Senior Manager Government Relations – Western Australia
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An excellent opportunity for a government relations professional to lead and manage Rio Tinto’s engagement with the Western Australian Government in a senior, high impact role
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Competitive remuneration, annual incentive program and a huge range of employee benefits
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Permanent, full-time role based in Perth
About the role
Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.
We are looking for a highly experienced Senior Manager – Government Relations Western Australia to lead Rio Tinto's stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue across the state. The successful candidate will be an experienced government relations professional or public policy practitioner who can effectively manage complex stakeholder relationships.
Reporting to the Head of Government Relations – Australia and the Pacific, this role will provide advice to senior leaders at the intersection of Rio Tinto’s strategy and Western Australian Government policy. You will be required to liaise across the critical functions in Rio Tinto and play a coordinating role with the product groups on public policy. In addition, the role requires providing advice on the key drivers that matter to the business.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a high degree of confidentiality, professionalism, problem solving, and strategic thinking as they represent Rio Tinto's operations and contributions in Western Australia. You will be expected to participate in policy, regulatory and industry discussions on behalf of Rio Tinto
Responsibilities
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Maintain relationships with Ministers, Members of Parliament and Shadow Ministers, and represent Rio Tinto with these key stakeholders. Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key ministerial offices and senior officials in the Western Australian Government and Western Australian Government agencies.
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External engagement – Develop and manage relationships with a diverse group of external stakeholders. Contribute to policy discussions and provide input during consultation processes.
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Establish and maintain excellent working relationships across the Rio Tinto Group and industry associations. A key aspect of this role is the ability to be responsive and adaptable in a dynamic policy environment, enabling effective dialogue between Rio Tinto and government on a broad range of regulatory and operational matters.
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Understanding government decision-making processes to effectively communicate Rio Tinto's position on relevant policy matters.
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Monitor the policy and regulatory environment to identify potential risks likely to impact Rio Tinto's business interests in Australia and develop strategies to manage these risks. Identify, analyse and respond to government policy. Understand the consequences of introduction and passage of relevant legislation in Parliament.
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Establish and maintain strong working relationships with industry associations.
What you’ll bring
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Tertiary qualification in law, economics, business/commerce, political science or related fields with demonstrated experience in public policy and political analysis.
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Extensive experience in dealing with governments and departments, particularly with the Western Australian Government.
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Demonstrated ability to build professional relationships with government officials and policy professionals
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Excellent relationship management and communication skills when engaging with senior stakeholders.
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Excellent written communication skills, including experience in preparing high-level briefings and submissions.
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The ability to navigate a global, matrixed organisation to deliver results.
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Previous experience working on issues related to the resources and energy sectors in Australia will be highly valued.
What we offer
Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.
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A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
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A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
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A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
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Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
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Attractive share ownership plan
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Company provided insurance cover
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Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
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Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
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Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
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Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
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Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
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Possible domestic relocation assistance
Applications close on the 14th July 2025 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date).
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.
JOB_POSTING-3-8831
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, 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 and meet opportunities.
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities, and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable being 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 who we are.
Take your leadership career to the next level.
Where can Rio Tinto take you?
You’re passionate and ambitious with tremendous career aspirations. The breadth and growth of our organisation empowers you to define your ideal career path.
Take a look at Katie’s career journey
- 2022 - PresentManager Projects - Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
- 2019Deputy Quarry ManagerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2018Development SupervisorPilbara, Western Australia
- 2017Senior Engineer of Drill, Blast and SurveyPilbara, Western Australia
- 2016Production EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2015Mine scheduler - 2 week plannerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2014Drill and Blast EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2012Graduate Mining EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
Working at Rio Tinto
Help us deliver the materials that make human progress possible.
The plane you’re flying in just landed. You fire up your phone and get your laptop out of the overhead bin. Immediately, you’re in work mode – thousands of miles from your office. Do you ever stop to think about all the materials that make life in the 21st century possible? At Rio Tinto, we discover, develop and deliver the materials that drive human progress. When you work with us, you’ll experience advantages you won’t find anywhere else.
Our application process
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Apply
The first thing you’ll need to do is apply to the role. You can do this with your LinkedIn profile or you can upload your resume. We’ll also ask you to complete a few questions before you submit your application.
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Undergo assessments
Our assessments are designed to help us work out whether you are suitable for the role. We will let you know which ones you’ll need to complete.
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Interview(s)
Our interviews could be in person or online. It’s a great opportunity for us to get to know you a bit better, answer any of your questions and talk about the exciting career opportunity you have applied for.
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Offers and checks
At this stage, we will let you know if you have been successful. If you have been, we’ll need to conduct a couple of checks, such as a background or security check. You may also need to do a medical assessment depending on the role you have applied for.
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Join the Rio Tinto team
Once the checks have been completed, we’ll be in touch to talk with you about your start date and answer any questions you may have before you start with us.