The posting
• Provide global subject matter leadership on sanctions, export controls and related trade compliance risks across operations, trading activities, supply chains, technology and strategic transactions.
• Enable high-risk business decisions through practical advice, robust controls and timely escalation, while influencing how Rio Tinto manages complex and evolving trade compliance obligations.
• London-based permanent role supporting a global portfolio, with collaboration across international time zones and travel as required.
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 Principal Adviser Ethics & Compliance | Sanctions & Export Controls to provide specialist advice, challenge and programme support across Rio Tinto’s global operations, trading activities, supply chains, technology and strategic transactions. In this role, you will help the business identify and manage sanctions and export control risks involving counterparties, ownership and control, countries, vessels, goods, software, technology, technical data, destinations, end users and end-use.
Reporting to the General Manager Economic Crime and Trade Controls Compliance, you will work closely with Legal, Commercial, Procurement, Logistics, Tax and Customs, Information Systems & Technology and Product Groups. You will provide compliance advice and programme oversight, while formal legal interpretation and legal advice remain with Legal.
What you’ll be doing
Reporting to the General Manager Economic Crime and Trade Controls Compliance and working across the Ethics & Compliance function and global business, you will be:
• Monitor material developments across applicable sanctions, export control, anti-boycott and related trade control regimes, assess their implications for Rio Tinto and translate complex requirements into practical, proportionate business controls.
• Maintain relevant standards, procedures, guidance, risk assessments, controls and escalation routes in partnership with Legal and accountable process owners.
• Advise on high-risk counterparties, beneficial ownership and control, countries, vessels, routes, products, technology, end users and end-use, including due diligence, screening, contractual controls and documented risk decisions before activity proceeds.
• Coordinate classification and control requirements for goods, software, technology, technical data and services, and advise on licences, permits, exceptions, access controls, deemed exports, cross-border transfers and record-keeping requirements.
• Identify diversion, evasion, circumvention and misdescription risks, escalating prohibited or inadequately controlled activity and supporting effective controls across procurement, logistics, sales, research, information technology, projects and remote access.
• Support responses to potential breaches, screening matches, regulatory enquiries and control failures, coordinating evidence, investigation support, voluntary disclosures or regulator reporting and remediation with Legal and accountable leaders.
• Develop risk-based monitoring, metrics and second-line assurance, using data and approved technology to strengthen screening, alert management, risk visibility and reporting while maintaining human review and accountability.
• Build capability through targeted advice, training and practical guidance for high-risk roles and teams, ensuring lessons from incidents and assurance are reflected in risk assessments, controls, systems and learning.
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.
• Specialist experience: Substantial experience in sanctions, export controls or trade compliance across multiple jurisdictions within a complex multinational organisation.
• Technical capability: Strong practical knowledge of sanctions screening, beneficial ownership and control, export classification, licensing, end-use and end-user controls, technology transfers and incident response.
• Decision support: Demonstrated ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into proportionate controls and practical advice for high-risk transactions, counterparties, supply chains or technology activities.
• Judgement and communication: The ability to distinguish compliance advice from formal legal interpretation, escalate appropriately, and produce clear analysis, guidance and training for senior stakeholders and business teams.
• Qualifications: A relevant tertiary qualification in law, compliance, international trade, economics, risk, business or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
Helpful for Success
• Experience supporting trading, logistics, technology, procurement or supply chain activities, including cross-border transfers and technology access controls.
• Experience using data, screening systems or approved technology to improve alert management, monitoring, assurance and trade compliance reporting.
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 Indigenous Peoples, 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.
