Career Opportunity - Senior Environmental Approval Specialist
About Us
At Mine Earth, we’re a specialist mine closure consultancy passionate about sustainable outcomes. With offices in
Perth and Brisbane, our team includes engineers, geologists, ecologists, and environmental scientists — united by a shared mission to restore post-mining landscapes and make a lasting difference. We’re growing and currently seeking a
Senior Environmental Approvals Specialist
to join our Perth-based team. If you’re ready to take on meaningful, diverse projects and work alongside industry-leading professionals, we’d love to hear from you.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Developing Mining Development and Closure Proposals (MDCP), Mine Closure Plans (MCP) and supporting approvals documentation for a range of commodities and project stages
- Supporting clients through the West Australian environmental approvals process, from planning, survey requirements, approvals, operations, and closure
- Providing technical guidance and reviews, including mentoring junior team members
- Coordinating technical studies and specialist consultants to support approvals and closure outcomes
- Managing project scopes, schedules, budgets, and client relationships
- Regulatory engagement to support approval applications and closure work
- Participating in client workshop sessions where required
What We’re Looking For
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental management or planning- or similar
- 7+ years’ experience in mining approvals or mine closure, and strong understanding of WA approval pathways, including across EPBC Act, EP Act (Part IV and Part V), Mining Act requirements
- Excellent project management and stakeholder engagement skills
- Strong work ethic and collaborative approach to teamwork
Desirable Skills
- GIS and mapping skills
- Environmental planning
- Undertaking and facilitating risk assessment sessions
- Mining experience (either onsite or consulting)
Why Join Us?
- Work on diverse mining projects across Australia and overseas
- Enjoy flexible working arrangements and a supportive team culture
- Be part of a multidisciplinary team that values collaboration and innovation
- Build your career with access to leadership opportunities and technical development
Location:
Perth-based with occasional short-term site travel
Eligibility:
You must have a valid driver's license and the right to work in Australia
Apply Now
To apply, please submit your resume along with responses to the three questions below (max 100 words per question) in place of a cover letter by
Friday, 4th September 2026.
Questions:
- Describe a recent project where you have supported a mine through the environmental approvals process—what was the approvals pathway, and were there any roadblocks or issues.
- What do you believe are the key elements of effective regulator engagement, and how have you applied these?
- Approvals are often heavily schedule driven—can you tell us about how you manage shifting and/or conflicting priorities? How do you interface with the client when this happens?
- What motivates you to work in the environmental approvals sector, and what type of team culture helps you to perform at your best?
About Us At Mine Earth, we’re a specialist mine closure consultancy passionate about environmental outcomes. With offices in Perth and Brisbane, our team includes engineers, geologists, ecologists, and environmental scientists united by a shared mission to restore post-mining landscapes and make a lasting difference. We’re growing and currently seeking an Environmental Scientist to join our Brisbane-based team. If you’re ready to take on meaningful, diverse projects and work alongside industry-leading professionals, we’d love to hear from you. What You’ll Be Doing Analysing data and developing succinct and clear reports Producing maps and figures for reports Supporting the development of Mine Closure Plans (MCP) and Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plans (PRCPs) for a wide range of commodities What We’re Looking For Bachelor’s degree in environmental science or similar 0 - 5 years’ experience in the environment field Strong work ethic and practical team player Experience in GIS and mapping skills Other Desirable Skills and Experience Project approvals Botanical or rehabilitation monitoring background Mine site experience Soil science Why Join Us? Work on diverse mining projects across Australia and overseas Enjoy flexible working arrangements and a supportive team culture Be part of a multidisciplinary team that values collaboration and innovation Build your career with access to leadership opportunities and technical development Location : Brisbane-based with occasional short-term site travel Eligibility : You must have a valid drivers license and the right to work in Australia Apply Now To apply, please submit your resume along with responses to the three questions below (max 100 words per question) in place of a cover letter by Friday, 28 August 2026. Questions: Describe your experience in using a GIS platform or remote sensing. What are some of the components of this that you have enjoyed? Tell us about your experience in the environmental field? What motivates you to work in mine closure and environmental rehabilitation? What do you value most in a team?
🔍 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦 💧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗬𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 – 𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗣𝗨𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 is fundamental to developing high-quality closure designs for mining landforms and for effectively managing long-term closure risks. 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 is a key parameter in understanding how different materials will perform within a cover system, assessing long-term erosion risks on landforms, and optimising on-landform drainage controls. While 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 remains an essential tool for characterising the hydraulic conductivity of materials, it has inherent limitations. Laboratory tests are often constrained by the particle sizes that can be accommodated, and the samples may not always accurately represent in-field conditions. For instance, 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 frequently requires the removal of coarse materials such as cobbles and boulders, which can significantly influence test results—particularly for materials with a low proportion of fines. Additionally, the relatively small size of field samples can make it challenging to capture the full variability of material types present across a landform. 𝗜𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀, such as the use of a 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿, can help address these limitations by directly measuring the hydraulic conductivity of the target material in the field. 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 can be conducted rapidly across multiple locations, providing insights into material variability and the effects of different treatments (e.g. heavily compacted versus non-compacted areas). By 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, including Guelph permeameter measurements, practitioners can develop a more comprehensive understanding of material behavior. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. 📸 The accompanying images illustrate the use of the Guelph permeameter in different material types, as well as Elis Smedley 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 Nickolai Nazarov. To find out more, click on the link