The posting
- Work for a global mining company with attractive benefits
- Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusion
- FIFO from Perth – 8 days on, 6 days off roster
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 an experienced Technician Automation to join our RTIO Sampling Laboratory team at Gudai-Darri. In this hands-on role, you will maintain, optimise and troubleshoot a highly automated and robotic sample preparation laboratory, working across mechanical and electrical systems, ABB and Schneider equipment, and Scott Automation technology. You will play a key role in supporting the reliability and performance of this specialised equipment through preventative maintenance, fault finding, repairs and ongoing technical support.
What you’ll be doing
Reporting to the Supervisor Electrical, the role will see you:
- Perform preventative maintenance, routine servicing and breakdown repairs across mechanical, robotic and automated equipment and systems.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot equipment faults both on-site and remotely, completing machine audits and performance adjustments to optimise reliability.
- Maintain and repair robotic sample-handling systems, crushers, automated pulverisers and other specialised laboratory equipment.
- Support the integration, maintenance and calibration of advanced analytical equipment, including TGA and X-ray spectrometry systems.
- Provide responsive on-site technical support, including participation in on-call requirements and guidance to customers and operational teams.
- Maintain accurate service documentation, including technical resolutions, labour, spare parts, consumables, handovers and preventative maintenance recommendations.
- Uphold all relevant safety, compliance and technical standards, ensuring work is completed safely and documentation is appropriately maintained.
- Collaborate with planners, coordinators, technicians and engineering teams to support effective work management, share technical knowledge and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
About you
- A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team
- An A-Grade Electrical Licence with strong mechanical aptitude and hands-on maintenance experience.
- 3–5+ years’ practical experience working with PLC-controlled machinery, robotics and industrial automation systems.
- Strong technical capability in PLC analysis, diagnostics, fault finding and system optimisation.
- Proven problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose complex faults and deliver practical, reliable solutions.
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 bonus
- 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, cultural leave)
- To better suit different family needs, our paid parental leave approach gives all parents the option to take 18 weeks of paid leave after a new child arrives – at a time that suits them
- Exclusive employee discounts including hotel stays, banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more
Where you’ll be working
Located 110km north-west of Newman, our Gudai-Darri iron ore mine is our most technologically advanced mine. It leverages technology such as autonomous trucks, trains, drills and water carts. Gudai-Darri also has more than 70 design innovations including a reclaimer with a rotable bucket wheel, a fully automated robotic laboratory and in-field access to data and systems for all team members.
Applications close on the 23rd of November 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.
