Overview
Exploration Director – Mineral Jobs in Gauteng, South Africa at Qantra
Title: Exploration Director – Mineral
Company: Qantra
Location: Gauteng, South Africa
About the Opportunity – Exploration Director – M
Client Company is an emerging player in Africa’s mining sector and is scaling up its footprint of mineral assets and is looking for a seasoned exploration leader to take the reins of its exploration function across several African jurisdictions.You’ll report directly to the Chief Development Officer and be the critical link between exploration success and the company’s broader growth pipeline.
Key Responsibilities
- Shape and drive the exploration roadmap across multiple African territories, mainly Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania from greenfield target generation through to resource definition and drilling programs
- Build a robust pipeline of bankable, economically sound projects
- Oversee geological, geophysical, and geochemical work streams across the portfolio
- Keep reporting airtight and compliant with recognized international codes (JORC, NI 43-101, SAMREC)
- Manage exploration budgets and capital spend across several countries at once
- Act as the face of exploration with host governments, community stakeholders, JV partners, and regulators
- Bring technical and strategic insight directly to the executive team and the Board
- Make smart calls on where capital goes to maximize exploration ROI
Qualifications
Experience
- 20+ years in mineral exploration, with a strong chunk of that time spent on-the-ground in Africa
- A proven ability to take a project from first discovery all the way to development-ready status
- Bachelor’s Degree in Geology
Technical Chops
- Solid grasp of African mineral systems and the ore deposit models relevant to the continent
- Deep experience in greenfield exploration and early-stage target generation
- Strong command of resource estimation, geostatistics, and QA/QC discipline
- Hands-on fluency with industry-standard tools — Leapfrog, Datamine, Surpac, Micromine
- Comfortable working across integrated datasets — GIS, remote sensing, geophysics
Leadership & Commercial Edge
- A commercially minded strategist, not just a technical specialist
- Track record managing sizeable budgets and capital allocation decisions
What Success Looks Like
- Consistently turning up (and converting) high-quality exploration targets
- Exploration timelines that stay tightly synced with the company’s development and business goals
- Bonus based on exploration per ounce per reserve found
Ideal Background
- Currently based at a mid-to-large mining company, a junior miner with African assets, or an exploration-focused outfit with a genuine discovery track record
- Open to expatriates with deep, established African experience
- Strong preference for people who’ve been hands-on in the region — not purely corporate/head-office backgrounds
Compensation
- Competitive executive-level package, benchmarked to market
- Performance incentives tied to project and company milestones
- Benefits in line with senior leadership roles
- 1 month every 3 months time-off