Superintendent – Contractor Management & Safeworking

• Lead a high-performing team driving safety and excellence across Rail Maintenance

• Permanent employment which includes a huge range of additional benefits

• Work a lifestyle friendly 5:2 4:3 roster available for Residential or FIFO arrangements

About the role

Finding better ways™ to provide the materials the world needs.

We are looking for a Superintendent Contractor Management & Safeworking to join the Rail Maintenance Integration team based at 7 Mile, Karratha. In this role, you will lead and support a team of professionals to safely operationalise Safeworking and Contractor Management across the Rail Division.

You will be responsible for proactively partnering with Category 3 contracting groups, developing capability and governance with contractor representatives, and leading the traffic management contract partnership. You will also deliver the safe and efficient execution of Safeworking across the network while driving an improvement pipeline of initiatives that enhance safety and performance.    

Leading on the frontline is one of the most important jobs in our business and comes with a huge amount of responsibility. We need you to motivate, inspire and keep your people safe and well.

With signature leadership training programmes, growing and developing is more than an opportunity – it is something we actively plan and make happen. Every day our leaders grow, while our rosters are designed to help you live the lifestyle that is right for you and your family.

Reporting to the Manager Rail Maintenance Integration and working a 5:2 4:3 roster, you will:

• Lead, inspire and develop a diverse high performing team, ensuring best practice execution of Safeworking and Contractor Management

• Champion field based safety leadership by actively leading Leadership in the Field for the department, providing regular team coaching, and driving Safety Maturity uplift across Rail.

• Partner with functional Contractor Management teams, Category 3 contractors and Rio Tinto Company Representatives to deliver excellence in the 5 steps of Contractor Management

• Support the implementation and effective us of the Avetta and Pegasus systems to strengthen contractor compliance and performance

• Identify and deliver process improvement opportunities, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the team

• Engage and collaborate closely with a complex range of stakeholders and functions to ensure the delivery of high quality outcomes for Rail

• Drive Safeworking governance by ensuring that all obstructions are planned and executed in full compliance with Rail Safeworking standards and procedures including training, coaching and qualification sign off

What you’ll bring

• A commitment to the safety of yourself, your team and our workforce

• In depth knowledge of Safeworking and Contractor Management frameworks and their practical application in the rail environment.

• Demonstrated experience in a similar frontline leadership role, with a proven track record driving safety leadership and developing team capability through effective coaching.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills with the capability to build meaningful and productive relationships with contractors and internal teams

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to manage tactical execution while simultaneously delivering on long term strategy.

• Strong problem solving ability and a drive for continuous improvement and operational excellence

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 annual incentive program

• 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)

• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)

• Possible domestic relocation assistance

Where you’ll be working
Our rail network is the largest privately owned and operated heavy haul rail system in Australia, and as we focus on the future, our vision is to become the greatest heavy haul railway in the world.

We operate over 220 locomotives on nearly 2,000 kilometres of track in the Pilbara, transporting ore from 18 mines to four port terminals.

Applications close on Thursday the 13th of November 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.

Respect and Inclusion

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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