Superintendent, Refinery Maintenance
- Be part of a safety-focused team where inclusion, collaboration, and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do
- Join a global leader offering outstanding career development opportunities and access to world-class operations
- Lead a skilled maintenance team and play a key role in improving asset reliability, performance, and operational excellence
About the role
We are looking for a Superintendent, Refinery Maintenance to provide leadership, direction, and support to our maintenance team within the refinery. This role is responsible for delivering safe, reliable, and cost-effective maintenance outcomes while supporting long-term asset health and operational performance.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and people-focused maintenance leader who is passionate about developing teams, driving continuous improvement, and creating a strong culture of safety and accountability.
Reporting to the Manager, Smelter & Refinery Maintenance and working as part of a collaborative leadership team within Asset Management, you will:
- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of maintenance professionals to achieve safe and productive outcomes
- Ensure maintenance activities are planned and executed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with work management, shutdown management, and contractor management processes
- Develop and manage operating and capital budgets while promoting strong cost awareness and financial discipline
- Drive equipment reliability, asset performance, and continuous improvement initiatives that support production objectives
- Partner closely with operations, engineering, reliability, and other stakeholders to optimize plant performance
- Foster a culture of inclusion, accountability, and operational excellence while championing Rio Tinto's values of care, courage, and curiosity
- Support the implementation of Rio Tinto's operating system and continuous improvement principles by eliminating non-value-adding work
- Ensure maintenance strategies support sustainable asset performance and long-term business objectives
About you
To be successfully considered for this role, you will have:
- 5+ years of experience in maintenance leadership within a complex processing, refining, manufacturing, smelting, mining, or heavy industrial environment
- A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team
- Demonstrated experience managing maintenance budgets, cost forecasting, and financial performance
- Strong knowledge of refinery or industrial plant equipment, maintenance practices, and asset management principles
- Proven leadership capability with experience coaching teams, leading change, and building high-performing work environments
- Strong problem-solving, contractor management, shutdown management, and decision-making skills
Preferred qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Process Engineering, or a related engineering discipline preferred.
- Progressive experience across asset management functions such as frontline supervision, maintenance planning and scheduling, reliability, project management, or maintenance operations
- Approximately 10 years of experience in industrial asset management environments, including leadership experience managing teams and operational outcomes
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.
R60389
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


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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.
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.



















