RPAS Coordinator

Purpose of Role To oversee the safe and efficient operation of drone technology across Tharisa Minerals’ (TM’s) Surface Right areas. To manage the deployment, maintenance and compliance of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations, ensuring they meet regulatory standards while supporting various mining activities. Role Context

• Organise, plan and execute UAS flights for surveying, monitoring and mapping purposes across TM Surface Right areas, including pre and post checking, ground control and processing, ensuring adherence to all mine procedures and legal requirements.
• Supervise the collection of data via drones and collaborate with relevant departments for the analysis and interpretation of gathered information.
• Collate UAS related information from all stakeholders and submit to superior as updates regarding aerial surveys, processing, georeferencing and the ortho-mosaic, ensuring governance documentation for TM is maintained.
• Coordinate weekly and monthly waste calculations to enable the creation of final waste reports.
• Manage scheduled and ad hoc aerial surveys, volume measurements and mining certificates, using UAS equipment, to supervise the collection of relevant data across TM Surface Right areas, including open pits.
• Provide subject matter expertise during Land Management Programs to address any survey issues identified according to the survey designs, including problems related to Rights, leases, servitudes, SRP’s etc.
• Conduct daily safety meetings with subordinates and risk assessments prior to any survey work being conducted, to identify and report any substandard conditions.
• Identify and report on unauthorised usage of surface areas, to ensure adherence to all mine standards procedures and legal requirements.
• Ensure adherence to all relevant aviation regulation, mine safety protocols and legal requirements governing drone operations.
• Identify potential hazards, assess risks associated with drone operations and implement strategies to mitigate them, to ensure a safe working environment.
• Import and export electronic information from other systems to resolve internal data requests in the required format.
• Stay abreast with latest UAS technological developments to identify and recommend any new technology to optimise mine surveying operations.
• Provide input into required changes in resources (financial or non-financial) to enable the achievement of team and/or own objectives.
• Determine resource needs of the team and/or own area of work to achieve business outcomes.
• Communicate with all relevant Departments on issues of the area of speciality. Liaise across the relevant Departments by engaging with the appropriate stakeholders to ensure all stakeholders remain abreast of Departmental objectives, any potential derailers are appropriately managed and duplication of work is avoided.
• Conduct or oversee training programs for drone pilots and personnel involved in UAS operations to ensure competency and safety awareness.

• Chamber of Mines Advanced Certificate in Surveying (NQF6)/National Diploma (NQF6) in Surveying
• BTech Degree (NQF7) is preferred
• Driving Licence
• Remote Pilot License

• Minimum of between three to five (3-5) years relevant experience
• Experience using survey instruments, including drones 
• Experience using Deswik, Agisoft Metashape and Global Mapper systems
• Experience using CAD/Model Maker related software is advantageous