Chief Specialist, Accelerating discovery to development; Exploration & Resource Development Business Partner

Job Description

Job Title:

Chief Specialist, Accelerating Discovery to Development (E&RD Business Partner)

Reporting To: VP Technology Enablement

Business Unit / Function:
Technology & Innovation

Department:
Technology Enablement

Grade: M13

The Chief Specialist, Accelerating Discovery to Development transforms how Ma’aden applies technology to mineral exploration, accelerating the journey from exploration insight to scientifically validated, decision-ready evidence. The role connects frontier technologies in automation, advanced sensing, Data & AI, subsurface analytics, and laboratory science to create faster, more reliable and scalable exploration capabilities.

As an enterprise technical authority, the role shapes how emerging technologies are selected, validated and applied across the exploration lifecycle. It brings together field acquisition, laboratory validation and digital intelligence to shorten learning cycles, improve confidence in exploration findings, reduce avoidable rework and strengthen the technical basis for investment and portfolio decisions.

The role creates additional value by translating proven approaches from Oil & Gas, space exploration, OEMs, academia and research into practical mineral exploration applications. Its accountability is how exploration technology is applied and validated
, rather than ownership of exploration outcomes, laboratories, digital platforms or approval decisions.

• Shape the enterprise exploration technology roadmap to accelerate discovery and validation through automation, advanced sensing, AI-enabled targeting and intelligent drilling.
• Translate emerging technologies into deployable exploration capabilities, selecting solutions based on scientific validity, technology readiness, field applicability and potential business value.
• Build Ma’aden’s technical advantage by identifying and adapting relevant technologies and practices from Oil & Gas subsurface science, space exploration, OEMs, academia and research institutions.

• Advance AI-enabled exploration by integrating geological, geophysical, geochemical and remote-sensing information to strengthen subsurface interpretation, target ranking and uncertainty management.
• Apply advanced analytics, including predictive modelling, deep learning, physics-informed AI and probabilistic approaches, to increase the speed and confidence of exploration insights.
• Establish confidence-based decision metrics that make uncertainty, reproducibility and learning rate visible alongside conventional exploration measures.

• Transform the field-to-lab validation cycle by connecting sensing, drilling and sampling with high-throughput analytical methods, automated core analysis and digital sample traceability.
• Accelerate independent and reproducible validation of exploration findings, reducing analytical turnaround, rework and delays between initial observation and decision-ready evidence.
• Strengthen approval readiness by establishing fit-for-purpose certified analytical technologies, traceable data and scientifically defensible methods that enable efficient technical review, external reporting and portfolio decisions.

• Design scalable field-lab-digital workflows that connect field acquisition, laboratory analysis and AI-enabled interpretation into a coherent exploration technology model.
• Enable greater exploration productivity through automation, digital twins, sensor fusion, autonomous or remote technologies and AI-assisted decision workflows.
• Align laboratory capacity, automation and digital capability with exploration ambition, enabling technology…