Mining & Natural Resources STEM OPT Jobs in Arizona
Arizona's mining and natural resources sector, anchored by companies like Freeport-McMoRan, BHP, and Rio Tinto's Resolution Copper project near Superior, actively recruits engineering, geoscience, and environmental professionals. F-1 students on STEM OPT can pursue sponsorship roles across Tucson, Phoenix, and rural copper-belt communities where technical talent is consistently in demand.
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Get Access To All JobsGeotechnical Engineer
Johnson Camp Mine | Cochise County, Arizona
Gunnison Copper
Full-Time | Salaried Exempt
Build Your Career Where Your Engineering Makes a Visible Difference
Gunnison Copper is seeking a Geotechnical Engineer to join our team at the Johnson Camp Mine in southeastern Arizona. This is a hands-on, site-based opportunity for an engineer who enjoys being close to the operation, solving real-world technical problems, and working collaboratively with mine operations, engineering, geology, leaching, safety, and external technical specialists. The Geotechnical Engineer will serve as the site's primary day-to-day geotechnical resource, with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating pit slopes, highwalls, heap-leach facilities, and other geotechnically sensitive areas. The role is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who has developed a solid technical foundation and is ready to take greater ownership of an operating mine's geotechnical surveillance and risk-management program.
In this role, you will:
- Manage and execute the site's geotechnical monitoring and surveillance program.
- Conduct routine inspections of pit walls, highwalls, catch benches, heap-leach facilities, slopes, crests, toes, and other geotechnically sensitive areas.
- Identify and evaluate potential ground-control concerns including cracking, rockfall, raveling, bulging, sloughing, erosion, seepage, ponding, settlement, and unusual deformation.
- Review and interpret geotechnical monitoring data from systems such as:
- survey prisms;
- piezometers;
- inclinometers;
- InSAR;
- LiDAR; and
- GPS/survey monitoring.
- Evaluate movement, deformation, and pore-pressure trends against established trigger levels.
- Administer applicable Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs) and escalate conditions requiring increased monitoring, corrective action, engineering review, or access restrictions.
- Conduct event-driven inspections following significant rainfall, seismic activity, unusual deformation, seepage, cracking, ponding, or monitoring alarms.
- Evaluate highwall and catch-bench conditions and assist in improving rockfall and ground-control practices.
- Work with Mine Engineering and Operations to evaluate the geotechnical effects of blasting, excavation practices, mine sequencing, and changing ground conditions.
- Provide geotechnical support to heap-leach operations, including evaluation of seepage, slope conditions, water management, and side-slope leaching.
- Assist with planning and installation of additional geotechnical instrumentation where needed.
- Coordinate with Gunnison Copper's external Design Engineer and geotechnical consultants.
- Support geotechnical drilling, investigations, instrumentation installation, and technical studies.
- Track geotechnical recommendations and corrective actions through completion.
- Maintain accurate inspection, monitoring, photographic, and technical records.
- Prepare clear geotechnical reports, trending information, and performance metrics for mine leadership.
- Participate in Management of Change reviews where operational or engineering changes may affect geotechnical conditions.
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Civil Engineering with a geotechnical emphasis, or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Approximately 3 or more years of relevant engineering experience.
- Working knowledge of slope stability, rock mechanics, ground control, and geotechnical risk management.
- Experience collecting, reviewing, and interpreting geotechnical field or instrumentation data.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to recognize developing field hazards and exercise sound technical judgment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to communicate technical issues effectively with engineers, supervisors, operators, contractors, and mine leadership.
- Willingness and ability to work regularly in an active open-pit mining environment and outdoor field conditions.
- Ability to complete required MSHA training and comply with all site safety requirements.
Highly Desired
We're particularly interested in candidates with:
- Experience in open-pit hard-rock mining.
- Copper mining experience.
- Experience with pit-wall or highwall monitoring.
- Experience with heap-leach facilities.
- Familiarity with prisms, piezometers, inclinometers, InSAR, LiDAR, or similar monitoring technologies.
- Experience working with geotechnical TARPs.
- Geotechnical drilling or instrumentation-installation experience.
- Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification.
- Experience with Rockscience software such as Dips, Slide2/Slide3, RS2/RS3, or comparable geotechnical applications.
- Experience with AutoCAD/Civil 3D, GIS, Excel, or other engineering/data-analysis tools.
The Candidate Who Will Thrive Here
The strongest candidate will combine solid technical fundamentals with practical mine-site judgment. You should be comfortable spending time in the field, identifying potential problems early, analyzing monitoring data, working directly with operating teams, and escalating issues when conditions warrant. This position is well suited for an engineer who wants more responsibility than a traditional junior engineering role and is ready to own a site-level geotechnical program while continuing to develop under experienced external design and technical specialists. You should be someone who is:
- Safety focused.
- Curious and analytical.
- Comfortable making field observations and technical recommendations.
- Organized and detail oriented.
- Proactive rather than reactive.
- Able to influence people without relying on formal authority.
- Comfortable working across engineering and operating disciplines.
- Willing to speak up when conditions present potential risk.
Location & Work Environment
This position is based at the Johnson Camp Mine in Cochise County, Arizona. The role requires regular work in an active open-pit mining environment, including exposure to uneven terrain, slopes, highwalls, mining equipment, and outdoor desert conditions. Appropriate PPE and compliance with MSHA and Gunnison Copper safety requirements are mandatory. This is primarily a day-shift position; however, occasional response outside normal working hours may be required when significant geotechnical conditions or events warrant timely assessment.
Why Gunnison Copper?
Gunnison Copper offers the opportunity to work in a growing copper mining organization where engineers can have a meaningful and direct impact on operational performance, safety, risk management, and the future development of the business. At Johnson Camp, this is not a desk-only engineering position. You'll work directly with the people operating the mine, see the results of your recommendations, and have the opportunity to help shape and strengthen the site's geotechnical program.
Join Our Team
If you are a geotechnical, geological, mining, or civil engineer with a strong interest in open-pit mining, slope stability, ground control, and operational geotechnics, we encourage you to apply.
Gunnison Copper is an equal opportunity employer.
Geotechnical Engineer
Johnson Camp Mine | Cochise County, Arizona
Gunnison Copper
Full-Time | Salaried Exempt
Build Your Career Where Your Engineering Makes a Visible Difference
Gunnison Copper is seeking a Geotechnical Engineer to join our team at the Johnson Camp Mine in southeastern Arizona. This is a hands-on, site-based opportunity for an engineer who enjoys being close to the operation, solving real-world technical problems, and working collaboratively with mine operations, engineering, geology, leaching, safety, and external technical specialists. The Geotechnical Engineer will serve as the site's primary day-to-day geotechnical resource, with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating pit slopes, highwalls, heap-leach facilities, and other geotechnically sensitive areas. The role is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who has developed a solid technical foundation and is ready to take greater ownership of an operating mine's geotechnical surveillance and risk-management program.
In this role, you will:
- Manage and execute the site's geotechnical monitoring and surveillance program.
- Conduct routine inspections of pit walls, highwalls, catch benches, heap-leach facilities, slopes, crests, toes, and other geotechnically sensitive areas.
- Identify and evaluate potential ground-control concerns including cracking, rockfall, raveling, bulging, sloughing, erosion, seepage, ponding, settlement, and unusual deformation.
- Review and interpret geotechnical monitoring data from systems such as:
- survey prisms;
- piezometers;
- inclinometers;
- InSAR;
- LiDAR; and
- GPS/survey monitoring.
- Evaluate movement, deformation, and pore-pressure trends against established trigger levels.
- Administer applicable Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs) and escalate conditions requiring increased monitoring, corrective action, engineering review, or access restrictions.
- Conduct event-driven inspections following significant rainfall, seismic activity, unusual deformation, seepage, cracking, ponding, or monitoring alarms.
- Evaluate highwall and catch-bench conditions and assist in improving rockfall and ground-control practices.
- Work with Mine Engineering and Operations to evaluate the geotechnical effects of blasting, excavation practices, mine sequencing, and changing ground conditions.
- Provide geotechnical support to heap-leach operations, including evaluation of seepage, slope conditions, water management, and side-slope leaching.
- Assist with planning and installation of additional geotechnical instrumentation where needed.
- Coordinate with Gunnison Copper's external Design Engineer and geotechnical consultants.
- Support geotechnical drilling, investigations, instrumentation installation, and technical studies.
- Track geotechnical recommendations and corrective actions through completion.
- Maintain accurate inspection, monitoring, photographic, and technical records.
- Prepare clear geotechnical reports, trending information, and performance metrics for mine leadership.
- Participate in Management of Change reviews where operational or engineering changes may affect geotechnical conditions.
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Civil Engineering with a geotechnical emphasis, or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Approximately 3 or more years of relevant engineering experience.
- Working knowledge of slope stability, rock mechanics, ground control, and geotechnical risk management.
- Experience collecting, reviewing, and interpreting geotechnical field or instrumentation data.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to recognize developing field hazards and exercise sound technical judgment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to communicate technical issues effectively with engineers, supervisors, operators, contractors, and mine leadership.
- Willingness and ability to work regularly in an active open-pit mining environment and outdoor field conditions.
- Ability to complete required MSHA training and comply with all site safety requirements.
Highly Desired
We're particularly interested in candidates with:
- Experience in open-pit hard-rock mining.
- Copper mining experience.
- Experience with pit-wall or highwall monitoring.
- Experience with heap-leach facilities.
- Familiarity with prisms, piezometers, inclinometers, InSAR, LiDAR, or similar monitoring technologies.
- Experience working with geotechnical TARPs.
- Geotechnical drilling or instrumentation-installation experience.
- Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification.
- Experience with Rockscience software such as Dips, Slide2/Slide3, RS2/RS3, or comparable geotechnical applications.
- Experience with AutoCAD/Civil 3D, GIS, Excel, or other engineering/data-analysis tools.
The Candidate Who Will Thrive Here
The strongest candidate will combine solid technical fundamentals with practical mine-site judgment. You should be comfortable spending time in the field, identifying potential problems early, analyzing monitoring data, working directly with operating teams, and escalating issues when conditions warrant. This position is well suited for an engineer who wants more responsibility than a traditional junior engineering role and is ready to own a site-level geotechnical program while continuing to develop under experienced external design and technical specialists. You should be someone who is:
- Safety focused.
- Curious and analytical.
- Comfortable making field observations and technical recommendations.
- Organized and detail oriented.
- Proactive rather than reactive.
- Able to influence people without relying on formal authority.
- Comfortable working across engineering and operating disciplines.
- Willing to speak up when conditions present potential risk.
Location & Work Environment
This position is based at the Johnson Camp Mine in Cochise County, Arizona. The role requires regular work in an active open-pit mining environment, including exposure to uneven terrain, slopes, highwalls, mining equipment, and outdoor desert conditions. Appropriate PPE and compliance with MSHA and Gunnison Copper safety requirements are mandatory. This is primarily a day-shift position; however, occasional response outside normal working hours may be required when significant geotechnical conditions or events warrant timely assessment.
Why Gunnison Copper?
Gunnison Copper offers the opportunity to work in a growing copper mining organization where engineers can have a meaningful and direct impact on operational performance, safety, risk management, and the future development of the business. At Johnson Camp, this is not a desk-only engineering position. You'll work directly with the people operating the mine, see the results of your recommendations, and have the opportunity to help shape and strengthen the site's geotechnical program.
Join Our Team
If you are a geotechnical, geological, mining, or civil engineer with a strong interest in open-pit mining, slope stability, ground control, and operational geotechnics, we encourage you to apply.
Gunnison Copper is an equal opportunity employer.
STEM OPT Mining & Natural Resources Job Roles in Arizona
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Search Mining & Natural Resources Jobs in ArizonaMining & Natural Resources STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Arizona: Frequently Asked Questions
Which mining and natural resources companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in Arizona?
Freeport-McMoRan, headquartered in Phoenix, is one of the largest copper producers in the world and has a history of sponsoring international technical talent. BHP's Copper SA division and Resolution Copper (a Rio Tinto and BHP joint venture near Superior) also hire engineering and geoscience professionals. Smaller Arizona operations including ASARCO and Hudbay Minerals have similarly filed for STEM-eligible roles through DOL and USCIS processes.
Which cities in Arizona have the most mining and natural resources F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Phoenix hosts corporate headquarters and technical offices for major mining companies, making it the primary hub for engineering, data, and environmental compliance roles. Tucson serves as a regional center with proximity to southern Arizona copper operations and the University of Arizona's mining engineering program. Smaller communities like Globe, Miami, Safford, and Superior are tied directly to active mine sites and offer field-based technical positions.
What types of mining and natural resources roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles qualifying for STEM OPT sponsorship generally require a degree in a STEM-designated field. In Arizona's mining sector, that commonly includes mining engineering, geological engineering, metallurgical engineering, environmental science, and geosciences. Data and process engineering roles tied to mine operations also frequently qualify. The position must align with your degree field under USCIS guidelines, and your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify as a condition of STEM OPT authorization.
How do I find mining and natural resources F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Arizona?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for employers with verified STEM OPT sponsorship history in the mining and natural resources sector, including Arizona-based operations. You can search by industry, visa type, and state to surface roles at companies like Freeport-McMoRan or BHP that have active hiring. This saves time compared to reviewing individual company career pages and cross-checking OFLC filings manually to confirm sponsorship patterns.
Are there any Arizona-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in mining?
Arizona's mining industry is heavily concentrated in copper extraction, which creates consistent demand for metallurgical, geotechnical, and environmental engineers. Many mine sites are in rural or remote areas, so roles may require relocation to areas like Safford or Superior. F-1 students should confirm the employer is E-Verify enrolled before accepting an offer, as this is a USCIS requirement for STEM OPT extensions. Some operations are on tribal or federal lands, which can affect permitting timelines but does not change STEM OPT eligibility rules.