Executive search for Perilya’s Broken Hill Mine, NSW

How do you secure the right mine site General Manager for a role in the Australian outback, where FIFO access is limited and the lifestyle isn’t for everyone?

Perilya’s Broken Hill operation is one of the world’s highest-grade zinc, lead, and silver deposits. Located in the far west desert of New South Wales, there are limited FIFO options and a lifestyle that few executives are willing to consider.

But the remote residential mining town has a proud history and complex underground mine. For the right candidate, it could be a genuine next step. When the business began planning their next phase of leadership, they knew they’d need a highly targeted search.

To reach the right group of mining executives, they partnered with us. Here’s how they did it:

The challenge: a small and highly specific talent pool

A narrow market of suitable executives

Their key challenge was the limited number of executives who could consider the role. Most experienced mining leaders are in their late 30s to 50s, with school-aged children or established family arrangements. Relocating to a remote residential town wasn’t feasible for many, which immediately reduced the potential candidate pool.

Lifestyle and location limitations

The remote desert location further narrowed the field. With limited FIFO options, the role required either full relocation or long stretches living on site. While many GM roles offer flexible rosters from major cities, flying in and out of this location is realistically only possible from Adelaide, Melbourne, or Sydney. But these cities are still located six to thirteen hours’ drive away.

Niche mining capability

Beyond lifestyle, the right person needed deep underground experience and an appetite for technically complex, long-standing operations. These combined factors meant the pool of suitable candidates with the right mix of technical expertise and company culture fit, was extremely small.

Our recommendations: a targeted executive search approach

Given the narrow pool of potential candidates, Perilya knew that a full executive search was needed. Senior leaders across Australia and overseas would have to be identified, engaged, and assessed proactively. Aware of our experience in mining, they asked us to support them with their search.

Develop clear and realistic messaging

Before approaching the market, we worked with Perilya to build a complete picture of the role. This included its operational complexity, leadership expectations, and professional advantages for candidates.

“We really need to understand what’s in it for the person so we can sell it to the right audience. If we don’t understand the positives, all people will see are the negatives,” explains Nathan de Jong, Regional Manager APAC at Globe 24-7 who worked on the project.

This allowed us to create balanced messaging for candidates. With an honest view of the challenges and opportunities, we could attract leaders motivated by autonomy and complex operational work.

Use senior mining recruiters with deep industry experience

We recommended the search be led by our principal mining recruiters with strong mining experience and networks. At this level, candidates often present well on paper, but assessing actual capability requires detailed knowledge of underground mining operations and leadership expectations. Because of this, our team could quickly distinguish between candidates who interviewed well and those who would succeed.

Cast a wide net

Finally, we recommended a broad and persistent search. The right person could be based anywhere in Australia or overseas, including expats ready to return home. Proactive headhunting was essential to locate the small group of leaders whose experience and personal circumstances made the role a viable next step.

How we helped them find the right candidates

We assigned an experienced Perth-based principal recruiter to lead the search. This recruiter was supported by our Adelaide network to broaden access to potential candidates in South Australia. Their underground mining knowledge meant they could quickly assess real capability and validate candidate experience.

“You’ve got to know who’s good,” says Nathan. “You’ve got to look through literally hundreds and interview 30 or 40 people. They’re all pretty smart and know how to sell themselves, but we want to find the exceptional ones. Because we’ve been around so long, we understand market history and whether people are pulling our leg or not.”

Outreach to passive candidates

We networked with hundreds of senior leaders across the globe. This included passive candidates and Australian expats who might consider returning home.

“We canvassed a huge number of people to try and find that needle in a haystack, even looking internationally. We needed to speak to literally about a hundred people to find those three or four it would work for,” Nathan says.

Clear, honest conversations with candidates

At every stage, we gave candidates a straightforward view of the opportunity. We explained what the role involved, what the location was like, and what they could achieve.

“We don’t want to sell people up the river,” says Nathan. “We really need to understand what’s in it for the individual so we can make sure it’s a good fit for both sides.”

Those who progressed were motivated for the right reasons and understood the realities of the position.

Result: a strong shortlist and successful appointment

Our search delivered six high-quality candidates. For Perilya, this was an excellent outcome given how few executives in the market met their criteria. Four candidates were interviewed, and two progressed to final consideration.

The successful candidate chose to relocate to Broken Hill. They aligned strongly with the site’s needs and community-focused operating model. The appointment restored leadership stability at the mine and provided Perilya with an experienced General Manager who had both the underground capability and the appetite needed to lead a long-running, technically complex operation.

With the right approach to executive search, Perilya had multiple strong options to choose from. They secured a leader well suited to the realities of the position, and successfully filled one of the hardest positions in the Australian mining industry.