Senior Mining Software Engineer (Design, Optimisation & Planning)

ABOUT PETEX

Petex is a global leader in engineering software, trusted by the world's biggest energy operators to model complex systems, optimise production and drive smarter strategic decisions. For over 35 years, we have built the tools that power critical decision-making across the energy sector, and we are now applying that same expertise to unlock value in new industries, from banking, power and utilities to healthcare.

With 500+ client companies across 100+ countries, our software is the industry standard for some of the most technically demanding challenges on the planet. Our product suites, including IPM, DOF and MOVE, give engineers and geologists the tools to model entire production systems and subsurface structures with precision most companies can only aspire to.

Headquartered just outside London, our culture is built on transparency, predictability and mentoring: the foundation behind three and a half decades of innovation, and what is powering our next chapter as we expand beyond oil and gas into mining and new industries.

We offer the stability of an established business with the energy, ambition and perks of a fast-scaling tech company. Join us to build technology that genuinely matters, trusted by the biggest names in global industry.

THE ROLE

We are looking for a Senior Mining Software Engineer to design and build software for surface and underground mine design, optimisation and planning, covering block models, mine geometry, development and phase design, and scheduling. You will bring a strong software and modelling mindset and a structured, detail-oriented approach, turning engineering logic into robust software alongside mining engineers and developers.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and develop software capabilities for surface and underground mine design, optimisation and planning, including block models, mine geometry, development and phase design, and scheduling

• Translate mining engineering requirements into algorithms, software services and verifiable product functionality

• Build and maintain software modules, libraries and services, using scripting for prototyping, validation and automation

• Structure inputs, logic and outputs in a consistent, scalable way

• Automate engineering processes traditionally performed manually

• Work with engineers and developers to integrate engineering logic into commercial software products

• Test, validate and maintain software functionality and modelling outputs

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

• Demonstrated mining software development experience is the primary selection criterion. We particularly welcome Mining Engineering graduates with strong software development experience, or Software Engineering and Computer Science graduates with direct knowledge of mine design, optimisation and planning

• A postgraduate qualification (MSc, MEng or PhD) in mine planning, mining optimisation, geostatistics, operations research or computational modelling is an advantage

• Strong grounding in mathematics, programming, numerical methods and optimisation, with an understanding of resource estimation and mine design principles

• Certifications or formal training in mining software (e.g. Deswik, Vulcan, Datamine) or software development are desirable

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Practical knowledge of surface or underground mine design, optimisation and scheduling, ideally both

• Demonstrated experience building web or desktop software used by engineers, with examples of delivered functionality

• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including object-oriented design, algorithms and data structures, version control, code review, automated testing, debugging and profiling

• Experience in collaborative product development

• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We do not expect expert-level proficiency in every area, but candidates should have strong experience in at least one and working knowledge of the others.

• Computational engines and performance: C++

• Prototyping, automation and validation: Python

• Web platform: web frameworks, APIs, databases, containers and cloud deployment

• Spatial and engineering data: block-model formats, surfaces and solids, coordinate systems, large spatial datasets, database design and data interchange

DESIRABLE SKILLS AND EXPERIANCE

• Previous involvement in developing commercial mining software (e.g. Deswik, Datamine, Vulcan or equivalent)

• Scripting in mining environments (e.g. Deswik scripting, Vulcan macros)

• Exposure to optimisation, scenario modelling or multidisciplinary data integration

• Experience in multidisciplinary engineering environments

PACKAGE & BENEFITS

• Highly competitive salary

• Performance related annual bonus

• 36 days annual leave

• Private health and dental insurance

• Salary sacrifice schemes, incl. cycle to work

• Pension contributions matched up to 10% by the Company

• International travel

• Annual employee medical

• Training & development opportunities