Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Mining Engineering

Queen's University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory.

The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s  
University,  invites  applications  for  a  tenure-track  faculty  position  at  the  rank  of 
Assistant Professor, in the area of  Energy Efficient Mining. The preferred start date of the 
appointment is January 1, 2023.

Criteria:
The successful candidate must hold at least one degree in Mining Engineering (or a closely related 
field) and a PhD in a relevant discipline completed at the start date of the appointment.  Relevant 
industrial experience is a significant asset.

The main criteria for selection are:

•    Evidence of high-quality scholarly output that demonstrates potential for independent 
research leading to peer assessed publications and the securing of external research funding
•    Strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and 
graduate levels, and an ongoing commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence in support of the 
department’s programs
•    Evidence of an ability to work in an interdisciplinary and student-centred 
environment.
•    Professional engineering licensure in Canada, or the eligibility to obtain licensure, 
is a requirement. Note that all forms of engineering licensure in Canada are considered acceptable 
(e.g., P.Eng., temporary engineering license, provisional engineering license, etc.).

The successful candidate will be expected to make substantive contributions through service to the 
department,   the   Faculty,   the   University,   and/or   the   broader   community.   Salary   
will   be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Innovative, energy efficient mining systems will be crucial to addressing the challenges of climate 
change. Such a paradigm shift could mitigate the impacts of mining with respect to global energy 
consumption,  as  well  as  reduce  operational   costs.  The  field  of  Energy  Efficient  Mining encompasses the enhancement, augmentation, and/or replacement of existing machines, processes, and  systems within mining operations – with the aim of improving overall energy efficiency across the  value  chain.  Tackling  Energy Efficient Mining  requires  a  holistic  approach  to  mining  operations  and  processes,  encompassing  blasting,  fragmentation,  ventilation,  and  other  unit operations, along with related automated and intelligent systems.

Candidates  for  this  position  will  be  expected  to  conduct  research  relevant  to  Energy  
Efficient Mining, which could include, but is not limited to, applications in one or more of the 
following areas:  blasting  and  fragmentation;  mine  ventilation;  alternative,  renewable,  and  
novel  energy sources; mine electrification; management and modeling of mine energy systems; mining 
methods and mine design for energy efficiency. Successful candidates for this position will be 
expected to have the capability to teach core courses across the spectrum of the mining engineering 
curriculum such  as,  but  not  limited  to:  blasting,  ventilation,  mine  infrastructure  and  
services,  materials handling, and capstone mine design.

The primary academic appointment for this position will in the Robert M. Buchan Department of 
Mining  (Queen’s  Mining).  Cross-appointment  to  other  relevant  academic  departments  will  be 
encouraged, depending on the area of expertise and research focus of the appointee.

Your Career with Queen’s Engineering

Queen’s  University  is  one  of  Canada’s  leading  research-intensive  Universities.   and  
Queen’s Mining  consistently  ranks  among  the  world’s  top  Mining  Engineering  departments,  
with outstanding laboratory facilities and an unparalleled reputation for the quality of our 
graduates. In alignment with emerging societal and industry priorities, the department embraces an 
integrated systems approach to the mining project life cycle, thereby enabling more sustainable raw 
materials extraction that is safer and more effective, and which further mitigates social, 
environmental, and economic impacts. Several established faculty members have active research 
programs on a variety of  themes  related  to  the  mining  value  chain,  including  
Geostatistics,  Blasting,  Geomechanics, Mine Design, Mineral Processing, Extractive Metallurgy, 
Sustainability, and Intelligent Mining Systems. The department possesses world class laboratories 
for teaching and research in blasting, rock mechanics, mineral processing and extractive 
metallurgy.

Among  our  top  priorities  in  the  Faculty  of  Engineering  and  Applied  Science  is  
providing opportunities   for   early   career   academics   to   develop   exceptional   research  
 and   teaching contributions while fostering an inclusive environment where all faculty can 
thrive. Support for faculty to develop strong research programs includes Special Research Grant 
opportunities, grant writing workshops and review services, and one-to-one mentorship from 
experienced colleagues. To  promote  on-going  teaching  success,  there  is  support  for  course  
development  and  delivery provided  by  the  Queen’s  Centre  for  Teaching  and  Learning,  the  
Engineering  Teaching  and Learning Team,  the  Department  of  Chemical  Engineering and  the  
Faculty of  Engineering and Applied  Science.  Queen’s  Engineering  is  also  committed  to  
promoting  equity,  diversity,  and inclusivity  in  Engineering,  supported  by  the  recent  
establishment  of  a  Chair  for  Women  in Engineering, the new Engineering Strategic Plan, and 
Engineering for Everyone.

The University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, in
historic Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. Kingston’s residents enjoy an outstanding quality 
of  life  with  a  wide  range  of  cultural,  recreational,  and  creative  opportunities.  
Queen’s  historic campus is located in the heart of the vibrant Kingston community in the Thousand 
Islands region of South Eastern Ontario. Queen’s is positioned centrally with respect to three 
major metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. People from across Canada and around the 
world come to learn, teach, and carry out research at Queen’s University. Faculty and their 
dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package including prescription drug coverage, 
vision care, dental care, long term disability insurance, life insurance and access to the Employee 
and Family Assistance Program. You will also participate in a pension plan. Tuition assistance is 
available for qualifying employees,  their  spouses  and  dependent  children.  Queen’s  values  
families  and  is  pleased  to provide   a   ‘top   up’   to   government   parental   leave   
benefits   for   eligible   employees   on maternity/parental leave. In addition, Queen’s provides 
partial reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for employees with dependent children in 
daycare. Details are set out in the Queen’s- QUFA Collective Agreement. For more information on 
employee benefits, see Queen’s Human Resources.

Additional information about Queen’s University can be found on the Faculty Recruitment and Support 
 website.  Visit  Inclusive  Queen’s  for  information  on  equity,  diversity  and  inclusion 
resources and initiatives.

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s is strongly committed 
to employment equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from 
Black,  racialized/visible  minority  and  Indigenous/Aboriginal  people,  women,  persons  with 
disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons.  All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in  
accordance  with  Canadian  immigration  requirements,  Canadian  citizens  and  permanent 
residents of Canada will be given priority.

To comply with federal laws, the University is obliged to gather statistical information as to how 
many applicants  for  each  job  vacancy are  Canadian  citizens  /  permanent  residents  of  
Canada. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or citizenship; however, all 
applications must include one of the following statements: “I am a Canadian citizen / permanent 
resident of Canada”; OR, “I am not a Canadian citizen / permanent resident of Canada”. Applications 
that do not include this information will be deemed incomplete.

Prospective candidates should be aware that the Queen’s University Policy Regarding Mandatory 
Vaccination    Requirements    for    In-person    University    Activities requires ALL Community 
Members, including those holding faculty appointments, be Fully Vaccinated against COVID-19 prior 
to participating in any In-person University Activities. This is a condition of employment for all  
employees  who  are  required  to  attend  University  Property  to  perform  their  employment 
responsibilities. Individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to substantiated grounds (medical and 
other  protected  grounds  under  the  Ontario  Human  Rights  Code) may  ask  the  University  to 
validate the exemption and request an accommodation in these rare circumstances. If approved, they 
will be subject to additional health and safety measures.

In addition, the impact of certain circumstances that may legitimately affect a nominee’s record of 
research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the nominee’s research

productivity.   Candidates   are   encouraged   to   provide   any  relevant   information   about  
 their experience and/or career interruptions. A complete application consists of:

•    a  cover  letter  (including  one  of  the  two  statements  regarding  Canadian  citizenship  / permanent resident status specified in the previous paragraph);
•    a current Curriculum Vitae (including a list of publications);
•    a statement of research interests;
•    a   statement   of   teaching  interests   and   experience   (including  teaching   outlines   and evaluations if available);
•    a statement of commitment to – as well as ideas and any experience on how to ensure equity, diversity, and inclusivity in scholarly activities; and
•    the names and contact information of three referees.

Review  of  applications  will  begin  on  October  1,  2022,  and  applications  will  continue  
to  be accepted until   the   position   is   filled.   Applicants   are   encouraged   to   send   
their   application package  electronically   as   PDFs   to   Julie   Sharrard   at   
julie.sharrard@queensu.ca   with   the subject  line “Application for the Energy Efficient Mining 
Faculty Position”, although hard copy applications may be submitted to:

Dr. Julian M. Ortiz, Associate Professor and Head
The Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining Queen's University
Goodwin Hall, Room 354 Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6

The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, 
including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require 
accommodation  during  the  interview  process,  please  contact  Julie  Sharrard  in  the  Robert  
M. Buchan Department of Mining at julie.sharrard@queensu.ca.

Academic  staff  at  Queen’s  University  are  governed  by  a  Collective  Agreement  between  the 
University and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), which is posted at Collective 
Agreements / LoU's / MoA's | Faculty Relations Office (queensu.ca) and at http://www.qufa.ca.