HSE Manager, DRC

About the Company 

The mining industry has steadily become worse at finding new ore deposits, requiring >10X more capital to make discoveries compared to 30 years ago. The easy-to-find, near-surface deposits have largely been found, and the industry has chronically under-invested in new exploration technology, relying on antiquated manual mining techniques– even as demand accelerates for copper, lithium, and other metals to build electric vehicles, renewable energy, and data centers.

KoBold builds AI models for mineral exploration and deploys those models—alongside our novel sensors—to guide decisions on KoBold-owned-and-operated exploration programs. In the six years since founding, KoBold has become by far both the largest independent mineral exploration company and the largest exploration technology developer. Our data scientists and software engineers, who come from leading technology companies, jointly lead exploration programs with our renowned exploration geologists.

KoBold has proven its first discovery with materially less capital than the industry average and found one of the best copper deposits ever discovered: the copper is far more concentrated than the global average of copper mines, and this asset alone is expected to generate meaningful revenue for decades. KoBold has a portfolio of more than 60 other projects, each of which has the potential for another high-quality discovery.

KoBold is privately held; investors include institutional asset managers T. Rowe Price and Canada Pension Plan Investments; technology venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BOND Capital, Durable Capital, StepStone, and Standard Investments; and natural resources companies Equinor, BHP, and Mitsubishi.

About The Position: 

The HSE Manager, DRC, will play a critical role in supporting KoBold Metals' commitment to operational excellence and zero harm. This role will build and drive the implementation of health, safety, and environmental strategy and initiatives across KoBold's DRC locations,  anchored by our Manono and Pedicle exploration projects, with additional accountability extending across KoBold's rapidly expanding DRC footprint. While this is a leadership role, this person is expected to have a hands-on approach, both building HSE systems and strategy while driving safety performance to the frontline worker. 

This role will report to the Global HSE Director, and responsibilities will include:

• Develop KoBold's DRC HSE strategy and drive performance across all DRC operations, aligning with corporate sustainability and zero-harm objectives
• Champion a strong safety culture through visible leadership, engagement, and communication at all organizational levels and across the Congolese and expatriate workforce
• Design, implement, and continuously improve the DRC HSE management system, including policies, standards, procedures, and field-level tools appropriate to the demands of large-scale exploration and development operations
• Develop, review, and implement HSE policies, standards, and procedures consistent with applicable DRC regulations and KoBold's global standards; serve as KoBold's primary liaison with DRC mining and environmental regulatory authorities
• Provide technical HSE expertise and guidance to operational leaders, supervisors, and front-line employees across all active programs
• Develop and maintain project-specific HSE execution plans and emergency response plans for all active field programs, including drilling campaigns, camp operations, and contractor-heavy scopes across the DRC portfolio
• Develop HSE training strategy for DRC and deliver training when required 
• Conduct regular site audits, inspections, and risk assessments to ensure adherence to HSE policies and DRC legal requirements; enforce compliance with DRC mining and environmental regulations, including inspection of mining equipment for statutory compliance
• Drive root cause analysis investigations for all incidents, near misses, and non-conformances; ensure corrective action plans are documented, assigned, tracked, and closed
• Oversee incident reporting and tracking systems; act as focal point for incident management and lessons-learned dissemination across the organization
• Collect, manage, and analyze HSE performance data; maintain reporting on both leading indicators (observation rates, near-miss frequency, training completion, critical control verification) and lagging indicators (TRIR, LTIR); prepare and submit regular HSE performance reports to leadership and regulatory bodies
• Build genuine HSE capability within the Congolese workforce and contractor base
• Develop and maintain contractor HSE pre-qualification requirements; review and approve contractor HSE management plans and performance throughout program execution
• Monitor and report on environmental performance including waste management, water usage, and emissions; support initiatives that minimize environmental impact and advance KoBold's sustainability commitments

Qualifications

• Must be legally authorized to live and work within the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred
• NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent professional qualification (CRSP, CSP, CMIOSH); NEBOSH General Certificate minimum
• 10+ years of progressive HSE experience with at least 5 years in a senior role within the African mining sector
• Must have demonstrated experience in the DRC operating environment 
• Expert knowledge of DRC HSE legislation, the 2018 Code Minier and its environmental and safety provisions, and applicable regulatory reporting obligations
• Proven track record building and leading HSE teams in remote and complex African operating environments
• Advanced incident investigation certification: ICAM, TapRooT, or equivalent
• ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 internal or lead auditor certification
• Full professional proficiency in English and French required; Swahili or Lingala an advantage
• Advanced First Aid certification; medically fit for moderately strenuous activity in a remote environment
• Strong people leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills across all levels and across all disciplines of an organization
• Ability to drive a manual vehicle

KoBold Metals is an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity for people of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Location: Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. All candidates must be legally authorized to live and work within Democratic Republic of Congo.

Contract: Indefinite

Please submit your application to [email protected] by December 31, 2026