Principal Approvals Planning - Operations

Our Opportunity

Work Location:  Fortescue’s Perth office is located on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people.

Roster:  Monday to Friday

Fortescue is seeking a Principal - Approvals Planning to help shape, lead and assure integrated approvals pathways that support Fortescue’s diverse and evolving portfolio of projects, operations and future growth opportunities.

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of approvals, strategy, planning, innovation and delivery. You will provide technical leadership across complex pathway development, approvals schedule risk, prioritisation and clear decision support.

You will guide Specialists and Advisors, working across project, technical, operational and approvals stakeholders to drive consistency, quality and integrated outcomes. We are looking for sound judgement, curiosity, initiative and confidence to lead through ambiguity.

You will champion the continued modernisation of approvals planning, including practical use of integrated scheduling, GIS, data-driven reporting and emerging AI-enabled ways of working.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to Specialists and Advisors, supporting high-quality approvals pathway advice, reporting and team development.
• Lead and assure integrated approvals strategies and pathway advice that support business objectives, project schedules and delivery priorities.
• Work with project, technical, operational and approvals stakeholders to identify approval requirements, pathway options, risks, dependencies and key decision points.
• Maintain and optimise approval information within the Integrated Approvals Schedule to track progress, identify critical risks and support prioritisation.
• Facilitate strategy-focused approvals meetings, workshops and forums, translating complex pathway information into clear and practical advice for the business.
• Coordinate quality assurance and timely approvals reporting, including status, risks, mitigations, priorities and escalation of material issues.
• Drive continuous improvement in approvals planning, including opportunities to use GIS, digital tools, automation and AI-enabled approaches.
• Maintain and foster a working environment that promotes safety in all that we do.

Qualifications and Experience

• Significant experience, nominally 8+ years, in approvals planning, project delivery, operational planning or a related business-critical work program.
• Strong planning, coordination, problem-solving and project management capability, with ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership, mentor others and lift quality, consistency and accountability across deliverables.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex approval pathways into clear, practical and decision-ready advice.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capability across multiple functions and levels of the business.
• A proactive self-starter with sound judgement, curiosity and a willingness to challenge conventional approaches to improve outcomes.
• Experience using GIS, integrated schedules, dashboards or other digital planning tools to support planning, reporting or delivery outcomes.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety and positive team culture through open communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration.

About Us

Be part of something big. Fortescue is leading the world with our plan to decarbonise our iron ore operations, projects that harness renewable energy and the development of technology that will change our planet forever.

Our Commitment

Fortescue celebrates individual strengths and team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Our global workforce drives and promotes an inclusive culture, both within our organisation and throughout the communities we interact with. Diverse backgrounds include First Nations Peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ community, gender, neurodiverse, cultural diversity, all age groups, and those with an intersectional or multiple diverse characteristics. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

https://fortescue.com/careers 

Internal Candidates / Current Contractors please apply via Success Factors Careers Portal. For further information on how to apply please visit the Fortescue Hub. 

Fortescue reserves the right to close applications early should a suitable pool of candidates be identified. Fortescue will never contact you to ask for payment of any kind, whether directly or through a third party.