Principal Metallurgist

Principal Metallurgist

• Join our global leading business offering outstanding personal development & global career opportunities 
• Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusion 
• Permanent full time Brisbane-based role with periodic international travel

About the role

We are looking for a Principal Metallurgist to join a small team of SMEs responsible for defining the strategic direction for Oyu Tolgoi Copper mine, aimed at achieving maximum long-term value from the extensive resource base. This is an excellent opportunity to apply your technical expertise providing operational support to the site and ongoing optimisation of processing activities. This includes determining and undertaking test work, performance reconciliation, studies framing and oversight, and championing recommended improvements.

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.

Reporting to the Integrated Planning Manager, you will:

• Drive safety in design and contribute to the safe operation by identifying improvement initiatives within the concentrator facility
• Carry out the Owner’s Team Process Lead duties for the completion of detailed design for the conversion of the concentrator facility to support the underground project
• Identify, scope, manage, and deliver studies relating to the concentrator according to Rio Tinto project development guidelines and governance processes in an efficient and cost-effective manner
• Identify, scope, manage, and deliver metallurgical work programs through external and internal resources to ensure metallurgical test work is completed at the appropriate level in advance of future studies for resources and is sufficient to support R&R reporting
• Provide concentrator capacity and metallurgical performance updates to the Technical & Strategic Mine Planning team and for use in Strategic Production Planning programs
• Carry out risk analysis activities as per established procedures for all studies related work
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance for colleagues both in Australia and Mongolia

What you will bring

• Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical, chemical, or process engineering, or a related discipline
• Considerable, increasingly complex experience in mineral process plant operation, mineral process development activity, and/or major project/study activities
• Experience in developing or supporting the development of integrated mine production plans
• Experience in base metal concentrator design, commissioning, and operation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

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)
• Relocation assistance where necessary

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 will be working

The Rio Tinto Copper group is a global organisation with operations and projects in the U.S. (Kennecott Utah Copper, "RTKC", and Resolution Copper Project), Mongolia (Oyu Tolgoi), Simandou (Guinea) and Western Australia (Winu Cu-Au project). The portfolio also includes interests in a non-managed joint venture in Chile, in addition to exploration & evaluation interests and other minor investments. 

This role is based in Brisbane. We offer a flexible working arrangement with a balance of office-based and work from home. You will have the opportunity to travel on a periodic basis to Mongolia to visit the Oyu Tolgoi site. 

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 15^th February 2023 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)

Please note, to be successfully considered for this role you must complete all pre-screening questions.