Welcome back to our ‘A Day in the Life’ column on Kinross World, featuring employees across our global operations and their day-to-day tasks across a variety of disciplines.
This week, we meet Ahlam Shah, a mine engineer in the Technical Services department at Tasiast, as she walks us through her ‘day in the life’ and reflects on her background and the experiences she’s gained in her position.
“My name is Ahlam Shah and I am a mine engineer in the Technical Services department at Tasiast. My job is to perform short term planning in the Technical Services departments to determine mining sequences and drill patterns that optimize mining production at Tasiast.
Our week starts on Mondays when my colleagues and I arrive on rotation and meet with different departments to define the mining sequence of the week– this usually takes two working days and involves many field visits.
From Wednesday to Friday, we work on the weekly plan that evaluates priorities that factor in drill and blast schedules plus excavation work. On Saturdays, we implement the plan and in the same day we present the weekly review that highlights compliance of the activities taken during the previous week.
I use my technical skills to design models using the SURPAC software. This allows me to design the pit and define patterns and drilling models. We also work with ‘MineSched’ – a design software that makes production forecasts based on models and scenarios.
Prior to joining the Technical Services department, I worked with our Continuous Improvement (CI) team where I was responsible for finding efficiencies and cost savings in various departments across the mine. I transitioned out of this role after joining the graduate trainee program at Tasiast which allowed me to branch out from my role in CI while still relying on my background in finding cost savings.
It has been a journey to get to the position I am in – I definitely faced challenges along the way, especially by being one of a few women in my field. However, I received training and mentorship from numerous male employees who were willing to take me under their wing and provide me with the skills and resources I needed to succeed.
I am thankful for the experience I have had at Tasiast and the numerous opportunities to broaden my skillset that the mine has provided me with. I look forward to the future and to continuing my career development at Kinross.”
Do you want to see your ‘A Day in the Life’ featured on Kinross World? Email us at KinrossWorld@Kinross.com for a chance to be featured in upcoming issues!
