Electrical System Operators

Electrical System Operators

• Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusion
• 12-hour shift schedule (2 days on, 2 nights on, followed by 4 days off) 
• This permanent, full-time, role is based in Kitimat, BC. The perfect place to live and work, combining the tranquility of a small community with an unrivaled love for the great outdoors.

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We are looking for three Electricians to join the Power Operations team as a System Operators, where they will manage and oversee the Kitimat smelter power distribution, Kemano generation operation, and the site’s interconnection with BC Hydro. They ensure grid stability and efficiency by monitoring and controlling the hydroelectric plant and electricity transmission, managing real-time power flows, responding to system disturbances, and assessing for required maintenance activities.

This is a great opportunity for a safety and detail-oriented individual, with skills and expertise in the field, to play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of a major hydroelectric power system within a leading global company.

In addition to paying competitively and providing great benefits packages, we want you to live the lifestyle that is right for you and your family. And because of our size and scale, there are many opportunities to learn, grow and do more than you ever thought possible. Every hour of every shift, your safety and wellbeing is our number one priority. We do the work only if it is safe, and we invest to make sure every member of the team has the quality tools they need to do their job.

Reporting to the Power Operations Supervisor and working a 12-hour rotating day and night shift schedule, you will be:

• Working safely in accordance with Rio Tinto health, safety, and environmental standards. Including lock-out/tag-out and isolation procedures.
• Performing shift handovers with crew members and supervisors.
• Conducting virtual inspections of DCS screens for all systems, generators, distribution, and switchgear, and facilitating BC Hydro interconnection and tie-line schedules.
• Developing and executing switching orders to reconfigure power systems for maintenance, ensuring proper sequence and verifying good opens and closes of disconnects and breakers.
• Rotating roles with shift partner between desk and field operations, managing control systems and performing hands-on inspections.
• Reviewing switching order requests, managing maintenance key boxes, and supporting maintenance activities in the field.
• Completing walkthroughs of switchyards with check sheets, performing thermography and collecting oil samples from transformers for testing.
• Responding to and recovering the system during power outages, maintaining calm under stress, and working with technical staff and supervisors to manage alarms and escalate issues.
• Once proficiency is achieved in the role, mentor junior team members by sharing knowledge, providing guidance, and supporting their professional development.

What you’ll bring

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
• Interprovincial Electrician certification of qualification
• Must possess, or be willing to obtain, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Transmission System Operator Certification within 4,000 working hours and maintain it throughout employment.
• Minimum of a valid B.C. Class 7 (Novice) driver’s license, or out-of-province equivalent.
• Prior experience in an industrial setting.
• Ability to remain calm and effective in high-stress situations.
• Must be able to read and interpret electrical drawings, blueprints, schematics, and electrical code specifications.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with all team members and demonstrate flexibility and adaptability within a small team.
• Proficiency in computer applications including Outlook and Excel

It will also be beneficial if you have:

• Experience performing SAP notifications (CMMS), or using PI ProcessBook, or ABB 800xA system.
• Prior experience working with high voltage systems.

Please note: This role does not offer fly‑in‑fly‑out arrangements or relocation assistance. We invite you to join our team and become an integral part of our vibrant community.

What we offer

Be recognized for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• A competitive hourly pay rate of $62.03 per hour in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical programs
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
• Optional sabbatical program
• Defined benefit pension plan (CAAT)
• Exclusive employee discounts

Applications close on Sunday the 1st of February 2026 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date).

Where you’ll be working

Rio Tinto’s BC Works is a part of the Atlantic Operations of the Aluminium product group and has been operating in British Columbia for over 70 years. With industry leading new technology and four generations of employee expertise, as well as our hydropower facility at Kemano and the Nechako Reservoir, the Kitimat smelter is one of the world’s most competitive aluminium smelters, producing aluminium with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry.

Rio Tinto is proud to operate in BC alongside our 1,000 employees, partners, community stakeholders and First Nations, and we look forward to the next 70 years.

To learn more about our Aluminium Operations, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=25&v=CTp1jkRKeBI   

Working at Rio Tinto also means choosing to be part of a company recognized one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in 2025 for the sixth consecutive year (for more information, click here: Rio Tinto Top Employer 2025) and one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young People (for more information, click here: Rio Tinto Top Employer for young people.

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 LGBTQIA2 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.

À propos de Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto est un chef de file mondial du secteur des sociétés minières et des matériaux. Nous sommes établis dans 35 pays où nous produisons du minerai de fer, du cuivre, de l’aluminium, des minéraux critiques et d’autres matériaux nécessaires à la transition énergétique mondiale et à la prospérité des personnes, des communautés et des nations. 

Nous exerçons nos activités depuis 150 ans, en nous appuyant sur les connaissances accumulées au fil des générations et sur les différents continents. Notre mission – trouver de meilleures façons de fournir les matériaux dont le monde a besoin – nous guide dans notre quête d’innovation et d’amélioration continue, dans le but de fabriquer des produits à faibles émissions et répondant aux bonnes normes environnementales, sociales et de gouvernance. Mais comme nous ne pouvons pas y arriver seuls, nous nous attachons à créer des partenariats nous permettant de résoudre des problèmes, de créer des situations mutuellement avantageuses et de saisir des occasions.

Respect and Inclusion
Chez Rio Tinto, nous accueillons favorablement et encourageons les candidatures d’Autochtones, de femmes, de membres de la communauté LGBTQ2S+, de travailleurs âgés, de personnes handicapées et de représentants d’origines diverses.

Nous sommes déterminés à créer un milieu inclusif où les employés se sentent à l’aise d’être eux-mêmes. Nous souhaitons de plus que chacun ait l’impression que sa voix compte, que toutes les cultures sont respectées et que les points de vue, aussi variés soient-ils, sont non seulement bienvenus, mais également essentiels à notre succès. Nous nous traitons mutuellement avec équité et dignité, sans égard à la race, au genre, à la nationalité, à l’origine ethnique, à la religion, à l’âge, à l’orientation sexuelle ou à tout autre aspect distinctif.

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