• General Manager opportunity in Rio Tinto Exploration
• Greenfields exploration focus for the Australasia region
• Work from our Brisbane or Perth office
The Opportunity
The General Manager Exploration role within our Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX) team leads strategic generative activities across the Generative, Geophysics, Geochemistry, and Land functions for the Australasia (AAR) region. This role is pivotal in analysing and influencing regional portfolios, terrain selection, and lead prioritisation, while ensuring global alignment.
You will also have the opportunity to provide step-up coverage for the Exploration Director and key stakeholders in the in-country teams.
About the Role
Reporting to the Exploration Director Australasia, your key focus areas will include:
• Leading teams to recognise and capture new opportunities through planned generative project work and identifying technical innovation or new commercial opportunities.
• Directing technical programs by setting clear goals and milestones, and monitoring progress in alignment with RTX strategy and KPIs.
• Creating entry strategies for new regions or countries by identifying target potential, key drivers, and commercial/legal options.
• Evaluating programs to identify those with the greatest potential reward at acceptable levels of risk and cost.
• Driving collaboration within AAR and across other regional Generative & Technical teams.
• Ensuring RTX’s tenure and land position is secure and well managed.
What You’ll Bring
You are a caring and empowering people leader, capable of building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
To be successfully considered, you will preferably have:
• A Bachelor’s Degree in Geoscience or equivalent, ideally with relevant postgraduate certifications (e.g. geoscience, management, economics).
• Significant experience in geoscience, with deep expertise in greenfields generative exploration.
• Proven success in leading exploration teams, managing sizeable budgets, and diverse teams.
• Strong leadership skills that foster teamwork and collaboration.
• Experience with multiple copper styles across Australian and international jurisdictions.
• Extensive experience in large, complex organisations with global or regional reach.
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 diverse, collaborative, and high-performing team in a dynamic global environment.
• Opportunities to work on high-profile, world-class mining projects.
• A safety-first work culture.
• Career development and education assistance to support your technical or leadership ambitions.
• Competitive base salary with annual incentive program.
• Access to family-friendly health and medical programs, pension and savings plans.
• Attractive share ownership plan.
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation, paid parental, sick leave).
• Exclusive employee discounts.
Applications close on Friday 12th September 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-3-10822
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
Take a look at Shona’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
- 2022 – PresentGeneral Manager Weipa OperationsWeipa, Far North Queensland, Australia
- 2020General Manager Bell Bay AluminiumLaunceston, Tasmania, Australia
- 2017Metal products DepartmentBoyne SmeltersGladstone, Queensland, Australia
- 2014Reduction line Manager – Boyne SmeltersGladstone, Queensland, Australia
- 2012Services department Manager Boyne SmeltersGladstone, Queensland, Australia
- 2011Manager Health, Safety, Environment and business improvement Boyne SmeltersGladstone, Queensland, Australia
- 2010Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – Boyne SmeltersGladstone, Queensland, Australia
- 2009Operations SuperintendentGladstone, Queensland, Australia
- 2005Operations SuperintendentLaunceston, Tasmania, Australia
- 2004Graduate EngineerLaunceston, Tasmania, 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.
Working in a technical role at Rio Tinto
Your advanced expertise will help drive human progress.
We’ve developed technical capabilities through nearly 150 years of discovering, planning, and operating mines in every corner of the world. We’re an open, connected international team of technical specialists using some of the most sophisticated tools and robust data on the planet. Join us and experience:
Our application process
01
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.
02
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.
03
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.
04
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.
05
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.