Vice President, Exploration

About Centerra

The Company is the largest Western-based gold producer in Central Asia. We produced 620,821 ounces of gold in 2014, 690,720 ounces in 2013, 387,076 ounces in 2012, over 640,000 ounces of gold in 2011 and 680,000 ounces in 2010 from its two operating mines: the Kumtor mine in the Kyrgyz Republic; and the Boroo mine in Mongolia. Centerra has promising exploration properties in Mongolia, Turkey, Portugal, and western Canada.

Centerra’s goal is to establish annual gold production of 1.5 million ounces and build shareholder value by maximizing the potential of its current properties, add additional operating platforms, expand its portfolio of exploration properties and continue to increase its reserves and resources.

Description

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer of Centerra Gold, the VP Exploration is responsible for the development, implementation and management of Centerra’s plans and programs of the organization’s worldwide exploration function.  The priority is to develop opportunities for new resources to meet the needs of Centerra and its operating business units. In M&A situations the incumbent will be an active member of the Corporate team established to complete the assessment, due diligence and make recommendations to the Senior Management Team for approval. S/he must ensure compliance and management of projects and joint ventures in accordance with the company’s overall global strategy and standards, as well as ensure strict adherence to all engineering, environmental, legal, financial and social standards, practices and requirements.

As an executive of the company, the incumbent is responsible for establishing the Corporate culture and “tone at the top” with respect to supporting the organization’s guiding principles and policies, especially the Codes of Ethics policy, to ensure that the actions of all Centerra employees and the employees of its subsidiaries (employees) shall reflect honesty, integrity and impartiality that is beyond doubt and in full compliance all applicable governmental laws, regulations and rules.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The VP Exploration plays a critical role in the future growth and success of the company.  The key challenges to the position are to:

• Participate in setting global exploration strategy, annual objectives and budgets regarding Corporate exploration and exploration projects. These strategies must ensure the company’s exploration activities are focused on areas with the highest geological potential within areas of acceptable political risk.
• Within the longer term exploration strategy, manage the approved worldwide exploration programs including overseeing exploration at Centerra mine sites in collaboration with Country Presidents / General Managers.
• Monitor key competitor activity, establish Centerra as a preferred partner, and establish new beneficial business arrangements with other partners. Evaluate the investment opportunities of gold exploration projects and proactively seek involvement in them.
• Evaluate potential acquisitions at the grassroots or more advanced stages.
• Work with the senior management in Exploration, to ensure effective alignment, coordination and integration of strategies and programs.
• Identify and assess initial and advanced stage exploration development projects
• Provide technical direction and guidance to mine site exploration personnel.
• Lead the exploration due diligence and geological technical assessment initiatives in a merger & acquisition situation.
• Together with other Executives, lead the negotiation of Centerra’s joint ventures and mergers. Negotiate and sign various agreements and contracts pertaining to Exploration efforts on behalf of the company, according to the approved authorization level.
• Support the technical development of projects through the development stage to the production stage.
• Effectively manage employees to produce results in a style that fosters high ethical standards, high morale, team building, and the promotion of entrepreneurial and creative      behaviours. Promote effective communication and establish positive relationships with governments and local communities concerning Exploration matters in conjunction with country exploration and operations senior management.
• Ensure that employees incorporate into their planning and work the actions necessary to fulfil Centerra’s commitment to the protection of life, health and the environment for present and future generations. Ensure that the highest standards for environmental protection, operational safety and technical processes are implemented and maintained.

The position requires an individual with a strong technical background to provide the leadership and guidance for the exploration group and programs. The nature of this position requires the incumbent to be knowledgeable of worldwide gold deposits, preferably with experience in Western Asia, North America and Turkey, their genesis, geological settings, exploration parameters. The incumbent must be an experienced explorationist with a good understanding of business environment and processing technologies and the key activities of competitors.  S/he must be able to think both short and long term, consider creative business terms, and have strong negotiation and influence skills. The successful candidate must have a track record of collaboratively establishing a high degree of support from Corporate executives and senior management in country operations.

RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

Work with all levels of senior management and geological personnel at various locations. The incumbent will provide technical guidance and direction to the exploration groups. S/he must also work very closely with the VP Business Development and VP Projects Development teams and will liaise with Centerra Corporate departments including Legal, Finance, HR and Risk Management.

Directly reporting to this position are:

• Director  Exploration, North America and Central America
• Director Exploration, Western Asia, Europe and West Africa
• Director, Exploration Business Development
• Computer Applications Geologist and Database Manager

External:

• International mining companies, consortiums, juniors, promoters and mining and geological associations
• Government agencies and university departments

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

The position requires a University degree in Geology, preferably post graduate, and strong business skills.

EXPERIENCE

At least twenty-five (25) years’ experience in an exploration/mining environment, and experience at the executive management level is required. The incumbent requires experience/expertise in gold deposits and exploration, in negotiating, in deal making and agreement structures. S/he must be familiar with gold deposits and operations elsewhere in the globe preferably with strong familiarity in Western Asia, North America and Turkey.

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES

To fit into the Centerra management culture, the successful candidate must also have a well- established reputation of being a team player with an informal style that relies on relationship building. The incumbent must have strong leadership, team-building, and decision-making skills; creative and innovative financial acumen; excellent oral and written communication skills for effective communication of technical information; highly developed interpersonal and negotiation/influence skills; and a sense of urgency. S/he must be able to deal effectively with the stress of multiple demands and time pressures required to meet deadlines.  Considerable international and remote travel, sometimes on short notice, is required and will include visits to offices of Junior/Major Companies, visits to projects of interest, and operating mines.

The position requires that the incumbent have strong abilities to direct and develop different projects and especially needs to show high performance in the following competencies:

• Leadership: Develops a strong team by creating an excellent working climate, providing and orientating training and development opportunities, delivering the company’s strategic objectives and aligning the people with them.
• Negotiation and Influence Skills: Promotes objectives persuasively and face conflict, achieving win-win solutions between the parties involved.
• Business Expertise: Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the exploration and mining industry, suppliers, competitors and regulatory and cultural environments in the different locations where the company develops projects.
• Strategic Thinking: Identifies and evaluates alternatives to develop and implement plans and strategies for the achievement of competitive advantages and the development of projects.