Driller Assistant (Helper)

Marianaminerals
Moab, UT
On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have experience in drilling operations or similar mechanical field work.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with prior drilling or construction experience and a strong safety focus
    — “Experience as a driller's helper, offsider or rig hand, or comparable hands-on field, construction or mechanical work”
  • Individuals willing to work in extreme weather and on rugged terrain
    — “Work 12-hour shifts outdoors on drill pads and rugged terrain, in all weather and extreme temperatures”
  • People with mechanical aptitude and a proactive attitude toward learning new equipment
    — “Strong mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn drilling techniques and equipment”

Things to consider

  • This role requires physical stamina and ability to lift heavy loads regularly
    — “Lift at least 50 lbs, with exposure to dust, noise, vibration and diesel”
  • The schedule involves long, rotating shifts with significant time away from home
    — “7 days on / 7 days off, 12-hour day shifts”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with core handling, drilling fluids, or equipment maintenance in your resume
    — “Pull, clean, measure, label and box core accurately, with good contamination control”
  • Emphasize your ability to maintain a clean and organized work environment
    — “Keep the drill pad and equipment area clean and organized”
  • Showcase your commitment to safety and adherence to procedures
    — “Real commitment to safety and following procedures”
  • Mention any prior experience with reverse circulation or air rotary drilling
    — “Experience with reverse circulation (RC), air rotary or water-well drilling carries over well”
  • Demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and flag ground condition changes
    — “Recognize changes in ground conditions and flag them to the Driller and geologist”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Individual

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Support drilling operations for mineral exploration
  • Maintain drill logs and daily reports
Typical background
Experience as a driller's helper or comparable hands-on field work

Skills & requirements

Required

Drilling OperationsCore HandlingEquipment MaintenanceSafety StandardsPre-start Inspections

Preferred

Diamond Core DrillingReverse Circulation Drilling

Stack & domain

DrillingRig OperationsCore HandlingDrilling FluidsDrill LogsInventory ManagementEquipment MaintenanceSafety ProceduresSafety-first ApproachTeamworkProblem-solvingResponsibilityCommitmentMiningMinerals

About the role

Original posting from Marianaminerals via Ashby

ABOUT MARIANA MINERALS

Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making.

The Driller Assistant works alongside the Driller to support drilling for mineral exploration and resource definition at our open-pit copper mine. The role focuses on safe rig operations, careful core handling and recovery, equipment care, and following health, safety and environmental standards. Experience with reverse circulation (RC), air rotary or water-well drilling carries over well. It's a strong entry point for anyone looking to build a career toward Driller. Help us build the world's first fully autonomous mine.

Responsibilities

  • Help the Driller safely set up, move and tear down the drill rig and drill pad
  • Handle rods, core barrels, casing and tooling while tripping in and out of the hole
  • Pull, clean, measure, label and box core accurately, with good contamination control
  • Mix and manage drilling fluids, and maintain water lines, pumps and supply systems
  • Do pre-start inspections, greasing, lubrication and basic maintenance on the rig, compressors, pumps and support equipment
  • Help keep drill logs, footage drilled, consumables used and daily reports
  • Keep an inventory of bits and supplies, and let the Driller know when stock is low
  • Recognize changes in ground conditions and flag them to the Driller and geologist
  • Keep the drill pad and equipment area clean and organized
  • Handle equipment breakdowns and emergencies with a calm, safety-first approach

Qualifications

  • Experience as a driller's helper, offsider or rig hand, or comparable hands-on field, construction or mechanical work
  • Diamond core, reverse circulation (RC) or water-well drilling experience is a plus
  • Strong mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn drilling techniques and equipment
  • Real commitment to safety and following procedures
  • Valid driver's license; CDL is a plus

Schedule

  • 7 days on / 7 days off, 12-hour day shifts

Working Environment & Physical Requirements

  • Work 12-hour shifts outdoors on drill pads and rugged terrain, in all weather and extreme temperatures
  • Lift at least 50 lbs, with exposure to dust, noise, vibration and diesel
  • Wear all required PPE (hard hat, steel toes, safety glasses, hi-vis, hearing protection, and a respirator when required)

OUR CULTURE IS BUILT ON FOUR PRINCIPLES:

Everyone Gets Home Safe. We never put speed or cost ahead of people.

Extreme Ownership. We take full responsibility for outcomes, relentlessly driving toward solutions.

Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate. We simplify, optimize, and then automate for scale.

Share Your Legos. We collaborate openly, share knowledge, and empower each other to build bigger, better solutions.

Join us as we build the future of responsible mineral sourcing and supply!

Source: Marianaminerals careers (Ashby)

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