Control System & Electrical Engineer - Karratha - Residential preferred

Rio Tinto

Posted on:  14th May 2026
  • Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusion 

  • Permanent employment which includes a huge range of additional benefits 

  • The perfect balance, our roster gives you more time for the things that are important in your life and to your family and community 

We’re Finding Better Ways to provide materials the world needs, now and in the future.  Our values – care, courage and curiosity – guide how we work and how we treat each other.

About the role  

We are currently looking for a Control System Engineer to join our Dampier Control Systems Engineering and Ports Electrical team. As an integral member of the team, you will be responsible for providing technical expertise and governance to site, project, and central teams to ensure safe sustained operation and maintenance of control system and electrical assets. Residential (Preferred) / FIFO 5:2/4:3 (can be considered for right candidate)

This role is a great opportunity to improve the productivity and availability of assets throughout Dampier Port Operations and ensure the safety of personnel is preserved and production risks minimised. You will support diverse range of specialist systems like the Task Management System (TMS), Stockpile Management System (SMS) and Collision Avoidance System (CAS), with significant opportunities for furthering your knowledge in a supportive environment.  You will apply your specialised problem-solving skills and engineering expertise to ensure the safe and cost-effective performance of Dampier Port assets.

As part of the Rio Tinto Iron Ore operations, Dampier Ports team look after the Port located at Dampier which handles150 million tonnes of iron ore every year.

Reporting to the Superintendent of Control Systems and Electrical, you will:

  • Adhere to all Rio Tinto health and safety policies and promptly report hazards and risks.

  • Provide engineering support for complex control system, network, instrumentation and electrical faults, minimising operational disruption

  • Act as a custodian of control systems, managing software changes, documentation, drawings, cybersecurity practices, and end‑of‑life risks

  • PLC, HMI & OT Server administration and governance, Control System Software migration planning and execution.

  • Lead and support defect elimination and continuous improvement initiatives, addressing recurring equipment and control system issues

  • Act as functional safety engineering authority, overseeing lifecycle activities for safety‑related systems in accordance with IEC 61508/61511 and RTIO standards.

  • Deliver technical assurance for scopes of work, detailed designs, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and system modifications.

  • Support capital and sustaining projects, including design review, implementation, and handover of control system and electrical upgrades

  • Ensure compliance with RTIO requirements, Australian standards, and electrical safety legislation, promoting a strong safety culture.

About you

  • A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team

  • A tertiary qualification in an Electrical/ Electronics/Control/ Mechatronics Engineering discipline with minimum 5+ years’ experience preferably at Port Operations.

  • Knowledge of the following areas: Schneider PLC’s, HMI (Preferrable – Wonderware), Process Control (Loop Tuning / Constraint Control), Communication and Networking protocols and field instrumentation.

  • Experience with processing plants, material handling and balanced machines (Car Dumper / Stackers / Reclaimers / Shiploaders).

  • Machine Functional Safety (FSE 120) qualification -Preferable

  • Experience with LV/HV Substations and associated equipment. 

  • Functional knowledge of SAP and RTIO Change Management system.

  • C Class driver’s licence.

  • Excellent communication skills and effective stakeholder management.

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 work environment where safety is always the number one priority 

  • A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto 

  • A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program  

  • 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) 

  • Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more) 

  • Possible domestic relocation assistance  

Where you’ll be working 

Our integrated operations, which include port facilities, ensure we can supply the right quality product to our customers when they need it. We blend our products at our own ports, which allows us to produce a reliable and consistent product. And because we have dedicated shipping operations, we are able to better control the delivery of product to our customers.  

We operate 4 independent shipping terminals at 2 locations, Cape Lambert and Dampier, managed as a single port system.  

Dampier has terminals at Parker Point and East Intercourse Island, loading approximately 3 ships per day. 

#gts

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.

Respect and InclusionAt 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.

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