Environmental Manager
Environmental Manager
Gunnison Copper | Johnson Camp Mine | Near Dragoon, Arizona
Full-Time • Site-Based • Reports to the Chief Operating Officer
Lead environmental stewardship. Support responsible copper production.
Gunnison Copper is seeking an experienced, hands-on Environmental Manager to lead environmental compliance, permitting, and stewardship at Johnson Camp Mine and support assigned Gunnison Project activities in southeastern Arizona.
Reporting directly to the COO, you will lead two Environmental Specialists and coordinate environmental consultants, laboratories, hydrogeologists, and specialized contractors. This is an opportunity to combine technical expertise, field engagement, and leadership—helping an operating copper mine manage environmental risk while supporting operational improvements and future development.
What You’ll Do
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Lead environmental compliance: Manage environmental programs, permits, monitoring, reporting, inspections, and corrective actions to meet regulatory requirements and company commitments.
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Manage permitting and agency relationships: Lead permit applications, renewals, and amendments; serve as a primary environmental contact with regulatory agencies.
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Protect water resources: Oversee groundwater, surface-water, stormwater, and process-water monitoring. Partner with Operations and Maintenance on environmental controls for heap-leach facilities, ponds, pipelines, and containment systems.
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Oversee air, waste, and materials programs: Direct air-quality compliance, fugitive-dust controls, waste management, chemical storage, and spill-prevention activities.
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Lead incident response: Coordinate environmental assessments, investigations, required notifications, remediation, and corrective-action closure.
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Support projects and growth: Integrate environmental requirements into operational changes, capital projects, permitting strategies, and reclamation and closure planning.
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Develop your team: Coach two Environmental Specialists, establish priorities, and manage departmental budgets and external resources.
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Advise leadership: Communicate environmental performance, emerging risks, and practical recommendations to the COO and site leadership.
What You Bring
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Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Geology, Hydrogeology, Chemistry, Natural Resources, or a related technical field. A combination of relevant technical education and substantial directly related mining environmental management experience may be considered.
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At least eight years of progressively responsible environmental compliance and permitting experience in mining, mineral processing, or similarly regulated heavy industry, including three years of program leadership, supervision, or management.
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Strong working knowledge of applicable Arizona environmental requirements, with experience administering complex permits and working with regulatory agencies.
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Experience with water-quality monitoring, environmental reporting, field inspections, incident response, contractor oversight, and technical project coordination.
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Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical requirements into practical operating actions.
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A valid driver’s license and the ability to work safely in an active mining environment.
Experience That Will Set You Apart
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Environmental leadership at an open-pit copper mine, particularly one using heap-leach and solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) processes.
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In-depth experience with ADEQ Aquifer Protection Permits, groundwater monitoring, Arizona air permitting, and stormwater requirements.
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Experience supporting mine expansions, major permit modifications, environmental remediation, and reclamation and closure planning.
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Ten to fifteen years of relevant experience, including five or more years in leadership.
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PE, PG, CHMM, or a comparable professional credential.
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Familiarity with Nuton or other emerging leaching technologies.
Why Gunnison Copper?
You will have direct access to executive leadership, ownership of a broad environmental portfolio, and the opportunity to make a visible contribution to responsible copper production. This role offers meaningful influence over daily operations, team development, and the environmental planning that supports our future.
Work Environment
This is a site-based position at Johnson Camp Mine near Dragoon in Cochise County, Arizona. Regular fieldwork includes visits to active mine areas, process facilities, heap-leach facilities, ponds, pipelines, and environmental monitoring locations.
The role requires working around uneven terrain, heat, dust, noise, industrial chemicals, and moving equipment, while following site safety requirements. Candidates must be able to perform essential duties with or without reasonable accommodation. Occasional travel and extended hours, weekend work, or off-shift availability may be necessary for environmental events, inspections, or significant operating issues.
This position is designated safety-sensitive and is subject to applicable company fitness-for-duty and workplace safety requirements.
Apply
Apply through our careers site with your résumé highlighting your environmental leadership, Arizona regulatory expertise, and relevant mining or industrial experience.
Gunnison Copper—Excelsior Mining of Arizona, Inc.—is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified applicants and employees in accordance with applicable law.