Principal Advisor, Technical Due Diligence & Mine Optimisation

• Shape risk-informed investment decisions across acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, studies and major growth opportunities. 
• Apply technical judgement to challenge reference cases, identify material risk and unlock mine-development value.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary expertise and strengthen a scalable Technical due diligence capability across Rio Tinto Copper based in Santiago, Chile

We’re Finding Better Ways™ to provide the 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 Principal Advisor, Technical Due Diligence & Mine Optimisation to strengthen a rapid, scalable and decision-focused technical due diligence capability within Rio Tinto Copper’s Surface Mining and Strategic Production Planning team.

This influential individual-contributor role sits at the intersection of technical excellence, commercial decision-making and risk management. Working through technical credibility, collaboration and influence, you will bring together multidisciplinary expertise and turn incomplete information into clear, decision-useful insights for senior leaders and investment teams.

You will challenge reference mine plans, test credible alternatives and connect technical uncertainty to implications for value, execution, schedule and optionality. You will also help establish practical methods, tools and ways of working that improve the consistency, pace and quality of due diligence across the opportunity portfolio.

Reporting to the General Manager, Surface Mining and SPP, you will:

• Frame material investment questions and determine the appropriate depth of technical analysis, from rapid screening to deeper strategic optimisation.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary technical reviews and integrate findings into concise, evidence-based advice.
• Challenge vendor, partner, study and internal assumptions, clearly separating facts, assumptions, uncertainty, material risks, opportunities and residual exposure.
• Interrogate mine plans and development cases, including scale, sequencing, cut-off strategy, mining rate, capital timing, operating constraints and expansion pathways.
• Develop central, downside and upside cases and test alternative mine-development strategies where these may materially change value or risk.
• Work with Business Analysts so that key technical assumptions, ranges and sensitivities are appropriately reflected in valuation models.
• Strengthen Technical DD methods, templates, lessons learned and capability across the broader technical organisation.
• Shape digital and AI-supported workflows that improve speed, evidence management and traceability while preserving professional judgement.
• Communicate complex technical issues in clear commercial language and provide constructive challenge to senior technical, commercial and business stakeholders.

What you'll bring

• A bachelor’s degree in mining, engineering, geoscience or another relevant field associated with mining or other asset-intensive industries.
• Significant senior experience across mining, project development, operations, engineering, technical studies, strategic planning or related disciplines.
• Experience in technical due diligence, project evaluation, technical assurance or investment assessment for complex opportunities.
• Broad understanding of mine-development value drivers and the ability to integrate mining with geotechnical, water, tailings, processing, infrastructure, environmental, closure and execution considerations.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge mine plans and technical assumptions, frame credible alternatives and connect technical findings to valuation and investment decisions.
• Sound judgement in risk, uncertainty and opportunity assessment, including the ability to match analytical effort to decision materiality.
• Proven ability to coordinate multidisciplinary expertise and influence outcomes across organisational boundaries.
• Exceptional communication skills, high integrity and confidence to provide balanced, independent and constructive challenge.

Where you will be working

The Surface Mining and SPP team helps shape the future of Rio Tinto Copper. The team works across a diverse portfolio of growth opportunities and partners with Growth and Development, Business Development, Technical Studies, Legal, Finance, Commercial, operations and external advisors to assess investment opportunities, manage risk and support disciplined capital allocation.

This role is based in Santiago and reports to the General Manager, Surface Mining and SPP. It offers the opportunity to influence high-value decisions, work across global teams and strengthen how Rio Tinto Copper identifies technical risk and creates value from future opportunities.

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 Indigenous Peoples, 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.

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