Specialist Workers Compensation (APAC West Coast)

• Shape workers’ compensation strategy and outcomes across Western Australia and the Northern Territory in a regional subject-matter expert role.
• Influence complex claims, insurance program performance and sustainable return-to-work outcomes across a large, diverse operational portfolio.
• Work from Perth in a permanent, full-time role, partnering with operational and functional leaders across Rio Tinto.

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 a Specialist Workers’ Compensation to join our Global Injury and Illness Compensation team and provide technical leadership across Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In this role, you will shape complex claims and insurance strategies that support employees experiencing work-related injury or illness, strengthen risk management and deliver sustainable, commercially responsible outcomes.

Reporting to the Manager Workers’ Compensation within Safety and Technical Standards, you will work with operational and functional leaders, insurers, brokers, legal providers and other external partners. This is an opportunity for an experienced workers’ compensation professional who enjoys solving complex matters, influencing across functions and contributing to regional and global practice.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the Manager Workers’ Compensation and working in the Global Injury and Illness Compensation team within Safety and Technical Standards, you will:

• Provide strategic consultation, technical advice and advocacy on workers’ compensation matters across Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
• •Oversee statutory, litigated and common law claims, including compensability, liability, appeals, litigation, settlement and sustainable return-to-work strategy.
• Guide complex, high-risk and contested matters by coordinating insurers, legal counsel, medical advisers and internal stakeholders, and support formal dispute proceedings where required.
• Lead the governance and commercial oversight of the workers’ compensation insurance program, including renewals, placement, program structure, coverage and claims performance.
• Manage insurer, broker, legal and other service-provider relationships to strengthen performance, service delivery, governance and alignment with Rio Tinto requirements.
• Analyse claims experience, disability causation and duration, cost drivers and emerging risks, and provide clear recommendations that balance legislative obligations, employee outcomes and business risk.
• Lead and support investigations, incident reviews and work-relatedness assessments to promote consistent, evidence-based and compliant decisions.
• Improve workers’ compensation capability, governance, systems and processes through reporting, technical guidance, coaching and contribution to regional and global communities of practice.

About you

We’re looking for someone whose experience aligns with the key requirements below. You do not need to meet every “helpful for success” item to apply. If you bring relevant experience and are excited by the opportunity, we encourage you to submit an application.

Required for Success

• A commitment to the safety and wellbeing of yourself and your team.
• Skills and capabilities: Strong working knowledge of Western Australian workers’ compensation legislation, regulatory requirements, systems and industry practice, with the ability to translate complex matters into practical, evidence-based recomendations.
• Experience: Demonstrated experience managing or overseeing complex statutory, litigated and common law workers’ compensation matters, including liability, appeals, litigation and settlement strategy.
• Experience: Demonstrated experience supporting or managing workers’ compensation insurance programs, including renewals, placement, insurer and broker engagement, governance and commercial considerations.
• Commercial capability: Strong financial and risk acumen, including an understanding of how claims performance, insurance arrangements, program cost and business risk interact.
• Stakeholder leadership: Demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate with operational leaders, human resources, health and safety, legal, finance, insurers, brokers and service providers.

Helpful for Success

• A professional background or qualification in workers’ compensation, insurance, insurance broking, law, finance, human resources, health and safety, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience contributing to investigations, incident reviews, work-relatedness assessments, conciliations, arbitrations, mediations or court proceedings.
• Confidence using Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint to analyse information, prepare recommendations and communicate with stakeholders.

What we offer
Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work:

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• Competitive base salary with annual incentive program
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Career development & education assistance
• Flexible working arrangements
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more

Where you’ll be working

This role is based in Perth and supports Rio Tinto’s Western Australian and Northern Territory operations.

As part of Rio Tinto’s Safety, Development & Technical function, you will work within a collaborative regional and global network while partnering closely with operational teams and functional leaders.

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.

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