Principal Advisor Business Improvement | Rail Operations

Principal Advisor Business Improvement (Rail Operations)

• Play a fundamental role in our new function, Operational Excellence, leading our Business Improvement Team as part of the world’s only autonomous heavy haul railway
• Perth base role with ad hoc travel to our Pilbara Rail Operations assets

About the role

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

Our people are at our heart. We have introduced a function called Operational Excellence (OE). Enabling operational excellence is imperative to becoming the best operator and our OE teams will be critical to realising our strategic objectives and priorities. Our OE team will be the heart of the Rio Tinto Safe Production System (RTSPS) at our operations by building, maturing and sustaining the system over time.

We are looking for a Principal Business Improvement to Lead the Business Improvement team within the Rail Operations, providing improvement expertise to the operations to deliver business priorities, including the execution of best practices to enable RTSPS sustainability. 

This is a great opportunity for those who put people at the centre, have a change mindset and have a genuine interest in our fundamental principle of being the best operator. You will have the opportunity to build and Lead the Business Improvement team and provide improvement expertise to the operations to achieve business priorities.

Reporting to the Manager Operational Excellence and working in a collaborative environment, you will:

• Actively lead direct reports to ensure activities meet all health, safety, and environmental requirements, and assist in risk mitigation 
• Provide coaching and guidance to your team and operational leaders on business improvement principles 
• Support the delivery of annual and strategic planning for the division
• Manage the deployment and embedment of the RTSPS 
• Identify and lead improvement projects using project management and improvement methodologies such as facilitating workshops with leaders 
• Support the development of capability, mindsets and behaviours that support a growth mindset
• Actively engage with operations to identify opportunities to increase operational effectiveness and establish a pipeline of future improvement 
• Work with your customers across the division to ensure the optimisation of improvements and efficiencies 

We are an open, connected global team that includes some of the industry’s best and brightest minds. We offer competitive, performance-focused remuneration and a wide range of benefits to reward your contribution. With a global reach, the opportunities to develop and grow your career are broad and exciting. 

What you’ll bring

Your strengths in communicating and building relationships with diverse stakeholders coupled with your problem-solving skills will help you succeed in this role. Your capability partner with and bring together cross functional teams will be critical also. 

To be successfully considered for this role, you’ll bring: 

• Leadership experience in continuous improvement 
• Demonstrated experience in improvement delivery and sustainability of projects 
• Lean qualifications and business improvement experience
• Ability to communicate new ideas and influence others
• Solid performance coaching capability
• Strong teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills
• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team
• Commitment to Rio Tinto value drivers of Care, Courage and Curiosity 
• Current C Class driver’s license

Although not essential, you may also bring:

• Previous experience working in Rail
• Engineering background, particularly Process or Reliability 

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 an 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

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 aluminum –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 

You will be based at our head office located in Perth, with ad hoc travel to our Pilbara Rail Operations assets. We encourage agile and flexible work arrangements.

In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Rio Tinto operates the world's largest integrated portfolio of iron ore assets with industry-leading margins. Our premium product suite, including our flagship Pilbara blend, drives strong customer relationships and is supported by technical and commercial marketing expertise. The iron ore business continues to be the world's largest autonomous truck operator and a proud leader in automated mining technologies.

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. 

Applications close on the 20th November 2022 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)