Sourcing Specialist

Sourcing Specialist

• Based in Shanghai – China

About the role

The purpose of Rio Tinto Procurement (RTP) is to deliver measurable value to Rio Tinto Business Units. This is achieved through driving the establishment or improvement of competitive frameworks and markets for the purchase of goods and services enabled by e-technologies and resulting in continuous improvement, improved Supplier Safety and measurable savings. RTP provides procurement and supply chain consultancy services for Rio Tinto Group Companies and manages spend of around USD10 billion per annum.

The China Sourcing team is one of the key components of Rio Tinto’s global sourcing and procurement strategy to ensure benefits to Rio Tinto Business Units and greenfield projects, via providing the market intelligence and increased security of supply that will be derived from an expansion in the China Sourcing supply base.

We are looking for a Sourcing Specialist, Major Projects, China Sourcing to play a key role in identifying opportunities, evaluating, and supporting the development of projects leveraging Chinese suppliers, with focus on safety, ESG, cost efficiency and speed of delivery, and enhancement of partnership with strategic Chinese suppliers. The role will be based in Shanghai and will work closely with broader China Sourcing Team and various Project teams.

Reporting to the Manager Major Projects, China Sourcing, and working in a collaborative and exciting environment you will:

• Demonstrate the application of Rio Tinto’s values of Courage, Care, and Curiosity in every aspect of decision-making and professional conduct.

• Establish and develop the Modularisation sourcing category in China, focusing on long-term supplier partnerships and capability development to align with Rio Tinto needs.

• Drive strategic sourcing by mapping and analysing the Chinese fabrication market, including supplier capabilities, cost drivers, and risks.

• Support commercial negotiations and develop framework agreements, including drafting and reviewing terms and conditions.

• Apply strong commercial acumen to deliver value-driven outcomes and shape negotiation strategies for Rio Tinto projects sourcing from China.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, project, and procurement teams to align technical and sourcing needs.

• Bridge technical and commercial perspectives, leveraging engineering understanding to enhance supplier engagement and decision-making.

• Provide inputs to project cost modelling and schedules to support development of compelling business cases in accordance with Project on milestones

• Support sourcing for Sustaining Capital projects that meet project and customer needs and provide timely and accurate sourcing feedback for stakeholders and suppliers.

About you

To be successfully considered for this role, you will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field. MBA or advanced commercial qualifications a plus.

• 2 + years of experience in strategic sourcing, preferably in heavy industrial categories.

• Strong knowledge of the Chinese supplier landscape, especially in the manufacturing and modular fabrication sectors.

• Demonstrated experience in negotiating contracts and drafting commercial agreements.

• Strong commercial acumen, analytical skills, and ability to use data to influence decision-making.

• Ability to drive effective decision making through strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Engineering or technical background (or experience working closely with engineering teams) is an advantage.

• Proficiency in English and Mandarin (written and spoken).

Where you will be working

You will be based in our office in Shanghai. 

Since Rio Tinto established its first office in Beijing almost 40 years ago with just three people, the Group has built partnerships with China that span supply, innovation, knowledge transfer, culture and procurement. It's a relationship that has been transformative for Rio Tinto and which continues to make a significant contribution to China’s growth story.

The company’s history in China stretches back over a century, when Rio Tinto made the first borates sales to the country. Since 1973 when Rio Tinto was one of the first foreign companies to export iron ore to China, it has shipped over 2.5 billion tonnes of the commodity, more than any other mining company. This extraordinary volume has been driven in large part by the pioneering joint ventures and partnerships that the Group has forged in recent decades.

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.

Every Voice Matters

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 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.

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