Field Operations Lead
About the Company
The mining industry has steadily become worse at finding new ore deposits, requiring >10X more capital to make discoveries compared to 30 years ago. The easy-to-find, near-surface deposits have largely been found, and the industry has chronically under-invested in new exploration technology, relying on the manual techniques of yesteryear – even as demand accelerates for copper, lithium, and other metals to build electric vehicles, renewable energy, and data centers.
KoBold builds AI models for mineral exploration and deploys those models—alongside our novel sensors—to guide decisions on KoBold-owned-and-operated exploration programs. Since our founding in 2018, KoBold has become by far both the largest independent mineral exploration company and the largest exploration technology developer. Our data scientists and software engineers, who come from leading technology companies, jointly lead exploration programs with our renowned exploration geologists.
KoBold has proven its first discovery with materially less capital than the industry average and found one of the best copper deposits ever discovered: the copper is far more concentrated than the global average of copper mines, and this asset alone is expected to generate meaningful revenue for decades. KoBold has a portfolio of more than 80 other projects, each of which has the potential for another high-quality discovery.
KoBold is privately held; investors include institutional asset managers T. Rowe Price and Canada Pension Plan Investments; technology venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BOND Capital, Durable Capital, StepStone, and Standard Investments; and natural resources companies Equinor, BHP, and Mitsubishi.
About the Role
In the role of Field Operations Lead, you will plan and execute our field activities across North America to meet our business objectives without causing harm to our people, our contractors and partners, or the communities and environments where we operate. You will report to our Field Operations Director North America & Europe and other members of the operations and exploration team. Your primary responsibility will be to serve as the leader of field operations for 1–3 projects per year across the United States and Canada.
Responsibilities
Plan
- Lead planning of complex exploration projects and moderate-scale development programs in North America, including drilling campaigns, electromagnetic surveys, and reconnaissance programs
- Lead 1–3 concurrent projects of varying size, complexity, and jurisdiction, with accountability for planning and execution
- Lead procurement strategies: contractor selection, bid evaluation, benchmarking, and contract administration for North America-based programs
- Develop detailed project-level risk and hazard identification, risk assessments, mitigation plans, and critical control implementation, with particular attention to seasonal and terrain-specific construction conditions across North American operating environments
- Lead project kick-offs with integrated teams and contractors, covering scope, execution strategy, and risk management
- Generate creative field operations scenarios outside conventional boundaries that lead to efficient programs
Execute
- Lead end-to-end execution of assigned projects from mobilization through demobilization and closure
- Provide strong leadership during changing field conditions, including remote, seasonal, and extreme weather events across diverse North American geographies
- Track and forecast production rates, spend profiles, and resource requirements
- Manage and direct all field activities: lead contractor performance evaluation, feedback, and improvement
- Maintain daily contact with and monitor the status of KoBold personnel and contractors while in the field; maintain close communication with the Project Geologist, Project Data Scientist, and the Senior Project Planner
Close
- Lead site remediation and rehabilitation activities per applicable federal, state/provincial, and local regulatory standards
- Lead contractor performance reviews and lessons learned to drive continuous improvement
Compliance and Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead execution within regulatory compliance, monitoring, and reporting in accordance with applicable US federal and state or Canadian federal and provincial mining, environmental, and land use legislation, and the practices of our joint venture partners
- Ensure execution is done within applicable permitting processes, land access agreements, community relations, third-party agreements, and any joint venture requirements
- With leadership direction and support, represent KoBold Metals with local North American stakeholders, including communities, landowners, municipal authorities, Indigenous groups, and environmental bodies
Qualifications
Required
- At least 12 years of experience conducting field operations in mineral exploration and mining, oil and gas, or a related industry, with demonstrated progression in complexity and responsibility
- Advanced knowledge of construction methodology, including seasonal and terrain-specific construction (tracks, pads, access roads) relevant to North American operating environments
- Advanced understanding of helicopter-supported exploration, including utilization optimization and emergency response considerations
- Strong understanding of procurement processes: RFP development, bid evaluation, and contract administration
- Strong understanding of reclamation, rehabilitation and closure planning
- Demonstrated commitment to health and safety standards, including incident management, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation and verification
- Strong conceptual knowledge of HSE, Land and Permitting, Legal, and Business Development systems as applied to exploration projects
- Ability to manage and supervise KoBold staff and contractors on all aspects of field activities, including complex and higher-risk field programs
- Ability to design complex field programs including scope, cost estimates, risk assessments, procurement, and project execution plans
- Ability to work in remote and isolated locations for extended periods of time across North American environments
- A high degree of independence and the ability to work effectively with limited supervision
- Must speak, read, and write in English; additional language skills (including French) are of benefit
- Valid First Aid Certification (Level 3 or Wilderness First Aid preferred)
Preferred
- Experience with US federal and state or Canadian federal and provincial regulatory frameworks governing exploration operations
- Experience working on projects with dedicated exploration teams including both Geologists and Data Scientists, demonstrating sustained partnership and effective interdisciplinary collaboration
- Familiarity with project management principles and managing projects remotely across multiple jurisdictions
- Experience with logistics tied to complex remote operations, including helicopter, weather, camps, chartered flights, and drilling operations
- French language skills are an asset for projects in Quebec or other francophone regions
What We Value
- Effective communication with team members across Geology, Data Science, HSE, Aviation, Legal, Community Relations, and Land and Permitting
- Perpetuating KoBold’s ethical standards through your own actions and in communicating with others
- Leading constructive field operational dialogue with colleagues; offering ideas freely and being willing to be wrong
- Receiving constructive and critical feedback well and providing constructive input and guidance to others
- Recognizing and elevating the team’s contributions, both in the field and to leadership, reinforcing a culture where strong work is visible and valued
- Interest in contributing broadly to the success of the company and eagerness to pitch in where needed
What to Expect
Joining KoBold means getting the opportunity for hands-on exposure to our exploration projects around the world. All employees are expected to travel to project sites, with a minimum of one week per year. Field-facing and technical roles spend significantly more time in the field.
KoBold Metals is an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity for people of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
This position is a Full-Time Employee role.
The US base salary range for this full-time exempt position is $125,000 to $150,000 USD.
Location: Remote, Candidates can be located anywhere in the United States or Canada. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States or Canada.
