Job Description

1 CORE PURPOSE OF JOB The core purpose of a Research Engineer is the growth of the company’s IP and technology portfolio through concept/idea formulation and prototype development relating to electronic detonator products/systems, providing shareholder value and important competitive advantages

2 DIMENSIONS Budget: Not applicable Scope: International/Local suppliers, research institute, technology centers and contractors

3 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES • Take ownership of assigned project tasks and provide outputs and feedback in a timely fashion. Outputs include, but are not limited to, analogue and digital circuit design, firmware development, software development, technical documentation, answers to technical questions and feasibility studies. • Research new and existing technologies and formulate concepts/ideas to create new processes, electronic initiating systems/products/ methods. • Ascertain the application suitability and feasibility for new designed electronic initiation product/system concepts through feasibility studies and prototype development. • Work collaboratively with external and external resources to maintain thorough knowledge of product requirements and goals. • Generate specifications and liaise with the relevant internal and external technical resources to fully develop a new concept/idea. • Follow DetNet policies, procedures, project flow process ensuring all gate requirements are met. Ensure the development safety requirements and processes are followed (FMEA, HARA,HAZOP’s). • Idea/patent/ IP generation through the stimulation of an innovation and technological development culture within DetNet. • Provide support to the engineering and production teams in achieving full industrialization and implementation of developed concepts/ideas/technologies. • Work closely with global supplies of applicable technology to ensure effective integration and industrialization of the latest technology. • Keep up-to-date with competitor products, patent applications and emerging technologies. • Communicate project time lines, changes and updates to the project manager to achieve agreed project outputs.

4 NATURE AND SCOPE The research engineer reports to the Research and Development Manager and the following nature and scope apply:

• Good communications skills as well as preparing and presenting project related presentations.
• Research emerging technologies, processes and methods and their application to the organization’s portfolio.
• Provide technical input into research and development projects and to develop viable technologies/products to concept demonstrator phase and to the completion of qualification.
• International traveling to various research institutes/companies as well as local mine site visits to gain insight into mining, blasting practices and procedures will be required.
• Have a thorough knowledge of both analogue and digital electronic concepts, from design to practice implementation/demonstration.
• The incumbent will need to take into account such essential factors as safety, time availability, technical complexity, technical feasibility and cost, when determining the feasibility of a newly developed idea.
• Provide input to the process of innovative change effectively.
• Work effectively and efficiently in a team environment.
• Research and establish contact with external resources with appropriate expertise.
• Maintain regular contact with external resources for technical meetings and discussions.

5 SKILL, KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCIES

• BEng (Electronic) / BSc(Eng) (Electronic) or equivalent is necessary.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience with analogue and digital circuit design, embedded firmware and software development (eg. Visual C++).
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in the development of new products in a highly technological environment.
• Excellent understanding of electronic system design, electronic circuit diagrams and embedded software.
• Experience in electronic initiation and the mining industry is advantageous.
• A logical independent mind with excellent analytical skill and problem solving skills.
• Able to delegate and manage work assignments to appropriate resources.
• Balances team and individual responsibilities and works well in a group problem solving situation.
• Simplifies complex or diverse information.
• Uses intuition and experience to complement data.
• Identifies and resolves problems, gather and analyses information skillfully develops alternative solutions.
• Manages competing demands, changes approach or method to best fit the situation.
• Undertakes self-development activities, takes independent actions and calculated risks.
• Displays willingness to make decisions, exhibits sound and accurate judgement.
• Supports and explains reasoning for decisions.
• Prioritizes and plans work activities and uses time efficiently.
• Responds to management direction, takes responsibility for own actions.

Company Description

DetNet strives towards excellence in electronic initiation. As a world leader in our field, we aim to deliver world-class safety, the latest technology and consistent quality resulting in improved loading and fragmentation, all to ensure mining becomes more sustainable today and into the future. We bring innovative and advanced electronic initiation systems, blast design software and electronic detonators to mining operations from all over the world.