The posting
- Help safeguard Kennecott’s Tailings Storage Facilities and water infrastructure through high-impact geotechnical engineering, risk management, and dam safety work.
- Grow your technical influence by partnering with the Engineer of Record and multidisciplinary teams across design, construction, monitoring, operations, and closure planning.
- Be part of Kennecott’s Tailings & Water Services team in Salt Lake City, Utah
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 Senior Geotechnical Engineer to provide advanced geotechnical expertise supporting the safe, sustainable, and compliant management of Kennecott’s Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs) and associated water management infrastructure.
In this role, you’ll be a key technical resource within Tailings & Water Services, supporting long-term asset stewardship through sound geotechnical engineering, performance monitoring, continuous improvement, and proactive risk management. You’ll help ensure alignment with Rio Tinto standards, applicable regulatory requirements, the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), and Engineer of Record (EoR) recommendations.
What you’ll be doing
Reporting to the Technical Manager and working within the Technical Support team in Tailings & Water Services, you will be:
- Provide geotechnical engineering expertise across the planning, design, construction, operation, monitoring, and closure planning of Tailings Storage Facilities, supporting alignment with design intent and industry best practice.
- Lead geotechnical investigations and performance evaluations using instrumentation data, field observations, telemetry systems, and site inspections to identify emerging risks and inform operational decisions.
- Support tailings risk management and dam safety programs through geotechnical assessments, risk reviews, Tailings Action Response Plans (TARPs), and implementation of recommendations from the Engineer of Record, regulators, and independent reviews.
- Provide quality assurance and quality control oversight during Tailings Storage Facility construction and embankment raises, verifying conformance with approved designs, specifications, regulatory requirements, and Rio Tinto standards.
- Develop and maintain clear technical documentation, including monitoring and dam safety reports, regulatory submissions, Operations, Maintenance and Surveillance (OMS) manuals, Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and annual construction reports.
- Support compliance with regulatory, environmental, and Rio Tinto requirements through inspections, audits, permit activities, and continuous improvement initiatives for tailings and water management.
- Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Environmental, Projects, Closure, and external technical partners to resolve complex issues, progress work, and communicate geotechnical risks and recommendations clearly.
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.
- A qualification in geotechnical, civil, geological engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent practical experience relevant to geotechnical engineering.
- Demonstrated geotechnical engineering experience supporting tailings storage facilities, dams, embankments, mine waste facilities, or comparable geotechnical infrastructure in a safety-critical environment.
- Experience interpreting geotechnical investigations, instrumentation and monitoring data, field observations, and performance trends to support engineering decisions and risk management.
- Experience applying geotechnical engineering principles to design review, construction support, quality assurance/quality control, operations, or dam safety activities.
- Ability to prepare and review technical documentation and communicate geotechnical risks and recommendations with operational, engineering, environmental, project, and external stakeholders.
Helpful for Success
- Experience with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), tailings governance frameworks, Engineer of Record processes, or dam safety programs.
- Experience developing or applying Tailings Action Response Plans (TARPs), Operations, Maintenance and Surveillance (OMS) manuals, Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), regulatory submissions, or annual construction reports.
- Experience providing construction quality assurance or quality control oversight for tailings embankments, earthworks, dams, or similar geotechnical works.
- Professional Engineer (PE) licensure in Utah, or eligibility to obtain applicable professional registration.
What we offer
We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your way of thinking, your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress, we provide:
- A safety-focused and inclusive working environment
- Advantageous salary package with annual cash incentive awards (STIP) for eligible employees
- Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.
- Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program
- Generous Rio Tinto employee share program, which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto Company shares.
- Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life: PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
- A favorable child-caregiver leave program (Up to 100% salary top-up)
- Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing
- Ongoing Employee Assistance Program for you and your family; to help in addressing educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns.
- Our team and industry experts are here to support and work with you to explore your learning potential and career goals
Where you’ll be working
Rio Tinto Kennecott is a fully integrated mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, US. Kennecott is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto. For more than 110 years, Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich orebody of the Bingham Canyon Mine. Kennecott is a strong economic driver and strives to be a valuable community partner through strategic partnerships, charitable giving and sustainable development practices.
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
Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.
Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.
