Human Resources Manager – Mining Operations & Workforce Mobilization - #671

Client Overview

Our client is a publicly listed Australian mining and natural resources company focused on gold and base metals exploration and operations across Papua New Guinea. Since its establishment in 2020, the company has rapidly positioned itself as an emerging high-growth mining operator through the restart and expansion of historically significant gold mining assets and the development of strategic exploration licenses in highly prospective mineral regions.

Operating within a logistically complex and remote mining environment, the company manages large-scale underground mining activities, processing infrastructure, workforce mobilization systems, and remote camp operations. With strong emphasis on operational excellence, workforce stability, safety compliance, and sustainable community engagement, the organization is currently entering a major mine restart and ramp-up phase requiring the establishment of robust people and operational frameworks.

Job Role

The Human Resources Manager is a strategic leadership role responsible for building and managing the end-to-end HR function supporting mining operations and workforce mobilization activities across Papua New Guinea. Reporting directly to senior leadership, this role will oversee workforce planning, recruitment and mobilization, industrial relations, compliance, organizational development, and HR operational systems within a highly demanding remote mining environment.

This position requires a commercially driven and resilient HR leader capable of operating in complex, high-growth operational settings while ensuring workforce stability, regulatory compliance, and strong organizational performance across both expatriate and national employee groups.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute workforce planning strategies aligned with mine restart and operational ramp-up schedules.
• Lead end-to-end recruitment, mobilization, onboarding, and deployment processes for site-based and corporate employees.
• Manage workforce logistics including roster planning, travel coordination, visa processing, medical clearances, and site access requirements.
• Establish and implement HR policies, SOPs, compliance frameworks, and performance management systems.
• Ensure full compliance with Papua New Guinea labor regulations, employment standards, and audit requirements.
• Manage industrial relations matters, employee grievances, workforce disputes, and community-related labor sensitivities.
• Design compensation structures, organizational frameworks, KPI systems, and workforce reporting dashboards.
• Oversee employee engagement, training compliance, succession planning, and workforce capability development.
• Monitor labor costs, recruitment budgets, turnover metrics, absenteeism, and workforce productivity indicators.
• Partner closely with operational leadership to support business continuity and workforce stability across remote mining sites.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years of hands-on HR experience, including workforce mobilization and industrial relations exposure.
• Proven managerial experience within mining, oil & gas, heavy infrastructure, construction, or remote operational industries.
• Strong experience building or scaling HR functions within high-growth or operationally intensive environments.
• Prior exposure to Papua New Guinea or similar frontier operational environments is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of labor law compliance, workforce governance, payroll coordination, and HR operational controls.
• Experience handling remote workforce deployment, roster systems, and multi-site operational manpower planning.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, negotiation, and conflict resolution capabilities.
• Commercially driven mindset with strong attention to workforce cost efficiency and operational delivery.
• High resilience and adaptability to remote, fast-paced, and logistically challenging operational environments.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory.