Senior Advisor Drilling Safety

Senior Adviser – Drilling Safety | Brisbane

• Lead drilling safety across multiple RTAL operations
• Partner with geology, operations and contractors to deliver critical resource drilling programs safely and effectively
• Drive continuous improvement and embed leading industry practices across drilling and field activities
• Work across diverse exploration and operational programs
• Brisbane based position with regular site travel

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We are seeking a Senior Adviser – Drilling Safety to support the Bauxite Geology Team (BGT) across Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations. This is a critical role responsible for planning, delivering and supervising drilling programs and associated field activities, ensuring they are executed safely and effectively across multiple sites.

Rio Tinto Aluminium & Lithium (RTAL) operates globally across bauxite mining, refining and smelting, with Pacific Operations supporting a diverse portfolio of assets and development projects. The Bauxite and Alumina division provides technical expertise across Orebody Knowledge (OBK), Mine Planning and Asset Management to support both current operations and future growth.

The Bauxite Geology Team (BGT) plays a key role in de-risking mining operations and project development through the collection and interpretation of mineral resource data. Drilling programs range from early-stage exploration through to close-spaced assured drilling, often delivered in remote, logistically complex environments.

In this role, you will provide expert guidance to internal teams and contractors, ensuring compliance with Rio Tinto safety standards, critical risk management processes, and drilling procedures. You will also lead continuous improvement initiatives, with a focus on embedding leading industry practices and uplifting drilling safety performance across RTAL Pacific Operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the safe planning, execution and supervision of drilling programs and associated field activities
• Providing expert guidance to teams and contractors to ensure compliance with Rio Tinto safety standards and critical risk management processes
• Conducting compliance inspections of drilling and earthworks equipment, ensuring alignment with the RT Drilling Procedure and Guidance Note
• Maintaining and improving risk assessments, risk registers, SOPs and JSEAs
• Leading and supporting incident investigations, ensuring timely close-out and organisational learning
• Managing contractor performance, including site access compliance, certifications and training matrices
• Partnering with Procurement and contractors to support effective contract management
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives and representing RTAL in the global drilling community to embed best practice

About you

You are a visible safety leader with strong drilling experience and the ability to influence outcomes across complex, remote environments.

You will bring:

• 10+ years’ experience across drilling methods such as Diamond, RC, RAB, Aircore, Sonic or Geotechnical
• Strong experience supervising field-based teams and managing drilling contractors
• Proven background in mining and remote field operations, including camp-based environments
• Demonstrated capability in safety systems, risk management and incident investigation
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence across multiple functions
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a passion for continuous improvement

Highly desirable:

• Experience with incident investigation methodologies (e.g. ICAM / Essential Factors)
• Familiarity with safety systems such as Enablon
• Cert IV OHS
• Certified in Training & Assessing

Where you will be working

You will support Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations, working closely with the Bauxite Geology Team across operating sites and regional exploration and evaluation projects.

This role is Brisbane based and involves regular travel to remote field locations, including camp-based environments, where drilling and geological programs are delivered. You will play a key role connecting site teams, contractors and central technical functions to ensure safe and effective execution of field activities.

What we offer

• A unique opportunity to influence drilling safety performance across multiple operations and projects
• Competitive salary with annual incentive program
• Access to a global network of drilling, geology and safety professionals
• Ongoing professional development and leadership growth opportunities
• A strong safety culture where your expertise directly impacts people and operational outcomes
• A dynamic role combining field-based leadership with strategic safety influence

#gts

About Rio TintoRio 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 situations and meet opportunities.

Respect and InclusionAt 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.