The posting
- Ensure alignment to the Quarterly Forecast through the creation, monitoring and delivery of 2 Week Schedules (2WS), Drill & Blast (D&B) plans and development plans to support safe and efficient Mine Operations
- Permanent full-time opportunit
We’re Finding Better Ways™ to provide materials the world needs, now and in the future. Our values – care, courage and curiosity – guide how we work and how we treat each other.
About the role
We are looking for a Mining Engineer to help the Operations Planning team deliver reliable, accurate and sustainable mine planning for our Pilbara Mines operations.
This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys turning operational data into achievable plans and wants to strengthen technical capability through broad operational exposure.
What you’ll be doing
Reporting to the Superintendent Operation Planning and working in a supportive and collaborative team, you will be:
- Develop and deliver executable 2 Week Schedules aligned to the Quarterly Forecast.Translating quarterly plans into operational detail
- Produce and manage Development and Drill & Blast daily Schedule and coordinate implementation between site and D&B Hub.
- Monitor drill pattern availability and readiness.Monitor and manage deviations from the 2WS, identifying risks and implementing corrective actions.
- Develop and maintain development gantt, including land clearing, machine guidance design files and associated mine development activities.
- Manage avoidance and hazard layers.
- Create and maintain safe work areas for autonomous drill operations or drill patterns on mine star for staffed operations
- Track Quarterly forecast milestones and key development deliverables.
- Manage downhill haulage compliance and implementation.
- Maintain approved mine designs for pits, dumps, stockpiles and roads.Undertake bench planning and ensure alignment to forecast targets.
- Complete haulage and production reconciliations to support planning decisions.
- Engage with operations and technical stakeholders to resolve constraints and optimise plan execution.
- Assessing current mine status and recommending corrective actions when performance deviates from plan.
- Coordinating inputs from operational, planning and other key stakeholders to build an integrated and revised 2 weekly schedule.
- Weekly drive arounds in pit with supervisors as a minimum to ensure alignments and carrying out field inspections
- Monitoring plan implementation and tracking progress against actual performance throughout the month.
- Preparing accurate inputs for End-of-Month reconciliations to support planning decisions and continuous improvement.
- Engaging with customers and stakeholders to resolve planning constraints, evaluate scenarios and support successful plan delivery.
- Leading safe planning practices and demonstrating Rio Tinto values in day-to-day decisions and stakeholder interactions.
About you
We’re looking for someone whose experience aligns with the key requirements below. You do not need to meet every “helpful for success” item to apply,if you bring relevant experience and are excited by the opportunity, we encourage you to submit an application.
Required for Success
- A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
- Tertiary qualification in Mining Engineering or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated experience in open pit mining operations and mine planning/scheduling.
- Strong understanding of short term planning, development planning and Drill & Blast processes.
- Analytical and problem-solving capability with strong attention to detail.Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely.
- Capability to prepare accurate, achievable mine or development plans and reconcile plan performance against actuals.
- Strong numerical analysis and data validation and reconciliation capability, with the ability to turn operational information into planning decisions and factoring area of improvements.
- Ability to engage frontline leaders and key stakeholders to gather inputs, resolve constraints and deliver agreed planning outcomes.
Helpful for Success
- Intermediate to advanced Excel and data analysis skills.
- Experience with HOSDI, Xecute, Vulcan, Alastri, Deswik or equivalent mine planning and scheduling software.
- Demonstrated experience working in mining operations, including production scheduling, mine development engineering, Drill and blast engineering, short term planning, design engineer, medium term planning and productivity improvement equivalent roles.
- Experience working across planning horizons and responding to changing operational, shipping or commercial requirements.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills.
- Coachable and willing to actively seek for feedback for improvements
- Capability to work solo or in a group environment
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
- Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging optionsCareer development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
- Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing supportLeave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, personal & cultural leave)
- Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
Where you’ll be working
In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, we own a world-class, integrated network of 18 mines, 4 independent port terminals, a rail network spanning nearly 2,000 kilometres and related infrastructure – all designed to respond rapidly to changes in demand. We are one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of iron ore.
Applications close on 30th October 2026 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date).
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 situations and meet opportunities.
Respect and Inclusion
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTQ+ 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.
