Manager Operational Excellence

Manager Operational Excellence – Shutdowns

• Play a key role in leading our Operational Excellence function in Shutdowns, building the foundations of the future state and fostering excellence in Shutdown performance across RTIO.

• Help us meet our aspirational goal of being best Operator by supporting our teams to embed leading practice in shutdown execution.

• Perth based with regular site travel

About the role  

We are seeking a dynamic and results-oriented leader to join our newly formed Operational Excellence Shutdowns Team as Manager – Operational Excellence. Enabling operational excellence is imperative to becoming the best operator and our OE teams are critical to realising our strategic objectives and priorities. Our Operational Excellence teams are at the heart of the Rio Tinto Safe Production System at our operations by building, maturing, and sustaining the system over time.

In this strategic role, you will be responsible for the sustainability of the Rio Tinto Safe Production System (SPS) and to lead Operational Excellence Department, spanning Leading Practice Coaching, Business Improvement, Risk Management, Capital Governance, Administration, People Logistics and Contractor Management.

Leveraging a foundation in value stream management, your will effectively prioritise initiatives and collaborate across teams, shaping and refining processes to deliver business wide results. With a strong expertise in stakeholder management, you will contribute to fostering a high-performing, collaborative culture across the team.

You will possess a robust background in business operating systems, coupled with a proven ability to drive business improvement through data-driven insights. For a key crucial leadership role, we are looking for a visionary individual who brings innovation, forward-thinking ideas, and a genuine commitment to empowering teams, all while maintaining a relentless focus on operational excellence.

Reporting to the General Manager, the role will see you:

• Promote and communicate a positive safety culture, ensuring risk management improvement and governance across operations

• Collaborate with functional teams on first- and second-line assurance activities 

• Accountable for the integration and maturity of RTSPS, ensuring practices delivers performance

• Manage strategic division improvement planning, including embedding replication of best practices to enable the future of the RTSPS sustainability

• Oversee the design and execution of business improvement lifecycle, focusing on maximizing benefits and minimising risks to the assets through continuation improvement culture

• Coach operational leaders on best practices in operational excellence

• Develop and retain team capabilities within portfolio to ensure sustained results and ongoing progress against the Site Improvement Plans and Operational Excellence Maturity Assessment

• Apply governance, discipline, and quality assurance in capital planning and contractor management 

• Ensuring consistent high standards of support for site operations through administration and logistics functions

• Develop strong relationships with external partners and stakeholders

What you’ll bring

• Your appetite for an operational focus and demonstrated exposure to Operations

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.

• Commitment to Rio Tinto value drivers of Care, Courage, and Curiosity

• Significant leadership experience and a proven track record of success with coaching and mentoring team members.

• Strong problem solving, strategic thinking and business process optimisation and improvement experience

•  Solid influencing skills and ability to develop and build credibility among peers

• Strong teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills

• A tertiary degree preferred  

If you are excited about the role and think you have what it takes but your experience doesn't align 100% we still want to hear from you.

What we offer

• Be recognised 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 

• A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto 

• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with an annual incentive bonus 

• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family 

• Attractive share ownership plan 

• Company provided insurance cover 

• Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options 

• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions 

• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support 

• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave, cultural leave) 

• To better suit different family needs, our paid parental leave approach gives all parents the option to take 18 weeks of paid leave after a new child arrives – at a time that suits them 

• Exclusive employee discounts which include hotel stays, banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more.

Where you’ll be working  

Based in Perth with regular travel to the Pilbara region of Western Australia, where we own a world-class, integrated network of 17 mines, four independent port terminals, a rail network spanning nearly 2,000 kilometres and related infrastructure – all designed to respond rapidly to changes in demand. We are one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of iron ore.

Applications close on the 14 June 2025 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date).

#Australia #gts

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 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTI+ 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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