12 November 2025

Opportunity, growth and community: Ateeq’s Whitehaven journey

When Technical Services Superintendent Ateeq-ur Rahman joined Whitehaven at its Werris Creek mine five years ago, he thought it would be a short-term move due to the scheduled mine transition into fulltime rehabilitation. Instead, it’s become a rewarding career built on opportunity and support both professionally and personally.

With his family originally from Pakistan, Ateeq grew up in Sydney and earned his Mining Engineering degree from the University of New South Wales. He began his career in the Hunter Valley before taking on roles in the Mudgee region, Central Queensland, and Papua New Guinea. Ateeq joined Whitehaven in 2020.

“I joined Whitehaven on the 2nd of November as an employee, so I’ve been at Whitehaven for just over five years now,” Ateeq said. “Having worked at Whitehaven’s Werris Creek mine, I understood the influence Whitehaven had in that region. While it wasn’t as big a player as some other mining companies in the Hunter Valley, its influence in the Gunnedah basin was significant.”

While many might hesitate to take a role at a mine nearing closure, Ateeq saw it as a rare learning opportunity.

“Not a lot of people get to be part of a closure. That’s one thing I wanted to experience,” he said.

“Ever since I’ve joined Whitehaven, they’ve continuously let me grow in my role. I started as an engineer and worked my way up to

Senior Engineer, then Principal Engineer, and now Superintendent.”

Over the past five years, Ateeq’s journey has taken him from Werris Creek to Whitehaven’s Tarrawonga mine and now its Vickery mine, giving him exposure to every stage of a mine’s lifecycle – from closure to greenfield development and ongoing operations.

“What I realised with Whitehaven is that it doesn’t matter which role you’re in, you’ve got access to senior management,” he said. “Everyone is so close together and working closely with each other. You get those growth opportunities to be able to go wherever you want to go.”

Recently, Ateeq achieved two major milestones completing an MBA specialising in Finance and earning his Mining Engineering Manager qualification, both supported by Whitehaven.

“Whitehaven supported me, both financially and with time off to study, in both qualifications I acquired, which is very good to see.

“Investing in people like me who want to grow, not just from a company’s growth point of view but from a personal growth point of view as well, is excellent,” he added.

“Gaining an MBA in Finance was essential for me because I wanted to strengthen my understanding of financial principles to support strategic decision-making and position myself for senior leadership roles.

“We often interact with the executive team, and it’s important to understand discussions from both a cost and revenue perspective. Having that knowledge is a real advantage. It’s something I wanted to develop to progress my career and access more senior opportunities,” he added.

“Specialising in finance through the MBA program gave me those opportunities. It allowed me to build and refine management strategies, learn new approaches, and strengthen my financial acumen. I also became familiar with key financial terminology and concepts, which I can now confidently apply in my role.”

These qualifications have opened new doors for Ateeq and created important contingencies for the business.

“Without a Mining Engineering Manager, a mine cannot legally operate. Now the business has contingencies to operate if the existing Mining Engineering Managers are absent. It’s a big benefit for both me and Whitehaven.”

Living in Gunnedah with his wife and two children, Ateeq is proud to be part of the local community.

“It’s a good place for a young family,” he said. “My wife works in the same daycare our kids go to, and I play cricket for Gunnedah. We’re quite invested in the community.”

He also values the work-life balance Whitehaven provides. “We are on a nine-day fortnight, so we get a Friday off every second week. You get five weeks of annual leave and plenty of time off to do the things you want to do,” he said.

Reflecting on his time with the company, Ateeq believes Whitehaven’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is one of its greatest strengths.

“People used to look at mining as being predominantly white, but I don’t think it’s that anymore,” he said. “The mining communities have become so diverse that there’s room for everyone. In my team, I’ve got people from different cultures, different backgrounds and female professionals as well.”

For anyone considering a career at Whitehaven, Ateeq’s message is clear: “Whitehaven isn’t afraid to provide opportunities to people that have potential. There are growth opportunities within Whitehaven, and people tend to progress a lot more here than they do in other mining companies.

“Whitehaven has invested quite heavily in the region and we’ve seen the region grow immensely in size. The opportunities are just endless for those of us working at Whitehaven and for those who would be looking to join the business.

“Also, we’re not just NSW based anymore, we are in Qld as well. So, there’s opportunities across both states. We get employees from Whitehaven’s Qld operations visiting frequently and our NSW workforce have been able to spend time in Qld at our Blackwater and Daunia mines.

“This has created an opportunity to share knowledge and cross-pollinate ideas. At the same time, we’re all part of one family working under the Whitehaven banner, and the more knowledge and learning we share with each other, the more the company will continue to progress.”

From starting as a contractor at a mine nearing closure to leading technical and mine planning teams, Ateeq’s journey reflects Whitehaven’s culture of growth, support and opportunity. These are values that continue to shape his career and inspire others to follow.

If you’d like to know more about career opportunities at Whitehaven, refer to the People and Careers section of our website.

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