Senior Advisor – Mine Planning
- Join a company with a world-class reputation for safety, operational excellence, and innovation.
- Play a key role in developing mid- and long-range mine plans that help unlock the value of the Bingham Canyon mineral resource.
- Grow your technical expertise while collaborating with a diverse network of professionals across mining, processing, and planning disciplines.
About the role
We are looking for a Senior Advisor – Mine Planning to join our Integrated Planning team at Rio Tinto's Bingham Canyon operation. The Integrated Planning team is responsible for developing integrated plans that support the entire value chain, from mining and processing through to refining. In this role, you will contribute to the development of mine plans and strategies that maximize the long-term value of the Bingham Canyon resource while supporting safe, sustainable, and efficient operations.
Working closely with technical and operational stakeholders, you will help ensure alignment across planning horizons and business functions, enabling informed decision-making and proactive risk management.
This role offers the opportunity to contribute to annual and life-of-mine planning activities, including production forecasting, mine design, scheduling, fleet requirements, and cost estimation. You'll collaborate with teams across the business to develop practical, value-driven plans that support both current operations and future growth.
What you'll be responsible for
- Using mine planning and scheduling tools to develop optimized mine designs and production schedules.
- Supporting the development of annual, mid-range, and life-of-mine plans.
- Developing planning assumptions and forecasts that support business planning and operational decision-making.
- Creating material movement strategies, fleet requirements, and capital and operating cost estimates.
- Communicating mine plans and planning outcomes clearly to technical and operational stakeholders.
- Partnering with Geology, Geotechnical, Hydrology, and Operations teams to develop safe and practical mine designs.
- Monitoring planning activities, identifying risks and opportunities, and providing recommendations to support business objectives.
- Collaborating with teams across the value chain to ensure plans are integrated and aligned.
- Working with Concentrator, Tailings, Smelter, Refinery, and Production Support teams to incorporate operational constraints, performance targets, and business requirements.
- Developing mine and waste dump plans that balance long-term value creation with short-term operational commitments.
What you'll bring
- Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering or a related discipline.
- 4+ Experience in mine planning within large-scale open pit mining operations, complex mining environments, or integrated production value chains.
- Strong understanding of mine planning, mine design, and mining principles.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to diverse audiences.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking capabilities.
- Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other common business applications.
Preferred Qualifications
While not required, experience in any of the following areas will be highly valued:
- Mine planning and design software such as MinePlan 3D, Deswik, MPSO, COMET, or similar platforms.
- Production scheduling systems and processes.
- Technical roles supporting downstream processing facilities such as concentrators, smelters, or refineries.
- Mine planning within large, complex, multi-commodity mining operations.
What we offer
Here is just a glimpse of our industry leading rewards package:
- A safety-focused and inclusive working environment
- A competitive salary package with annual cash incentive awards (STIP) for eligible employees
- Career development & education assistance to further your ambitions
- Access to top tier family-friendly health and medical programs
- Excellent retirement plan including 6% defined company contribution
- Generous 401k matching program
- A comprehensive leave policy that covers all moments that matter in life (vacation/annual, paid parental leave, short term sick leave, paid holidays)
- Ongoing individual wellbeing support for you and your family for personal and professional matter
- Generous Rio Tinto employee share program
Where you will be working
Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, fully integrated copper mining operation, including a concentrator, smelter, and refinery, located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. We produce copper, precious metals including gold and silver, molybdenum, and sulfuric acid. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903 and is one of the top producing mines in the world, comprising approximately 11 percent of U.S. annual copper production.
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.
R60642
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 Shona’s career journey
- 2022 - PresentManager Projects - Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
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- 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
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- 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 our Operations teams
The most important thing you’ll uncover is your own potential.
Working in Operations at Rio Tinto means you can make a hands-on difference in the discovery and delivery of the materials that make human progress possible. In return, we strive to help you achieve and even exceed your career goals. 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.