Specialist Procurement Strategy & Improvement

Specialist Procurement Strategy & Improvement

• Be part of our Procurement Strategy, Risk & Governance team

• Execute improvement initiatives and drives operational excellence!

• A role with clear tangible impact!

• Based in Perth

The Strategy & Improvement Specialist supports the implementation of improvement initiatives, drives operational excellence, and contributes to embedding a culture of continuous improvement. The successful candidate will work as part of the delivery team on improvement initiatives, lead specific workstreams within larger initiatives, ensuring all efforts align with the long-term procurement strategy and deliver measurable value, focusing on driving Best Operator outcomes and tangible front-line business impact.

Reporting to the Senior Manager Procurement Strategy & Portfolio, you will be entrusted with the following core accountabilities:

Improvement Delivery & Strategic Problem Solving

• Contribute to the delivery of improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing procurement efficiency, supporting growth, reducing costs, and improving procurement performance.

• Solve problems by analysing root causes and proposing actionable, sustainable solutions that directly impact front-line operations and business value.

• Identify opportunities for functional enhancements that align with the procurement strategy, ensuring alignment with Best Operator outcomes.

• Support the continuous improvement of delivery methodologies, including sharing insights and best practices with team members.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement process improvements, leveraging tools and technologies to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.

• Work alongside change management professionals to ensure successful adoption of new processes, tools, and ways of working.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure alignment of improvement initiatives with business objectives, with a focus on actionable outcomes at the front line.

• Work collaboratively within diverse teams to tackle operational challenges and deliver measurable results.

• Act as a trusted partner to stakeholders by delivering high-quality, actionable recommendations that drive value.

Project Support and Execution

• Assist in the management of smaller improvement initiatives or lead specific workstreams within larger projects, ensuring timely delivery and measurable outcomes.

• Utilize data analytics and performance metrics to monitor progress and demonstrate the impact of improvement initiatives.

• Contribute to post-implementation reviews to evaluate outcomes and identify lessons learned for future initiatives.

What you’ll bring

To be successfully considered for this role, you will have:   

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, or a related field.

• 3-5 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or process improvement roles, with a strong focus on delivering operational improvements.

• Strong structured problem-solving skills with the ability to identify root causes and propose effective solutions.

• Solid project management skills, with experience supporting the delivery of initiatives on time and within budget.

• Familiarity with process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).

• Proficient in data analysis and performance measurement tools.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with a collaborative mindset.

• Ability to work effectively within a team to achieve shared goals.

• Desirable - Proficiency in project management software and tools (e.g., Microsoft Project).

This role is an opportunity to develop your skills in driving operational improvements and contributing to the success of the Procurement Strategy and Global Procurement Function. It is ideal for those with a consulting background looking to expand their career into industry. You will play a meaningful role in enabling impactful delivery and creating tangible business value within a global organization.

What we offer

• 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

Application Deadline: 11th March 2025 (COB)

(Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)

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

Rio Tinto does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles from recruiters or employment agencies. Rio Tinto will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee relating to unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles. Rio Tinto reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Rio Tinto.

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.

Every Voice MattersAt 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.