At First Quantum, we free the talent of our people by taking a very different approach which is underpinned by a very different, very definite culture – the “First Quantum Way”.
Working with us is not like working anywhere else, which is why we recruit people who will take a bolder, smarter approach to spot opportunities, solve problems and deliver results.
Our culture is all about encouraging you to think independently and to challenge convention to deliver the best result. That’s how we continue to achieve extraordinary things in extraordinary locations.
Job description:
Company Description
First Quantum Minerals is a leading Canadian-based global mining & metals company focused on the production of copper, nickel, gold & cobalt. As a company, we strive for continuous excellence and after 25 years of operations we are now one of the world’s top 10 copper producers, exporting millions of tonnes of concentrate from multiple countries to customers worldwide. Our operations and future developments span across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the Americas, and we are globally recognised for our specialist technical, engineering, construction and operational skills, which allow us to unlock value from complex mineral projects and deliver rewarding careers for our people, returns for our shareholders and sustainable development for the many local communities that host our operations. As we expand our operations, continue to provide metals to build the modern world and shift to a low carbon, greener economy in the years ahead, our mining projects will continue to require the best and the brightest talent to help us solve the emerging challenges of our time, shape our business and unlock opportunities for our future.
Job Description
Although our production and financial results are the engine that drives our business, it is the depth of capability in our people that will continue to determine First Quantum’s ongoing success. Reporting to the Group IT Manager (CIO), The Head of Data & Analytics leads First Quantum's Data & Analytics (D&A) function within Group IT and is accountable for the strategy, platform, people and services that turn the Company's data into operational and commercial value across our mines and corporate offices.The Head of Data & Analytics:
- Owns the Company's Data Platform: the area of the Azure estate built on a standard architecture of Databricks, Azure Data Factory and Azure Integration Services.
- Ensures the Data Platform is secure, well governed and resilient enough to support live operations across multiple sites and time zones.
- Drives better data management across the business, both for workloads on the Data Platform and across the wider database estate.
- Leads the Data Platform team directly. The Data Operations team also reports to the role through its Team Lead, who manages the integration, analytics and data engineers and the managed services.
- Works closely with corporate and site stakeholders to build the capabilities the business needs.
Key Accountabilities
Strategy & Capability
• Own and evolve the D&A function strategy, aligned to Group IT and business priorities.
• Work with key corporate and site stakeholders to identify the data and analytics capabilities required to achieve their use cases.
• Maintain the D&A capability model and determine where new capabilities sit, including boundaries with other Group IT functions.
• Set direction for analytics and AI/ML capability, including build, buy or partner decisions.
Data Platform
• Own the Data Platform and its standard architecture of Databricks, Azure Data Factory and Azure Integration Services (Logic Apps, Azure Functions, Service Bus, API Management).
• Act as design authority for Data Platform architecture, patterns and engineering standards.
• Ensure the Data Platform remains secure, cost-effective and fit for scale as business demand grows.
• Define the integration strategy and patterns that connect operational, corporate and site systems to the Data Platform.
• Act as design gate reviewer and approval authority for changes released to production.
Data Management
• Drive improved data management practice across the business, covering Data Platform workloads and the wider database estate.
• Establish and embed standards for data ownership, quality, metadata, master data and lifecycle management.
• Work with data owners in corporate and site functions to raise the quality and reliability of the data they produce and use.
Governance & Security
• Own the D&A data governance framework and the access control standards for the Data Platform and master data.
• Hold operational accountability, delegated by the CIO, for data classification and least-privilege access on the Data Platform.
• Lead the D&A response to internal and external audits, and work with the CISO to keep standards aligned with Company policy.
Service Delivery & Operations
• Run D&A as a reliable service to the business, with clear service levels for data pipelines, integrations and reporting.
• Hold the Data Operations Team Lead accountable for engineering delivery and for the performance of the managed services.
• Own the commercial relationship with managed service providers, including contract scope and service resilience.
• Oversee the DevOps operating rhythm in Azure DevOps, including backlog, release and incident management.
People & Leadership
• Lead the Data Platform team directly, and line manage and develop the Data Operations Team Lead.
• Shape the structure and capacity of the D&A function, and maintain succession cover for critical roles.
• Build a culture of engineering discipline, documentation and ownership.
• Manage the D&A budget, vendors and licensing.
• Comply with and promote First Quantum's health, safety and environmental standards.
Stakeholder Management
• Build strong working relationships with site General Managers, directors and functional leaders across corporate and site operations.
• Represent D&A within the Group IT leadership team, working alongside Enterprise & Solutions, IT Security, Commercial & Service Management and IT Operations.
Qualifications & Experience
• A degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience (typically 10+ years) in data, analytics or integration, including at least 5 years leading teams and budgets.
• Proven ownership of a production cloud data platform, ideally built on Databricks, Azure Data Factory and Azure Integration Services.
• A track record of improving data management practice across a business, including data quality, master data and metadata.
• Experience establishing and enforcing data governance, access control and data classification standards.
• Experience leading through team leads, and overseeing outsourced or managed service delivery against contracts and service levels.
• Credibility with senior operational and executive stakeholders, and the ability to translate business needs into technical capability.
• Experience working across global sites and time zones.
Advantageous
• Experience in mining, metals, energy or another asset-intensive industry.
• Experience with operational technology (OT), time-series or geospatial data.
Behavioural traits
· Driven, versatile and thrives in a challenging environment.
· Comfortable in an atmosphere where freedom, flexibility and challenging convention is ingrained into the culture
· Resilience, flexibility and assertiveness.
· Promote a culture of innovation, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
· Strong ethical and professional standards.
Other Requirements:
- Candidates must have the right to work in the applicable region without visa sponsorship
- Mobile. Willingness to work and travel across FQM’s operations and locations worldwide
- Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in other languages highly regarded
- Willingness to perform work scope outside of the core responsibilities of the role
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