Leading Hand

Leading Hand – Quality and General Works

• Residential opportunity based in Carnarvon
• 5 on / 5 off, 4 on/ 5 off, 5 on / 4 off) day shifts only
• Permanent employment which includes a huge range of additional benefits
• Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusion
• Access to industry-leading technical development programmes

About the role

All progress begins with pioneers. At Rio Tinto, it begins with you.

The leading hand for the quality salt and general works team is a diverse role. Core role duties include, product quality control, general works operator tasks along with leading the team during supervisor’s absence.

This is a great opportunity for a Leading Hand with leadership experience to bring their experience to our Dampier Salt operations team.

In addition to paying competitively and providing great benefits packages, we want you to live the lifestyle that is right for you and your family. And because of our size and scale, there are many opportunities to learn, grow and do more than you ever thought possible. Every hour of every shift, your safety and wellbeing is our number one priority. We do the work only if it is safe, and we invest to make sure every member of the team has the quality tools they need to do their job.

Leading on the frontline is one of the most important jobs in our business and comes with a huge amount of responsibility. We need you to motivate, inspire and keep your people safe and well. With signature leadership training programmes, growing and developing is more than an opportunity – it is something we actively plan and make happen. Every day our leaders grow, while our rosters are designed to help you live the lifestyle that is right for you and your family.

Reporting to the Supervisor Salt Quality and working in a challenging and exciting environment within the Quality Team, you will be conducting the following activities:

• Operation of Heavy Mobile Equipment (HME) water cart, side tipper, front end loader, grader (final trim desirable), dozer (final trim desirable), low loader, backhoe, tractor and roller)

• Leading positive shift start information meetings
• Recognising training requirements of team members and liaising with the Quality & Gypsum development planner providing training opportunities
• Conducting quality safety interactions & critical control field verifications
• Monitoring & reporting daily product quality results to the site management team
• Assisting with managing the field/ crystalliser ponds
• Road maintenance / Traffic management/ Signage installation
• Crystalliser maintenance including opening / closing crystalliser pre- and post-harvest

• Monitoring & reporting daily product quality results to the site management team

What you’ll bring

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team with demonstrated leadership experience
• Excellent communication skills via all mediums with the ability to negotiate positive outcomes across multiple stakeholders
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplined team of professional and quality staff consisting of frontline supervisors, planners, technical process, and chemistry professionals
• Already possess or willing to obtain Certificate in Training & Assessing
• Sound level of numeracy, literacy, and computing skills

• Previous civil earthworks/road construction experience – desirable
• Proficiency in SAP or ODS operation systems would be beneficial but not essential
• C Class license

What we offer

• Competitive salary package with annual performance bonus
• Paid parental leave up to 9 months
• Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options that includes, airport parking, cars and superannuation
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
• Generous employee share plan
• Company provided insurance cover
• A broad range of employee discounts in banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more
• Ongoing individual wellbeing support for you and your family for personal and professional matters
• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• Learning and development opportunities to support your desired technical or leadership career path

About Rio Tinto

Every idea, every innovation, every little thing the world calls ‘progress’ begins with a first step, and someone willing to take it: explorers, inventors, entrepreneurs. Pioneers. 

For nearly 150 years, Rio Tinto has been a company of pioneers – generations of people spanning the globe, all with the grit and vision to produce materials essential to human progress. 

Our iron ore has shaped skylines from Shanghai to Sydney. Our aluminium – the world’s first to be certified “responsible” – helps planes fly and makes cars lighter. Our copper helps wind turbines power cities and our boron helps feed the world, and explore the universe. Our diamonds help us celebrate the best parts of life. 

Where you’ll be working

This role is offered on a residential basis in Carnarvon in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.

Dampier Salt Limited (DSL), located in Western Australia and comprising three solar operations – Dampier, Port Hedland and Lake MacLeod – is the world’s largest exporter of seaborne salt, with capacity to produce approximately 10.3 million tonnes every year.

At our Lake MacLeod operations, we also mine and export gypsum to customers in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Every Voice Matters

At 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.