Core Technician

Core Technician(s) (Fixed- Term)

• The success of this role will influence current and future mining projects at RTK.
• Join a global mining organization with an exceptional safety culture.
• 12-month Fixed Term roles based in Salt Lake City, Utah

About the role

We are looking for 3x Core Technician(s) for a 12 month fixed-term basis to be responsible for collecting, transporting, and delivering drilled core from the drill site located within the mine to the core storage facility, sampling the drill core on a core saw, and facilitating the logging geologists with the drill core movement in the core logging room. This work is critical to future expansions in terms of resource and waste evaluation and short term mine planning. The data collected from the samples is critical for understanding and planning for the economic extraction of the resource.

This role is a great opportunity to implement your technical skills while maintaining a high standard of safety during field and office work. This role will work closely with mapping and modeling geologists, geotechnical engineers, metallurgists, and drill contractors. 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. Reporting to Mine Geology you will:

• Operate several pieces of equipment including the NTT core saw or tile saw for core cutting and sampling, forklift, electric/manual pallet jack, man lift, chop saw, etc.…
• Housekeeping of the cutting room (including the drainage trench), the logging rooms, and the warehouses. Includes emptying 5-gallon buckets of water (20 – 30 pounds).
• Warehouse organization and upkeep of warehouse map and inventory. Also includes bar coding and inventory tracking.
• Moving palletized core to and from the warehouse as well as loading and unloading pallets/crates on freight trucks with a forklift.
• Driving to drill site in core truck to pick up core in varying weather conditions, walking on uneven ground, and working around an operating drill and equipment in varied lighting conditions. While at rig, periodically checking the core for marked fractures.
• Loading and unloading the triple tubed core (5’ long, 30 – 50 pounds) from the rig into the core truck, then from the core transport truck onto core carts, and later from the core carts to the logging benches, will be handling 60 -120 tubes/day, repetitive lifting.
• Unwrapping core triple tubes or placing boxed core on the bench and washing the core.
• Build core boxes and then boxing the triple-tubed core into the boxes (40 – 50 pounds) after it has been logged. These are then placed on pallets for storage, 50 – 100 boxes/day.
• Shelving boxed core (20 -40 pounds each), 50 – 100 boxes/day. Which entails working at heights on an elevated platform.
• Weighing assay samples (10 – 12 Kg), and inputting into computer.
• Shoveling snow and running a snow blower.
• Support the core logging team with varying tasks that may require work on the computer.
• Participate in the safety culture.

About you

To be successfully considered for this role:

• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent.
• Requires a good driving record.
• Good computer skills.
• Have a good understanding of proper ergonomics.
• Repetitive lifting and stacking of up to 50 pounds of split tubes and boxed core.
• Work and/or drive safely around large equipment and/or open pit mining environment.
• Stand for long periods of time and walk around large warehouses.
• Working outside for long periods in a mine environment throughout the seasons, involving very hot and cold working conditions.
• Good at troubleshooting and fixing machinery or mechanical parts.
• Be good with their hands to handle objects, tools, or controls, as well as reach with hands and arms.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, ability to adjust focus, and the ability to judge distances.
• Occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and smell. 
• Good ability to hear well, specifically to hear changes in tone and pitch for machinery usage.
• Communicate effectively to analyze and respond to inquiries from clients and project staff in English.
• Document work processes for the development of the operational control protocol.

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety.

Recommended skills:

• Welding (will need to certify with Rio Tinto)
• Electrical (will need to certify with Rio Tinto)

What We Offer

We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your 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 (EAP) 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 will be working

Rio Tinto Kennecott is a fully integrated mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, US. Core logging is conducted immediately west of the town of Copperton, Utah. 

Kennecott is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto. For more than 120 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.

R50644