Director of Field Operations

About the Company

KoBold Metals Zambia is a Zambian-led company exploring for the ore deposits that will become the next generation of new mines in Zambia.

KoBold Metals Zambia is the Zambian affiliate of KoBold Metals, a U.S.-based company exploring around the world for battery metals using proprietary AI to guide exploration decisions. Our business is discovering, defining, expanding, and developing mineral resources, and our objective is to achieve a step-change improvement in exploration success resulting in more tier 1 resources discovered faster, with fewer failures, and with far less exploration capital.

KoBold is privately held and its investors include: institutional asset managers T. Rowe Rice and Canada Pension Plan Investments; technology venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz, Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BOND Capital, Standard Investments, and Sam Altman’s Apollo Projects; and leading natural resources companies Equinor, Mitsubishi, and BHP.

KoBold Metals Zambia is building a rapidly growing team of Zambian geologists, operators, and executives to identify, acquire, explore, and develop exploration opportunities and mineral resources drawing upon KoBold’s technology and the expertise of colleagues worldwide.

About the Position

In the role of Director of Field Operations, Zambia, you will plan and execute our field activities to meet our business objectives without causing harm to our people, our contractors and partners, or the communities and environments where we operate. Your primary responsibility will be to serve as the leader of field operations for our Zambian projects.

Initially, you would be directly responsible for field operations at 1-3 Zambold projects. Over time, 1-2 Field Operations Leads will be hired that report to you (though you will still be directly responsible for 1-2 Zambold projects).

Responsibilities

For 1-3 projects per year, the Director or Field Operations will be responsible for:

• Operations Control Center: Maintain daily contact with and monitor the status of KoBold personnel and contractors while in the field. Maintain close communication with the Project Geologist and Project Data Scientist.
• Reporting: Execute and maintain KoBold’s system for tracking health & safety incidents and provide periodic reporting
• Compliance: Understand applicable local laws and regulations and the practices of our joint venture partners and ensure that we follow them in all our operations
• Field Service Contractors: Identify, evaluate, contract with, and manage contractors and vendors for a wide range of field operations, from camp construction to helicopter transport to emergency medical services
• Logistics: Arrange for the shipment of equipment and material to and from KoBold’s project sites
• Local Management: Deploy to remote project locations as required to implement and manage programs
• Process Improvement: Creating ways of working that allow us to continue to work more effectively and to be nimble so that we can support machine-learning-driven dynamic field programs, where we adapt our plan based on the data we collect at each stage
• Stakeholder Engagement: WIth leadership direction and support, help represent KoBold Metals with local stakeholders

Over time, as 1-2 Field Operations Leads are hired that report to you, you will manage these individuals whom themselves will have responsibilities substantially similar to those above. You will remain directly responsible for 1-2 KoBold Metals Zambia projects during this time.

Qualifications

You must have:

• At least 10 years of experience – preferably in Zambia – conducting field operations in mineral exploration & mining, oil & gas or a related industry
• Experience managing a team conducting exploration across multiple sites
• Demonstrated commitment to and familiarity with developing and implementing high standards of health & safety in the workplace
• The ability to problem-solve in remote environments
• The ability to work in remote and isolated locations for extended periods of time
• Must speak, read, and write in English
• A high degree of independence and the ability to work effectively with limited supervision
• Familiarity with Project Management principles and managing projects remotely
• Enjoyment in working with people in a wide variety of disciplines and different parts of the world
• Interest in contributing broadly to the success of the company and eager to pitch in where needed
• Valid First Aid Certification

It is helpful but not required to have:

• Run programs in different countries and/or remote environments
• Worked in a small company or as a member of a very small team with a broad mandate working in a fast paced project environment.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) designation
• Trained or experience operating heavy equipment

We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all people.

This position is full-time contract

At this time, we are only accepting applications from Zambian nationals.

Location: Lusaka, Zambia