Manager, Tailings and Water

• Join a leader in mining & metals offering outstanding personal development & global career opportunities.
• Competitive compensation, strong benefits, and the opportunity to influence safety, sustainability, and community outcomes at scale
• Work in an underground project located near Superior, Arizona.

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.

About the Role

We are looking for a Manager, Tailings and Water to provide strategic leadership, governance, and technical stewardship of tailings and water management for the Resolution Copper in Superior, Arizona. Reporting to the General Manager Technical Studies – Americas, this role is accountable for ensuring tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and water management systems are designed and managed safely, sustainably, and in compliance with company standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice. 

The role acts as a key subject matter expert, supporting operational excellence, risk reduction, and long-term value creation while maintaining a strong focus on safety, environmental performance, community engagement and social responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

Safety and Operational Excellence 

• Champion a culture of safety, care, courage, and curiosity across tailings and water management team. 
• Ensure critical controls are identified, implemented, monitored, and verified for tailings and water management related risks. 
• Promote disciplined study and operational practices. 

Tailings Governance and Stewardship 

• Provide governance and oversight for tailings storage facilities throughout their lifecycle, including design, construction, operation, monitoring, closure, and post-closure. 
• Ensure compliance with Rio Tinto standards, GISTM, regulatory requirements, and industry frameworks. 
• Lead reviews of facility performance, risk assessments, surveillance programs, and dam safety inspections. 
• Coordinate independent technical review activities and Engineer of Record engagements. 

Water Management 

• Develop and maintain integrated water management strategies aligned with operational, community and environmental objectives. 
• Oversee site water balances, impact assessments and modeling (mine dewatering, supply recovery), water supply systems and strategy, storage facilities, treatment infrastructure, and discharge management. 
• Leadwater stewardship initiatives that improve water efficiency, reliability, and sustainability with respect to current and future supply including mitigation and monitoring programs. 
• Support compliance with water related permits, regulations, and company requirements. 

Risk Management and Assurance 

• Identify, evaluate, and manage material tailings and water risks. 
• Maintain risk registers, critical control frameworks, and assurance programs. 
• Monitor key performance indicators and provide regular reporting to senior leadership. 
• Support emergency preparedness, crisis management, and consequence reduction planning. 

Technical Leadership 

• Provide expert technical guidance to operations, studies and projects teams. 
• Review and endorse engineering and hydrological studies, designs, operational plans, and change management processes. 
• Foster the application of leading industry practices, innovation, and emerging technologies. 

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Build effective relationships with operations, project teams, regulators, communities, and external technical specialists. 
• Represent the business in technical forums, audits, regulatory engagements and key community meetings. 
• Communicate technical risks and opportunities clearly to senior management and stakeholders. 

About you

• Degree in Civil, Geotechnical, Mining, Environmental, Water Resources Engineering, or related discipline. 
• Valid driver’s license.
• Professional Engineer registration (PE, P.Eng., CPEng, or equivalent) preferred. 
• Advanced qualifications in geotechnical engineering, tailings, hydrogeology and water management are advantageous. 
• Significant experience in tailings management, dam safety, water resources/management, mining operations, or related infrastructure. 
• Experience working within large, complex mining or resource organizations. 
• Strong understanding of tailings and water governance frameworks, environmental compliance, and risk management systems. 
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing specialist consultants. 

What we offer

We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your thinking, your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress, we provide: 

• A safety-focused and inclusive working environment
• Advantageous salary package with annual cash incentive awards (STIP) for eligible employees 
• Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits
• Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program
• Generous Rio Tinto employee share program, which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto Company shares.
• Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life: PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave
• A favorable child-caregiver leave program (Up to 100% salary top-up)
• Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing
• Ongoing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for you and your family; to help in addressing educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns
• Our team and industry experts are here to support and work with you to explore your learning potential and career goals 

Where you will be working

You will be joining Resolution Copper at a pivotal moment in the project’s history. With the Resolution Copper Land Exchange now complete, the project is advancing its next phase of technical work, community engagement, and state permitting activities.

Resolution Copper has the potential to supply nearly 25% of total U.S. copper demand and generate several thousand direct and indirect jobs in the Pioneer Mining District of Arizona, delivering an economic value of several billion dollars over the life of the mine. The project will rely on block caving, a proven underground mining method that uses gravity to extract ore from a deposit located more than 2,000 meters below the surface. This technique is the most viable way to safely and efficiently recover the resource.

As development continues, Resolution Copper will expand its underground operations, conduct extensive drilling and orebody characterization, and maintain both the permitting process and ongoing public engagement with Native American tribes, local communities, and stakeholders.

The Resolution Copper project is vital to securing America’s energy future, infrastructure needs, and national defense by providing a domestic supply of copper and other critical minerals. Once operational, it has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in the United States, contribute approximately $1 billion annually to Arizona’s economy, and create thousands of local jobs in a region with more than a century‑long mining heritage.

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.

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