Principal Engineer Tailings & Dams

Principal Engineer Tailings & Dams

• Provide technical leadership and expertise in promoting technical excellence and risk reduction
• Great opportunity to join a global mining organisation offering outstanding personal development & career opportunities
• Permanent full-time role based in Perth

Where we are all welcome

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 who we are.

At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTQI+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

We acknowledge that all people are different and believe that our differences are our strength. The diversity of skills, life experiences and perspectives within our team enhances our way of working and our ability to achieve success together.

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We have an opportunity for a Senior Tailings professional within our Rio Tinto Iron Ore Product Group. This role will focus on providing expert tailings storage (TSF) design and management support, as well as guidance and direction to our operations.

This role is a great opportunity for a highly collaborative and motivated individual to lead and participate in initiatives that positively impact how we manage our tailings storage facilities from planning to closure. Reporting to the Manager Tailings and Dams, this position will:

• Lead operational and project technical support across the Product Group by managing a small team of technical specialists
• Provide a technical authority for the Product Group
• Provide technical review and approval of project deliverables and major operational changes
• Champion safe and sustainable tailings management
• Develop and assist in governing technical and operational standards
• Maintain engagement with other internal technical stakeholder leads
• Facilitate and provide input to working groups, including making a contribution to our global Tailings Working Group
• Contribute to Independent Technical Review Boards in other Product Groups as the internal board member
• Lead the technical development of the team to enable succession in the future
• Contribute to the maintenance of an active and engaged community of internal and external stakeholders

What you’ll bring

• Extensive knowledge of tailings storage facility and dams design, construction and operations
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and constructively with senior business leaders and other technical stakeholders
• Demonstrated leadership of technical teams and strong stakeholder engagement
• In depth knowledge of soil mechanics from a dam safety perspective and expertise in the safe operation and monitoring of tailing facilities
• Expertise in geotechnical investigations, analyses and designs relating to tailings and water storage facilities and associated infrastructure
• Expertise in reviewing geotechnical design reports from quality and corporate assurance prospective
• Demonstrated ability to work within large multi-disciplinary teams to consistently achieve safety and operational outcomes and delivery of targets
• Strong oral and written communication
• Tertiary qualifications in civil engineering, engineering geology or related discipline with significant experience in tailings management
• Deep understanding of relevant standards and guidelines, including GISTM
• Experience in risk assessment and risk management principles.

It will also be beneficial if you have:

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Civil/Geotechnical Engineering would be highly regarded
• Membership of relevant professional organization
• Experience leading tailings or other asset management programs
• A well-developed network across the tailings industry

What we offer

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

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
• Full relocation provided to Western Australia from elsewhere in Australia
• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive bonus
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Company provided insurance cover
• Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave, cultural leave)
• To better suit different family needs, our paid parental leave approach gives all parents the option to take 18 weeks of paid leave after a new child arrives – at a time that suits them
• Exclusive employee discounts including hotel stays, banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more.
• We are committed to elevating Indigenous voices and increasing cultural knowledge in our business. Diversity of skills, life experiences and perspectives within our team enhances our way of working and our ability to achieve success together. To help you on your journey with us, you will also have access to:
• Specialist Indigenous Support Advisors are always there for our Indigenous employees and available to support through any aspect of your employment
• Indigenous leadership programmes across some professional and operational roles to ensure that we are developing Indigenous Leaders

Where you will be working

You will be Perth based with opportunity to work flexibly from home combined with time in our Central Park offices, Operations Centre and Pilbara Mine sites. The team actively encourages and supports flexible work. This includes workdays, hours, and location, in addition to flexible work schedules. Occasional site travel will be required.

About Rio Tinto

Rio 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 cannot do it on our own, so we are focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win and meet opportunities.

Applicationsclose on Monday 12th August 2024 (Rio Tinto reserves the right toremove advertised roles prior to this date).