General Manager Exploration

• General Manager opportunity in Rio Tinto Exploration

• Greenfields exploration focus for the Australasia region

• Work from our Brisbane or Perth office 

The Opportunity 

The General Manager Exploration role within our Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX) team leads strategic generative activities across the Generative, Geophysics, Geochemistry, and Land functions for the Australasia (AAR) region. This role is pivotal in analysing and influencing regional portfolios, terrain selection, and lead prioritisation, while ensuring global alignment. 

You will also have the opportunity to provide step-up coverage for the Exploration Director and key stakeholders in the in-country teams. 

About the Role 

Reporting to the Exploration Director Australasia, your key focus areas will include: 

• Leading teams to recognise and capture new opportunities through planned generative project work and identifying technical innovation or new commercial opportunities.

• Directing technical programs by setting clear goals and milestones, and monitoring progress in alignment with RTX strategy and KPIs.

• Creating entry strategies for new regions or countries by identifying target potential, key drivers, and commercial/legal options.

• Evaluating programs to identify those with the greatest potential reward at acceptable levels of risk and cost.

• Driving collaboration within AAR and across other regional Generative & Technical teams.

• Ensuring RTX’s tenure and land position is secure and well managed. 

What You’ll Bring 

You are a caring and empowering people leader, capable of building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. 

To be successfully considered, you will preferably have: 

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Geoscience or equivalent, ideally with relevant postgraduate certifications (e.g. geoscience, management, economics).

• Significant experience in geoscience, with deep expertise in greenfields generative exploration.

• Proven success in leading exploration teams, managing sizeable budgets, and diverse teams.

• Strong leadership skills that foster teamwork and collaboration.

• Experience with multiple copper styles across Australian and international jurisdictions.

• Extensive experience in large, complex organisations with global or regional reach. 

What We Offer 

Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking, and your hard work—and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress. 

• A diverse, collaborative, and high-performing team in a dynamic global environment.

• Opportunities to work on high-profile, world-class mining projects.

• A safety-first work culture.

• Career development and education assistance to support your technical or leadership ambitions.

• Competitive base salary with annual incentive program.

• Access to family-friendly health and medical programs, pension and savings plans.

• Attractive share ownership plan.

• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation, paid parental, sick leave).

• Exclusive employee discounts. 

Applications close on Friday 12th September 2025 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date.)

About Rio TintoRio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs – striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win situations and meet opportunities.

Every Voice MattersAt Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTI+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or anything else that makes us different.