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Jennifer Mackenzie

Name:

Jennifer Mackenzie

Age:

35

Location:

Saraji Mine (BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance – BMA), via Dysart, Central Queensland

Current job title:

Coal Handling and Preparation Plant Manager

Qualifications

Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering (First Class Honours), Diploma of Business (Frontline Management)

Past experience

I completed my Engineering Degree (University of South Australia) in 1995 and was lucky enough to secure a graduate position with Mount Isa Mines (MIM – now Xstrata) immediately. During my time with MIM, I worked in a number of roles in both the concentrators and smelters, including: Graduate Metallurgist, Concentrator Metallurgist and Mine-to-Mill Metallurgist. I was fortunate to work as part of the George Fisher Lead/Zinc/Silver Feasibility Study as well as gain valuable operational experience (including working underground) in these various roles.

In 1999 I moved from Mount Isa to Townsville in the role of Process Engineer (Purification) at the Sun Metals Zinc Refinery. During my time with Sun Metals I worked overseas for a stint and worked as one of seven engineers across site in the original commissioning activities for the facility.

I joined BHP Billiton at the Yabulu Refinery in 2000. During my five years at Yabulu, I worked in a number of different operational areas of the Refinery (including Leaching and Washing, Gas Recovery and Solvent Extraction, and Roasting) and also in a capital projects capacity. I was also given the opportunity to gain my first experience in a supervisory role during my time at Yabulu.

In 2005 I moved within BHP Billiton to Saraji Mine, in the role of Senior Process Engineer (Coal Processing). In this role, I was able to utilise both my technical and business excellence skill set. I was also part of the commissioning team on the Saraji Coal Preparation Plant (CPP) Expansion Project. In 2008 I was appointed to my current role – Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) Manager. Whilst in this role I have now been given the opportunity to act in the position of General Manager/Senior Site Executive (SSE - Saraji Mine) and also Mining Manager.

How did you get started?

As a child, I grew up in a range of remote locations throughout the Northern Territory. Via our extensive camping adventures as children, we were always aware of mining operations and even as a high school student, I knew a career in this industry was a genuine option for me when I left school.

Throughout high school, I was determined to study the highest level maths, physics and chemistry subjects available to ensure I had a range of options available to me in terms of tertiary study. When I completed Year 12 with successful grades in all these subjects, and I was offered a scholarship by Pasminco to study engineering at the University of South Australia, my destiny was set – I was going to be an engineer, not a doctor or a vet, but an engineer!

Greatest professional achievement

My greatest professional achievement is being appointed to my current role. I am honoured to lead a large team of people on a daily basis in a continuous learning environment. I am also fortunate to have been given the opportunity to act in the roles of General Manager/SSE and Mining Manager during staff absences – both roles with a massive level of responsibility.

Challenges the job presents

Working in a dynamic operational environment, you are faced with challenges on a daily basis. Achieving the balance between safe production, effective cost management, continuous improvement, technical excellence and business delivery guarantees I’m always busy – but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

What you like most about your job

The most enjoyable aspect of my role is working with a range of fantastic people. I have a close working relationship with the members of my own CHPP team, but I also enjoy working with the Saraji Management team, the BMA CPP Managers and processing community, and a range of other people both internal and external to the organisation.

Typical day at work

Saraji Mine is part of the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) group of assets, operating throughout the Bowen Basin. The nameplate capacity of the operation is 8Mt (product coal) per annum. Saraji produces high quality, hard coking coal for the export market.

As an operational manager, I work in a highly dynamic environment. As such, each working day can vary significantly from the next. My team consists of some 120 employees (including BMA personnel and permanent contractors) and my annual budget is approximately 50 million Australian dollars.

I typically start work to coincide with shift change-over with the operations and maintenance crews in the Preparation Plant, when I am able to receive hand-over information relating to overnight safety and production issues. As part of the morning hand-over process, my normal routine also includes a review of on-line data systems to determine shortfalls or gaps in performance, thereby allowing me to lead the CHPP Team in developing appropriate action strategies via the department daily production meeting.

Throughout the day I liaise with my own department personnel regarding a range of day-to-day (tactical) safety, production, technical and maintenance issues. A typical day could also include reviews of cost performance for the department/site and reviews of progress on a number of business excellence strategies/projects.

On any given day, time is also spent working closely with senior personnel (superintendents/ managers) from other departments to coordinate work activities and resolve site-wide issues with a more strategic focus. Similarly, I work closely with peers in similar roles in the BMA Processing and Management community to resolve issues beyond the boundaries of my own site.

As an Operational Manager, my leadership role also requires considerable time spent in the field mentoring others to achieve improved safety performance. One-on-one time with my own direct reports, as well as peers, in working through issues that relate to an individual or smaller group of people, is also a highly important humanistic side to my role.

I would typically spend a minimum of 12 hours per day on site, with a requirement to travel as part of my role and also on-call duties (after hours and weekend call-ins).

Advice for other women

There are a few points that I subscribe to in life that have served me well in both my professional and home life:

• Work hard – very hard!
• Love what you do
• Be very good at what you do
• Make the most of all opportunities
• Never forget your history or your origin
• Make your own success.

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