Senior Advisor GIS Data & Development – Data Management Lead
- Play a critical role in the stewardship, governance and continuous improvement of Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s authoritative enterprise spatial data, ensuring trusted information supports operational, environmental and regulatory decision-making.
- Provide technical leadership across spatial data lifecycle management, data quality, governance and improvement, including stewardship of the Pilbara Disturbance Footprint and other critical spatial datasets.
- Work with a diverse network of GIS professionals, data custodians, site teams and business stakeholders to strengthen spatial data quality, consistency and governance across Rio Tinto Iron Ore.
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 Senior Advisor GIS Data & Development – Data Management Lead to provide technical leadership for the management, integrity and continuous improvement of authoritative enterprise spatial data.
In this role, you will oversee the end-to-end maintenance and quality of critical GIS datasets, including stewardship of the Pilbara Disturbance Footprint, ensuring spatial information is current, controlled, traceable and fit for operational and reporting use.
You will work closely with GIS team members, data custodians, environmental and operational stakeholders to establish effective data governance, improve data quality and ensure critical spatial information is managed consistently and defensibly.
What you'll be doing
Reporting to the Principal GIS Data & Development, you will:
- Provide technical leadership across the end-to-end supply, acquisition, validation, maintenance and publication of authoritative enterprise GIS data.
- Lead the stewardship of the Pilbara Disturbance Footprint, ensuring changes are controlled, traceable, quality assured and available for operational and reporting use.
- Set priorities and provide technical guidance to Specialists and Advisors undertaking spatial data maintenance and improvement activities.
- Develop, implement and maintain GIS data governance procedures, metadata requirements and enterprise spatial content standards.
- Oversee spatial data quality and validation activities, identifying systemic issues and implementing sustainable improvements and controls.
- Deliver data improvement initiatives, including validation routines, repeatable workflows and automated approaches to improve the efficiency and reliability of data maintenance.
- Provide technical oversight for spatial data supporting PCO, AER, JORC, Legal and other assurance or disclosure requirements.
- Resolve complex spatial data, data quality and cartographic issues and provide quality assurance for critical enterprise datasets.
- Work collaboratively with environmental, operational and technical stakeholders to understand data requirements and ensure authoritative GIS information remains fit for purpose.
- Promote consistent spatial data management practices and provide technical guidance across the broader GIS community.
About you
We’re looking for someone whose experience aligns with the key requirements below. You do not need to meet every helpful for success item to apply. If you bring relevant experience and are excited by the opportunity, we encourage you to submit an application.
Required for Success
- A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
- Demonstrated experience managing disturbance, environmental or other regulatory spatial datasets, including maintaining data quality, integrity and traceability.
- Demonstrated experience managing and improving authoritative enterprise spatial datasets within a complex operational or technical environment.
- Strong experience across the spatial data lifecycle, including data acquisition, validation, maintenance, quality assurance and publishing.
- Demonstrated experience identifying and resolving complex spatial data-quality issues and implementing sustainable controls and improvements.
- Strong understanding of spatial data governance, metadata, lineage, data ownership and enterprise content standards.
- Strong GIS analysis and problem-solving capability with experience working with complex vector and raster datasets.
- Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership, establish priorities and guide the work of GIS professionals.
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to work across technical, operational and business teams.
Helpful for Success
- Knowledge of spatial data requirements supporting environmental reporting, PCO, AER, JORC, Legal or similar assurance processes.
- Experience with Esri enterprise GIS technologies, enterprise geodatabases and spatial services.
- Experience with automated data validation, transformation and repeatable data-maintenance workflows.
- Advanced spatial analysis and cartographic capability.
- Experience working with spatial data suppliers, imagery providers or GIS consultants.
- Tertiary qualification in GIS, Spatial Science or a related discipline.
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What we offer
Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.
• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Company provided insurance cover
• Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, personal & cultural leave)
• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
• Possible domestic relocation assistance
Where you'll be working
Our modern office located in Central Park tower in Perth provides an inspiring environment for collaboration and professional growth. You'll be able to enjoy a range of benefits, including access to a modern gym, wellness programs, and convenient amenities that support a healthy work-life balance. Situated in the heart of Perth, we are close to public transport and several parking options.
Applications for this role will close October 9th 2026
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 LGBTQ+ 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.
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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 LGBTQ+ 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 Katie’s career journey
- 2022 - PresentManager Projects - Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
- 2019Deputy Quarry ManagerPilbara, Western Australia
- 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
- 2012Graduate Mining EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2022 – PresentManager Projects – Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
- 2019Deputy Quarry ManagerPilbara, Western Australia
- 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
- 2012Graduate Mining EngineerPilbara, Western 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 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.
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.