Category Specialist – Corporate Services (Procurement)
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Full time permanent opportunity
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Based in Brisbane
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Be part of our indirect procurement team
Role Purpose:
We are looking for a Category Specialist, Corporate Services to join our Global Indirect Procurement team for a permanent opportunity to lead the development of the category strategy and management of the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program for the managed services, legal services, marketing, advertising, communications and other minor categories in the Corporate Services portfolio.
The role will contribute to the delivery of sustained value and the generation of competitive advantage for Rio Tinto Group globally. Reporting to the Principal Advisor Corporate Services, Global Procurement, and working in a collaborative team, you will:
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Develop and lead the implementation of a comprehensive global category management strategy and the development of agreements that deliver commercial and operational excellence to Rio Tinto’s global operations;
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Build relationships and collaborate with key internal stakeholders based at Rio Tinto sites or Rio Tinto Corporate offices globally which enable the delivery of key strategic initiatives;
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Research and update knowledge of relevant category (including spend analysis and market analysis) and subcategories to identify opportunities for improvement based on industry and market research, organisational priorities, supply chain risk and commercial opportunities;
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Work closely with sourcing specialists, legal, finance, business partners and other relevant SMEs to deliver an efficient end to end source to contract experience for all stakeholders;
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Develop and execute negotiation strategies and communication plans for supplier negotiations and meetings;
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Execute a robust supplier relationship management structure to strengthen partnership and value creation for both Rio Tinto and our supply partners;
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Develop, implement and present category strategies to Senior Procurement leaders for endorsement;
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Ensure sound category management processes are followed, project implementation methodologies are deployed and implementation is completed in accordance with Procurement’s processes, documentation and governance requirements. This will include processes such as negotiation, risk mitigation, change management and innovation.
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Conduct and implement contract management (e.g. contract execution, implementation, supplier reviews) for contracts or arising from initiatives previously executed.
Since this is a global role, be able to participate at times in the early morning / late evening meetings with the key stakeholders and suppliers.
What You'll Bring
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Commitment to the safety of yourself and your work combined with a passion for both procurement and people.
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Strong knowledge of procurement practices and responsibilities.
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A track record of stakeholder and supplier influencing.
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Sound negotiation skills and demonstrated experience leading contract negotiations.
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Strong analytical skills with demonstrated capabilities for gathering and analysing market and spend data effectively with a demonstrated track record in developing and implementing category strategies and associated initiatives annual plan.
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Collaborative mindset with excellent written and verbal communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
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Demonstrated success in category management and/or strategic sourcing roles, preferably (but not essential) in managing indirect spend categories.
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Understanding of end to end procurement processes including category led buying channels
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The ability to work both independently and productively as well as contribute to a strong team environment.
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Prior experience in corporate services/indirect categories will be beneficial but is not essential.
What we offer
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A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
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18 weeks of gender-neutral and equal paid parental leave, with continued superannuation contributions whilst employees are on unpaid or half paid parental leave
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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)
Where you’ll be working
Rio Tinto Global Procurement ensures resilient supply chains that deliver value to the Rio Tinto Group through the strategic sourcing and buying of goods and services for our operations. Playing a fundamental role, value is achieved through effective supplier partnerships, innovation, easy and standardised processes, e-technology, corporate social responsibility and increased commercial advantage.
(Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)
Please note, in order to be successfully considered for this role you must complete all pre-screening questions.
Rio Tinto does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles from recruiters or employment agencies. Rio Tinto will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee relating to unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles. Rio Tinto reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Rio Tinto.
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.
R50864
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.
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 Shona’s career journey


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- 2005Operations SuperintendentLaunceston, Tasmania, Australia
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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 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.
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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.



















