Specialist Communities & Social Performance (Land Access)
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Lead role in a dedicated team supporting Land Access and Communities & Social Performance outcomes
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Join our global leading business offering outstanding personal development & global career opportunities
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Brisbane-based role with ad hoc regular travel
About the role
Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.
We are looking for a Specialist Communities & Social Performance to support Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX) in developing and implementing CSP systems to support land access strategies and processes for exploration project work. You will work closely with stakeholders, including Traditional Owners and Pastoral Land Holders, to support land access, heritage processes and agreements.
This is a great opportunity for a Communities and Social Performance (CSP) and/or a Land Access professional with a passion for systems, projects and process improvement to join a team with a broad scope and great variety. The work includes ensuring Rio Tinto’s CSP requirements are met when conducting Exploration activities, including project administration, coordinating land access and agreement-making requirements and leading cultural heritage surveys. Regular travel to regional and remote locations will be required as part of your duties.
The role will be based in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, as a part of a small team responsible for CSP and Land Access priorities in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory and, if required, in NSW and Western Australia.
We are an open, connected global team that includes some of the industry’s best and brightest minds. We offer competitive, performance-focused remuneration and a wide range of benefits to reward your contribution. With a global reach, the opportunities to develop and grow your career are broad and exciting.
Reporting to the Senior Advisor Communities and Social Performance, Rio Tinto Exploration (Brisbane) and working in the Australasia Region Communities & Social Performance team, you will:
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Support the development and implementation of land access strategies and related processes that support exploration project work.
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Build a strong rapport and effective relationships with pastoralists, Traditional Owners, representative bodies, consultants, community and internal/external stakeholder groups.
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Support negotiations and the monitoring and implementation of land access, heritage and Native Title agreements.
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Demonstrate strong administrative skills and the ability to learn and use information management tools such as stakeholder engagement systems, a land management database, as well as field mapping portals (ArcGIS Pro) and project management systems.
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Lead Cultural Heritage surveys in regional and remote locations, working with Traditional Owner groups and heritage specialists.
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Ensure legislative requirements in relation to exploration, mining and Native Title aspects of law are considered.
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Support resolution of concerns/issues/disputes raised by key stakeholders.
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Support the delivery of strategy, policy and standards development associated with the Communities & Social Performance area.
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Other duties as reasonably required to support the CSP Team’s priorities.
What you will bring
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A commitment to the safety of yourself and others, creating and maintaining a safe workplace.
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Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to build networks, negotiate and positively influence a wide range of stakeholders.
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Experience in community engagement planning, using stakeholder engagement software and identifying and managing project risks.
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Experience of negotiating agreements and implementing and monitoring agreement commitments (ideally Native Title and pastoral / landholder agreements).
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Knowledge of, or an ability to quickly learn, Native Title legislation, heritage legislation and land access legislation across multiple jurisdictions in Australia.
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Experience in, and a culturally sensitive approach to, working with Indigenous communities.
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An ability to understand and analyse work and business systems and develop improvement initiatives.
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An ability to travel and work in the field in regional and remote locations as part of a small team to complete Cultural Heritage surveys.
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Strong technological competencies and process and administration skills to manage projects, use data management systems and online platforms.
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Ability to multi-task and deliver work on schedule whilst balancing multiple external factors influencing plans.
What we offer
Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.
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A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
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A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
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A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
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Comprehensive medical benefits, including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
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Attractive share ownership plan
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Company provided insurance cover
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Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
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Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
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Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
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Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
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Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
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Possible domestic relocation assistance
Rio Tinto Exploration
Rio Tinto Exploration seeks to create value for the business by discovering or acquiring new mineral resources. Organised into four regional teams (Americas, Australasia, Africa-Europe and Eurasia), the Exploration group provides both a global reach and a local presence across a range of commodities including bauxite, copper, iron ore, and lithium.
Where you’ll be working
This role will be based In our Bowen hills office and will require regular travel to regional communities and remote locations. You will be required to complete 4WD training and full medical if successful.
Applications close Monday 10 November 2026.
Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date.
#gts
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 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.
JOB_POSTING-3-12191
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, 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 and meet opportunities.
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities, and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable being 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 who we are.
Take your leadership career to the next level.
Where can Rio Tinto take you?
You’re passionate and ambitious with tremendous career aspirations. The breadth and growth of our organisation empowers you to define your ideal career path.
Take a look at Katie’s career journey
- 2022 - PresentManager Projects - Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
- 2019Deputy Quarry ManagerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2018Development SupervisorPilbara, Western Australia
- 2017Senior Engineer of Drill, Blast and SurveyPilbara, Western Australia
- 2016Production EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2015Mine scheduler - 2 week plannerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2014Drill and Blast EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2012Graduate Mining EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
Working at Rio Tinto
Help us deliver the materials that make human progress possible.
The plane you’re flying in just landed. You fire up your phone and get your laptop out of the overhead bin. Immediately, you’re in work mode – thousands of miles from your office. Do you ever stop to think about all the materials that make life in the 21st century possible? At Rio Tinto, we discover, develop and deliver the materials that drive human progress. When you work with us, you’ll experience advantages you won’t find anywhere else.
Our application process
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Apply
The first thing you’ll need to do is apply to the role. You can do this with your LinkedIn profile or you can upload your resume. We’ll also ask you to complete a few questions before you submit your application.
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Undergo assessments
Our assessments are designed to help us work out whether you are suitable for the role. We will let you know which ones you’ll need to complete.
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Interview(s)
Our interviews could be in person or online. It’s a great opportunity for us to get to know you a bit better, answer any of your questions and talk about the exciting career opportunity you have applied for.
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Offers and checks
At this stage, we will let you know if you have been successful. If you have been, we’ll need to conduct a couple of checks, such as a background or security check. You may also need to do a medical assessment depending on the role you have applied for.
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Join the Rio Tinto team
Once the checks have been completed, we’ll be in touch to talk with you about your start date and answer any questions you may have before you start with us.