Legal Counsel - Commercial

Legal Counsel, Commercial

• Career defining opportunity to work for a global mining organisation
• Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusive

About the role

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

We are looking for a Legal Counsel who will provide legal support and strategic advice to the Rio Tinto Commercial team based in Western Australia. The position is a 12 month fixed contract role.

Rio Tinto Legal plays a key role in executing core business strategy and provides legal services and expertise of the highest standards to the Rio Tinto Group, at a corporate level as well as in support of activities on the ground. 

This role is part of the Rio Tinto Commercial Legal team and focuses on achieving collaboration through the sharing of knowledge, good practice and consistent approach, primarily supporting Rio Tinto’s Global Procurement team, and will work with a global team of commercial lawyers. 

This role is a great opportunity for a highly motivated individual and Australian qualified lawyer to provide management support and legal services across a range of business categories. As Legal Counsel, and reporting to the Regional Head of Commercial Legal - Pacific, you will be: 

• Providing timely and commercially focused advice and assistance in managing the legal aspects and risks of global (with a focus on regional) Commercial team’s business objectives, including providing legal support to a variety of Global Procurement categories including mining equipment, ports and marine, rail, utilities, global indirects (including explosives and energy), construction, professional services, logistics, local procurement, facilities management, labour and maintenance, technology, and resource development);
• Drafting and negotiation of arrangements with third parties including purchase documentation and complex project agreements;
• Maintaining awareness of, and advising on, relevant external legal developments in the mining and commercial sector; and
• Monitoring the compliance framework to ensure statutory and corporate requirements are met.

What You’ll Bring

To be successfully considered for this role, you will have:

• A minimum of 5 years post qualification experience as a legal practitioner in a relevant area of law or industry in Australia;
• Experience working within Procurement;
• The ability to work independently;
• Effective time management and personal organisational skills;
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong relationships;
• Excellent drafting, communication and collaboration skills;
• Strong commercial acumen, pragmatic and able to partner with the business seamlessly; and
• Strategic decision making with a demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate.

The following experience will be favourably looked upon:

• Experience regarding the purchase of mining equipment;
• Experience drafting and negotiating construction contracts; and/or
• Experience with facilities management contracts.

Where You’ll Be Working 

The Rio Tinto Commercial Legal Pacific team provides legal services and expertise to the Rio Tinto Group, including corporate headquarters, operating business units and service divisions across the globe with a particular focus on the Pacific region.

The role is based in our Perth office however we are open to also receiving applications from Brisbane candidates.

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. 

So if this sounds like you and the opportunity you are looking for, apply now.

Applications close 5th September (Rio Tinto reserves the right to close applications before the advertised closing date.)Please note, in order to be successfully considered for this role you must complete all pre-screening questions.