Freelance Consultant / SME (Mine Ventilation, Fire and Emergency Response Specialist) - Metals & Mining

At dss+, you don’t just deliver projects - you help save lives, improve performance, and build a more sustainable future.

We are a purpose-led global consultancy partnering with organisations in high-risk and asset-intensive industries to solve complex operational challenges across safety, operational excellence, and sustainability.

With a heritage rooted in DuPont’s industrial operations, we combine deep expertise, practical problem-solving, and digital innovation to deliver measurable and lasting impact for our clients.

As a freelance Subject Matter Expert (SME), you will bring deep expertise in underground mine ventilation, fire prevention, and emergency response to support a major mining expansion project in Brazil.

Working alongside dss+ and client stakeholders, you will review operational procedures, identify operational and safety risks, challenge existing practices where appropriate, and provide practical recommendations aligned with industry leading practices.

As underground mining operations become more complex and technically demanding, effective Ground Control is critical to protecting people, infrastructure, and operational continuity.

dss+ supports mining organizations in strengthening operational risk management by ensuring that technical requirements, Critical Controls, and engineering standards are translated into practical procedures that can be applied consistently in the field.

You will provide specialist expertise for the critical review, development, and improvement of operational procedures associated with underground mine ventilation, atmospheric hazards, fire prevention and response, evacuation, and emergency preparedness.

You will help ensure that ventilation requirements, operational conditions, emergency scenarios, and Critical Controls are translated into practical procedures that can be understood and consistently applied by supervisors, operators, contractors, maintenance teams, and operational leadership.

• Review and evaluate underground ventilation procedures, standards, and management systems.

• Assess procedures covering primary, secondary, and auxiliary ventilation systems.

• Review ventilation surveys, monitoring practices, and atmospheric testing requirements.

• Evaluate post-blast ventilation and underground re-entry procedures.

• Assess operational responses to ventilation failures, alarms, and abnormal atmospheric conditions.

• Review underground fire prevention, detection, and emergency response procedures.

• Evaluate smoke propagation response strategies and ventilation management during emergencies.

• Assess emergency communications, evacuation procedures, refuge chambers, and escape route management.

• Support the development and validation of emergency preparedness plans and response procedures.

• Identify gaps between engineering requirements and operational execution.

• Facilitate workshops involving engineering, operations, maintenance, emergency response, safety, and contractor teams.

• Provide recommendations to strengthen operational and safety risk controls.

Deliver on our Purpose
Be part of a values-led organization where your expertise helps improve safety performance, strengthen risk management, and support critical operational decisions.

Apply your Trusted Expertise
Work alongside experienced technical and operational leaders, bringing your knowledge to a high-profile underground mining expansion project.

Collaborate with Industry Experts
Contribute to a multidisciplinary team of specialists supporting one of the mining industry's most important operational improvement initiatives.

Create Lasting Impact
Help develop practical procedures and controls that will influence operational performance and safety outcomes long after the project is complete.

You are an experienced underground mining professional with deep expertise in ventilation systems, atmospheric risk management, fire prevention, and emergency preparedness.

You are comfortable reviewing technical requirements, identifying operational risks, challenging assumptions, and translating engineering requirements into practical operational procedures that can be consistently applied in underground mining environments.

• Minimum 10 years of experience in underground mining operations.

• Minimum 5 years of direct involvement in underground mine ventilation.

• Experience in the design, operation, commissioning, optimization, or management of underground ventilation systems.

• Practical experience conducting ventilation surveys and assessing underground atmospheric conditions.

• Experience developing, reviewing, or implementing operational and emergency response procedures.

• Experience supporting underground emergency preparedness and emergency response programs.

• Experience conducting technical reviews, audits, operational assessments, or risk evaluations.

• Experience supporting mine development, operational readiness, expansion, or ramp-up projects is advantageous.

• Ability to translate ventilation designs and technical calculations into practical operational procedures.

• Define atmospheric monitoring requirements and acceptable operating limits.

• Establish objective post-blast re-entry criteria.

• Define effective responses to ventilation failures, alarms, and abnormal atmospheric conditions.

• Integrate fire scenarios into ventilation management and evacuation procedures.

• Assess escape strategies, refuge arrangements, and emergency communication systems.

• Develop procedures that clearly define responsibilities, authorization requirements, operational controls, and stop-work criteria.

• Plan, facilitate, and evaluate underground emergency drills and simulations.

• Facilitate technical workshops involving engineering, operations, maintenance, emergency response, and contractor teams.

• Strong technical writing skills with the ability to prepare clear documentation in English.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation capabilities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

• Specialized training or postgraduate qualification in Mine Ventilation is highly desirable.

• Professional registration or equivalent certification, where applicable.

• Fluency in English required.

• Portuguese and/or Spanish highly advantageous.

We are implementers and change-makers. Our teams work from the boardroom to the shop floor, helping organizations build resilience, improve performance, and sustain results over time.

Our expertise spans industries including metals and mining, energy, chemicals, manufacturing, and private equity, combining deep operational knowledge with transformation and capability-building expertise.

dss+ is committed to building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive culture where everyone is respected, valued, and able to contribute fully.

We believe diversity strengthens our organization and drives better outcomes for our people, our clients, and the communities we serve.

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