Tailings Facility Engineer (RTFE) / Specialist Tailings Engineer | NiW - Perth | Mon - Fri
BHP
About BHP
At BHP we support our people to grow, learn, develop their skills and reach their potential. With a global portfolio of operations, we offer a diverse and inclusive environment with extraordinary career opportunities. Our strategy is to focus on creating a safe work environment where our employees feel strongly connected to our values and objectives, and where the capability of our people is key to our success.
Come and be a part of this success.
About the Role
Western Australian Nickel (WAN) operates one of Australia’s most significant nickel assets, supporting global demand for critical minerals. We are seeking a Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer (RTFE) / Specialist Tailings Engineer to join our Perth-based team. This role is pivotal in ensuring the integrity, safety, and governance of our Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs) in line with industry-leading standards, including GISTM compliance.
As RTFE, you will be accountable for the safe design, construction, operation, maintenance, and closure of TSFs. You will act as the key interface between site operations, corporate governance, and external stakeholders, ensuring that all management activities are coordinated and integrated. This position offers exposure to complex tailings systems and opportunities to contribute to innovative water and tailings management strategies.
Key Responsibilities
In this role, you will:
- Fulfil the RTFE function for assigned TSFs, ensuring compliance with GISTM and internal governance requirements.
- Maintain records and documentation associated with design, construction, commissioning, and operation of TSFs.
- Own and maintain critical documents such as the Tailings Management Plan (TMP), Operations, Maintenance and Surveillance Manual (OMS), Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP), and Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP).
- Oversee dam integrity, respond to issues, and support operations with remedial actions.
- Implement Management of Change processes for deviations from design intent.
- Provide technical input to contractors and consultants for investigations, design, and construction activities.
- Facilitate assurance activities, inspections, and audits to verify conformance to regulatory and GISTM requirements.
- Develop and maintain risk registers and ensure regular updates to risk assessments.
- Interface with Accountable Executive, Dam Owner, Engineer of Record, and Risk Owner on all significant TSF management activities.
- Oversee wall raise planning, water balance strategy, and stability programs.
- Provide technical training and guidance to operations personnel.
- Ensure statutory reporting requirements are met and maintain accurate records.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will bring:
- A tertiary qualification in Civil or Geotechnical Engineering.
- Proven experience in tailings or water dam management, including design, construction, and operational phases.
- Strong knowledge of slope stability, geomechanics, and water balance principles.
- Familiarity with upstream-raised TSFs and associated operational challenges.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence across multiple levels.
- Highly organised, adaptable, and capable of managing competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
Why Join Us?
- Work on world-class tailings facilities within a critical minerals operation.
- Perth-based role with flexible work arrangements and limited site travel.
- Opportunity to contribute to global best practice in tailings management and governance.
- Professional development through exposure to complex projects and industry-leading standards.
About Our Process
At BHP, we are committed to employing individuals who align with the BHP Charter Values and meet the requirements of the role. As part of the recruitment process, there are a number of checks which may be conducted to demonstrate applicants suitability for a role including police / criminal background checks, medical, drug and alcohol testing, due diligence checks, right to work checks, and/or reference checks.
If you are already employed directly by BHP, please log in using your BHP email address or apply via our internal jobs portal.
Supporting a Diverse Workforce
The size, stability and magnitude of our business not only provides significant opportunity for professional development, but also attractive salary packages with performance-based bonuses and a best-in-class employee share program. We know there are many aspects of our employees' lives that are important, and work is only one of these, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, other extended leave entitlements and parent rooms.
At BHP, we know that we are strengthened by diversity. We are an Equal Opportunity employer that is committed to making BHP a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and be at their best every day. We are focused on creating a workforce that’s more diverse and represents the communities where we work and live. providing a work environment in which everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. We are an Equal Opportunity employer and recognise that true diversity includes gender, age, race, disability status, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, education levels, and many more aspects of your identity.
BHP is committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all. If you have a disability, we know that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. If you would like to reach out to someone about your situation and our recruitment process, please email us at inclusion@bhp.com.