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Senior Mechanical Engineer - Projects

Freeport-McMoRan

Safford, AZJob$98–138K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$98–138K/yr
Location
Safford, AZ
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Senior Mechanical Engineer - Projects contributes to and leads multidisciplinary engineering teams at Freeport-McMoRan’s Safford operation. The role leads complex mining projects, provides technical oversight, supports reliability-centered maintenance, and manages project engineering documentation, capital requests, contracts, planning, and budgets. It also provides technical direction to employees and uses engineering and project management software to support project delivery.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Mechanical EngineeringReliability-Centered MaintenanceVibration AnalysisThermographyUltrasoundInfrared TechnologyOil AnalysisEngineering Project LeadershipMaintenance Improvement PlanningData AnalysisResearch and AnalysisCommunicationActive ListeningSafety PracticesHazard RecognitionAutoCADSAPMicrosoft ProjectPipe2010Professional Engineering

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or RelatedMaster's in Mechanical Engineering or RelatedBachelor's+5 or Master's+3 YearsMine or Industrial Engineering ExperienceAdvanced Degree

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off
Parental Leave
Tuition Assistance

Full job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer - Projects

Requisition ID: 147992

Location:

Safford, AZ, US, 85548

Category: Engineering Services

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Why You Should Apply For This Job:

At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to providing an employment package that recognizes excellence, encourages safe production and a culture supported by our core values. Here, you’ll find a collaborative environment where safety is a top priority, all opinions are valued, and people are empowered to grow in their career. _Apply Today!   _

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**Where You Will Work **

In operation since 2007, Safford operations is a zero-discharge facility and one of the most sustainable mines in the United States. The operation’s commitment to utilizing advanced technologies and sustainable practices strongly emphasizes safety and environmental stewardship. Located in southeastern Arizona, close to more than 4 million acres of national forest, employees and their families can connect with the great outdoors while fishing, rafting, hiking and more. Several educational institutions also are nearby, including a Northern Arizona University satellite campus, Eastern Arizona College, and the Gila Institute for Technology.

What You Will Do

Under general supervision, contribute to and lead multidisciplinary teams in the development and execution of design, redesign, system failure analysis, failure prevention, and other engineering functions, ensuring projects are completed within established schedules and budgets.

  • Lead complex mining engineering projects and serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for large-scale site initiatives, including the design, development, modification, and optimization of systems and processes. Provide technical oversight and approve work performed across multiple engineering disciplines.

  • Support maintenance operations by leading and advancing reliability-centered maintenance programs that improve equipment performance, availability, and operational efficiency.

  • Serve as the Project Engineering Lead by preparing and authoring engineering documentation, including conceptual designs, feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, failure analyses, preventive action plans, safe work practices, procedural manuals, and final design packages.

  • Develop, prepare, and evaluate Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) requests to support capital project planning, funding, and execution.

  • Administer and manage contracts for services, equipment, and resources while supporting strategic planning, forecasting, and budgeting initiatives.

  • Conduct project planning, scheduling, and economic evaluations to support effective decision-making and successful project execution.

  • Provide supervision, leadership, and technical direction to frontline and technical employees, as assigned.

  • Utilize engineering and project management software, including AutoCAD, SAP, Microsoft Project, and Pipe2010, to support design, analysis, planning, and project delivery activities.

  • Evaluate and implement innovative methods, technologies, and best practices to enhance operational performance, drive continuous improvement, and benchmark against other operations.

  • Perform other duties as required.

What You Bring To Freeport

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related Engineering discipline and five (5) years related experience in engineering in a mine or industrial environment pertaining to equipment modifications and retro-fits., OR

  • Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related Engineering discipline and three (3) years related experience in engineering in a mine or industrial environment pertaining to equipment modifications and retro-fits

  • Recent hands-on experience using the principles and practices of mechanical engineering at a mine or industrial site in 2 of the following areas:

  • Reliability centered maintenance to include vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasound and infrared technology

  • Oil analysis for systems management

  • Leading engineering and construction activities for development projects

  • Implementing and managing maintenance improvement plans based on data analysis

  • Broad knowledge of the principles and practices of mechanical engineering

  • Ability to research and analyze information of considerable difficulty and draw valid conclusions

  • Skill in effective communication, both verbal and written, including the ability to actively listen and to adapt behavior and communication style based upon the audience

  • Ability to develop and maintain awareness of occupational hazards and safety precautions

  • Skill in following safety practices, and recognizing, controlling and/or eliminating hazards Ability to build trust and credibility with employees/peers and establish common goals and expectations

Preferred Qualifications

  • Advanced degree or Professional Engineering (PE) Certification preferred

**What We Offer You **

The estimated annual pay range for this role is currently  $97,500-$138,000.  This range reflects base salary only and does not include bonus payments, benefits or retirement contributions. Actual base pay is determined by experience, qualifications, skills and other job-related factors. This role is eligible for additional discretionary and incentive payment considerations based on company and individual performance. More details will be shared during the hiring process. Click here to view a sample of Total Rewards Estimate for this role.

  • Affordable medical, dental and vision benefits

  • Company-paid life and disability insurance

  • 401(k) plan with employer contribution/match

  • Paid time off, paid sick time, holiday pay, parental leave

  • Tuition assistance

  • Employee Assistance Program

  • Discounted insurance plans for pet, auto, home and vehicle

  • Internal progression opportunities

  • Learn more (https://jobs.fcx.com/content/Our-Benefits-FM/?locale=en\_US) about our competitive and comprehensive benefits package!

**   What We Require **

  • This position requires travel to the Phoenix Hub at least one (1) day per month and up to 10% of the time to support business operations.

  • Candidates may be required to pass a medical exam.

  • Candidates must pass all required training and/or testing.

  • Employees may be required to work a non-standard schedule, which may include shift work (other than day shift) at a 24/7, 365-day operation.

  • Freeport-McMoRan promotes a drug/alcohol-free work environment using mandatory pre-employment drug testing and on-going drug and alcohol testing, as allowed by applicable laws.

**Equal Opportunity Employer **

Please be advised that Freeport-McMoRan will never request payment for job-related expenses from applicants. If you receive any suspicious emails, please disregard them, and report the incident to [email protected] .

How this job compares

Set against the 7,601 open Mechanical Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$98–138K/yr
  • Arizona median$100–165K/yr77 salary ranges
  • US median$106–160K/yr4,548 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $118K, is 8% below the Arizona median midpoint ($128K) — in the middle half of Mechanical Engineer salary ranges in Arizona.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 144 open Mechanical Engineer jobs in Arizona and 7,601 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Arizona
Experience
This posting asks for at least 3 years of experience; Mechanical Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (6,308 postings).
Education
5,231 of the 7,601 open Mechanical Engineer jobs (69%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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