Expatriate - Mill Maintenance Senior Electrical Advisor

The Company

B2Gold is a responsible international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has operating gold mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines, the Gosse Project under construction in northern Canada, and numerous development and exploration projects in various countries including Mali, Columbia and Finland. B2Gold forecasts total consolidated gold production of between 970,000 and 1,075,000 ounces in 2025.

Position

Mill Maintenance Senior Electrical Advisor, Mali

Introduction

The Mill Maintenance Senior Electrical Advisor is the senior electrical technical authority for the Process Plant, responsible for supporting the reliability, availability and safe performance of electrical assets. The role provides technical leadership in electrical maintenance, including maintenance strategies and standards, root cause analysis, preventive and predictive maintenance, and development of Electrical Supervisors and trades personnel.

Location and Reporting Manager

Reporting to the Mill Maintenance Manager / Deputy Manager, this position will be an 8/4 fly in-fly out rotation, based at the B2Gold Mali Fekola mine.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Adhere to and support all company policies, procedures and HSE standards;
• Demonstrate visible safety leadership through field inspections, Planned Task Observations and safety interactions;
• Ensure electrical work complies with isolation / LOTO, permit-to-work requirements and applicable Malian regulations;
• Provide technical oversight of the electrical isolation standard, HV switching procedures and arc flash risk management;
• Review JSAs, SOPs and risk assessments for high-risk electrical tasks before execution;
• Lead or support investigations of electrical incidents and near misses; ensure lessons learned are shared;
• Ensure statutory and periodic electrical inspections and tests are completed (earthing, RCDs, protection relays, hazardous area and portable equipment);
• Ensure safe disposal of electrical waste, transformer oils and batteries;
• Never allow equipment to be operated or worked on by anyone not trained or authorised to do so;
• Develop, review and maintain the electrical maintenance strategy for Process Plant assets, aligned to asset criticality;
• Lead criticality assessments and FMEA for critical electrical equipment (HV/MV switchgear, transformers, MCCs, VSDs, mill drives);
• Review PM routines annually for content, frequency and effectiveness; remove low-value tasks;
• Develop and expand predictive maintenance: thermography, motor circuit analysis, insulation resistance trending, partial discharge, transformer oil analysis, protection relay testing;
• Develop asset life-cycle and replacement plans; provide input to maintenance budget and sustaining capital;
• Define critical electrical spares and review min/max levels with Supply Chain;
• Ensure CMMS asset hierarchy, BOMs and PM task lists are complete and accurate;
• Review work order and failure history to identify bad actors, repeat failures and data gaps;
• Support Planners with technical scopes, task instructions, labour estimates and parts lists for complex work;
• Review backlog quality and priority with Supervisors and Planners; escalate risks;
• Provide technical scope, sequencing and risk input for shutdown electrical work from scope freeze to execution;
• Review shutdown work packages, isolation plans and contractor scopes before approval;
• Provide on-site technical support and QA during major shutdowns; lead post-shutdown reviews;
• Lead RCA for significant electrical failures using structured methods (5-Whys, fishbone); track actions to closure and verify effectiveness;
• Monitor electrical asset performance monthly (MTBF, MTTR, downtime by cause) and report trends and bad actors;
• Ensure condition monitoring findings are converted into prioritised work orders;
• Improve reliability through engineering changes, upgrades and obsolescence management under the site Change Management process;
• Identify and implement energy efficiency opportunities (power factor correction, VSD optimisation, motor right-sizing, lighting, idle running);
• Monitor power quality and energy consumption; report kWh per tonne against target;
• Support site continuous improvement programs and share lessons learned across B2Gold operations;
• Develop, review and maintain electrical standards, SOPs, work instructions and inspection checklists;
• Ensure installations and modifications comply with applicable codes (IEC and site-adopted standards) and OEM requirements;
• Maintain accurate drawings, single-line diagrams, protection settings and cable schedules; ensure as-builts follow every modification;
• Review and approve electrical aspects of Change Management, engineering changes and contractor designs;
• Conduct technical audits and QA/QC of electrical work quality; track findings to closure;
• Provide input to protection coordination and arc flash studies; ensure settings and labelling are implemented;
• Review technical specifications and evaluate bids for electrical equipment, spares and services;
• Coach and mentor Electrical Supervisors in technical decision-making, fault-finding, quality assurance and team leadership;
• Mentor electricians and apprentices on advanced troubleshooting of drives, control circuits, protection systems and HV/MV equipment;
• Develop and maintain the electrical competency matrix and identify skills gaps;
• Develop training modules, task-based assessments and on-the-job learning packages with the Training Department;
• Lead the electrical component of localisation and succession plans for national employees;
• Verify that personnel performing HV switching, isolations and specialised tasks hold current authorisations;
• Lead and develop direct reports through goal setting, performance reviews and development planning;
• Report reliability performance, risks and recommendations to the Maintenance Superintendent; escalate high-cost / high-risk decisions;
• Liaise with Mill Operations to agree equipment priorities, access windows and resolution of performance issues;
• Align with Planning, Reliability, Mechanical, Instrumentation / Process Control and Power Station teams on multi-discipline issues;
• Work with HSE, Training and Supply Chain on safety standards, competency programs and critical spares;
• Manage OEMs, contractors and consultants for technical scope and quality of delivery;
• Maintain constructive and effective working relationships with B2Gold employees, contractors and consultants at all times; and
• Other duties as assigned by the Company.

Requirements

• Trade qualification in electrical maintenance (Certificate III/IV, City & Guilds, or equivalent).
• Desirable: Diploma or degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Minimum 10 years’ electrical maintenance experience in mining or heavy industry, including at least 3 years in a gold or base metals processing plant in a senior technical or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated experience with HV/MV distribution, large motors and drives (including mill drives and VSDs), MCCs and protection systems.
• High electro-mechanical aptitude with an advanced level of troubleshooting skills.
• Proven experience leading RCA and implementing preventive and condition-based maintenance programs.
• Experience with a CMMS - PRONTO and maintenance work management processes.
• Experience with workplace safety programs.
• Familiar with legislative requirements governing mining operations and electrical safety.
• Ability / willingness to work a rotational roster, long shift durations and on-call.
• Current electrical licence or authorisation appropriate to the role, including HV switching authorisation or ability to obtain it.
• Desirable: reliability / asset management certification (e.g. CMRP; training in ISO 55000, RCM or FMEA).
• Desirable: condition monitoring certification (thermography, motor circuit analysis or vibration).
• Desirable: PLC/DCS experience, trainer/assessor qualification.

Compensation

B2Gold offers a competitive compensation package, including salary commensurate with experience, knowledge and skills, plus a comprehensive benefit package for employees and their eligible dependents

Other

B2Gold requires employees to be fully vaccinated (and maintain fully vaccinated status), subject to applicable human-rights related exemptions and availability in candidate's home country.

B2Gold prioritizes local employment, supports empowerment initiatives and continuously works towards a people profile that matches the demographics of the respective national settings in which we operate, while appreciating our inclusive culture that attracts talent from around the world. As an equal opportunity employer, B2Gold values diversity and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest in B2Gold Corp.; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Interested candidates are kindly requested not to contact the hiring manager directly.

Please follow the application process and apply directly on our Careers site, which helps streamline the application process and ensures designated channels for communication. We appreciate your cooperation.