Process Engineer

Process Chemist

• Join an organisation where the culture is inclusive, exciting and performance driven
• Build a rich and rewarding career with a global mining organisation and work with people who inspire and motivate you
• Be an integral part of a small team with a rapidly expanding portfolio of work

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

Please note this is a residential role, based in Port Hedland. 

We are currently looking for a Process Chemist to join our Quality & Processing team. Working within a close-knit internal network of industry experts, you will be responsible for providing technical and operational support to the Quality & Production teams at the DSL Port Hedland operation. You will collaborate with site leadership teams to ensure the operations of salt growth, harvesting, fixed plant operations and processing meet design intent and operational plans for customer specification.

This role is a great opportunity to contribute to the successful stewardship of a significant solar salt & mining operation and work across a large business whilst extending your professional development and experience. 

Reporting to the Superintendent Quality you will:

• Supervise and manage laboratory operations for wet and dry analysis
• Provide technical training to laboratory staff
• Operate and manage the site laboratory when required including maintenance, calibrations, troubleshooting of technical equipment, and reagent preparation.
• Review analysis results of shipping samples and provide Certificate of Analysis with shipments
• Ensure all laboratory data has been recorded correctly.
• Monitor daily analysis of brine, salt and samples and adjust plant settings as required
• Alert Operations and Process Superintendents of quality and growth issues.
• Create harvest plans to maximise recovery and meet quality specifications.
• Manage stockpiles and create blend plans to meet customer specifications
• Complete end of month stock reporting for brine consumption, salt growth and stockpiles
• Provide product quality response training to operators in the laboratory, wash plant and field teams.
• Monitor evaporation data and control pumping operations to maintain steady state operations
• Provide technical expertise and process improvement support.
• Contribute to the achievement of health, safety and environmental goals.
• Maintain quality assurance of laboratory procedures and technical equipment using ISO9001 standards

What you will bring

• Bachelor of science, applied in analytical chemistry or similar.
• Previous professional experience with proficiency in wet chemistry techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to operate & maintain atomic absorption Spectrometry, UV Vis spectroscopy and Metrohm auto-titrators.
• Strong computer literacy & database management skills
• Stakeholder engagement and management skills
• Experience in risk assessment and risk management principles
• Excellent communication skill

It will also be beneficial if you have:

• Previous mining industry experience
• Previous Salt processing experience
• Experience in product/commodity certification

What we offer

Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.

• An opportunity to be part of the world’s largest integrated portfolio of Rio Tinto assets
• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• Flexible working from home arrangements as per operational requirements
• 18 weeks of gender-neutral and equal paid parental leave, with continued superannuation contributions whilst employees are on unpaid, or half paid parental leave
• 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); and
• Local relocation packages offered for Australian residents only

Where you will be working

Dampier Salt

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.

This position will be working on a Residential 5/2; 4/3 roster based residentially in Port Hedland. 

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.

We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs – striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win and meet opportunities.

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.

Ready to experience something unique? Come work with us.

Apply today if you want to work with the latest technology and innovation, in an environment where we challenge you to drive positive change.

This role is for applicants residing in or willing to permanently relocate to Western Australia. Rio Tinto offers fly in and fly out options from Perth, our regional FIFO hubs and the opportunity to live in our residential towns where applicable.

Applications close on 8 December 2023 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date).