- High integrity and commitment to safe mining and community responsibility.
How to Apply
Dangote Cement Tanzania is an equal opportunity employer, hiring based on merit and competence. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Apply now to lead one of Tanzania’s largest limestone mining operations, supporting a major cement plant with a nearly two-century reserve life.
