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Help lead and influence the provision of legal advice for Resolution Copper
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Direct and substantial interaction with business clients
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Excellent opportunity to work in-house in Arizona
About the role
We’re Finding Better Ways™ to provide materials the world needs, now and in the future. Our values – care, courage and curiosity – guide how we work and how we treat each other.
We are looking for a Senior Corporate Counsel to help lead and coordinate the provision of legal support to Resolution Copper, a Rio Tinto-controlled joint venture with BHP that is simultaneously studying, developing and permitting the Resolution Copper Mine near Superior, Arizona.
This is a great opportunity for a seasoned, strategic, and commercially minded legal professional to lead and coordinate the provision of legal advice for Resolution Copper, working with direct and substantial interaction with business clients and cross‑functional stakeholders.
Reporting to the Chief Counsel, Copper, Americas and working in a collaborative, complex, and commercially focused in‑house environment within the Rio Tinto Legal function supporting Resolution Copper, you will be responsible for:
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Provide strategic and commercially pragmatic legal advice and support to Resolution Copper, including managing legal risks, setting the legal parameters for strategic business objectives and providing guidance as to compliance and reputational issues.
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Maintain awareness of all material internal business and external legal developments that may lead to a need for legal advice.
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Draft and negotiate various legal documents.
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Assess the most appropriate means of providing legal advice for particular matters depending on business risk/opportunity and availability of resources.
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With other parts of the business, assist with the development and maintenance of external stakeholder relationships.
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Provide direct support for all operational and business matters for Resolution Copper including litigation, commercial, environmental compliance and permitting, communities, land use and regulatory issues, and compliance.
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Give legal training for executives and other relevant Rio Tinto and Resolution Copper employees.
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Liaise, develop and maintain close working relationships with operations personnel, members of Rio Tinto Legal, and Rio Tinto’s business units and functions, promoting collaboration and information sharing.
About you
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A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
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Networking skills that will enable you to develop relationships and collaborative approaches with other business functions and subject matter experts.
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Significant experience in either (1) industrial operations or the natural resources sector; or (2) administrative or regulatory counseling and litigation for industrial clients.
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Demonstrated leadership of legal or business teams or the potential to lead legal teams.
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A minimum of 10+ years of experience post qualification with a law firm or in-house as well as a minimum of 2+ years’ experience in-house.
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A license to practice law in Arizona, or the ability to obtain a license to practice law in Arizona via examination, admission on motion, or as licensed house counsel within one year of commencement of employment.
What we offer
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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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Competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with an annual incentive bonus.
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Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.
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Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program.
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Attractive share ownership plan.
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Comprehensive leave policies which cover all the moments that matter in life: PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
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A generous parental leave policy, which ensures you’re able to spend quality time with your new family.
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Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing.
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Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential counselling or expert guidance for you and your family to help get through life’s challenges.
Where you will be working
Once in operation, Resolution Copper has the potential to supply nearly 25% of US copper demand and create several thousand direct and indirect jobs in the Pioneer Mining District of Arizona, with an economic value estimated at several billion dollars over the mine life.
The project will rely on a block caving technique to extract the deposit that lies more than 2,000 metres below the surface. This method uses gravity to remove the ore and is the most viable way to recover the resource.
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
Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.
Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.
R50307
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.
Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.
Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.
Start your application
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 Theresia’s career journey


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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 one of our function’s teams
We supply the materials that drive human progress. You make it all possible.
With business operations that stretch from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Perth, Western Australia, we have exciting opportunities in virtually every discipline imaginable. From HR to marketing, finance to technology, infrastructure to supply chain, and much more, the opportunities are endless. Join us and enjoy:
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.



















