- Manage key operational workforce, talent, engagement and organisational priorities across a complex, large-scale portfolio, partnering directly with senior leaders.
- Build breadth across employee and labour relations, talent, performance, organisational change and workforce insights.
- Role can be based from either Salt Lake City or Santiago to best support stakeholders.
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 People Partner to translate business strategy into practical people and workforce plans across a defined portfolio. In this role, you’ll act as a trusted partner to leadership teams, helping them navigate workforce priorities, talent, performance, employee relations, engagement and organisational change in complex, large-scale and often multi-geography environments. This is an opportunity to influence meaningful business outcomes while strengthening your impact across the full people agenda.
What you’ll be doing
Reporting to the Manager People Partnering and supporting the Exploration Americas team, you will be:
- Act as the trusted partner supporting senior leaders on day-to-day people matters, shaping priorities and coordinating delivery through People Experience and specialist teams.
- Translating people strategies into practical workforce and people plans for the portfolio, with clear actions and near-term priorities.
- Collaborating with specialist People teams, including Organisation and Talent Partners, People Experience, Areas of Expertise, Talent and Reward, to deliver aligned people strategies and initiatives.
- Delivering operational workforce planning and facilitating strategic workforce plan fulfilment with relevant stakeholders.
- Guiding leaders through complex employee and labour relations matters, including escalations.
- Leading performance, talent and pay review processes, including calibration activities, to support fair, consistent and timely outcomes.
- Using employee engagement, workforce, case and query data to identify trends and turn insights into targeted actions that improve team effectiveness and employee experience.
- Leading the people aspects of organisational change and restructures, enabling leaders and supporting effective communication, engagement and adoption.
- Coaching leaders on performance, team effectiveness and employee experience while sharing portfolio insights to inform enterprise people strategies and frameworks.
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.
- Skills and Capabilities: Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior leaders, provide practical advice and translate business priorities into actionable people outcomes.
- Experience: Demonstrated business partnering experience across workforce planning, performance, talent, engagement and organisational change in a complex organisation.
- Employee and Labour Relations: Sound judgement in applying employee and labour relations frameworks, coordinating specialist support and managing or escalating risk.
- Data and Insights: Ability to interpret workforce, engagement, case or query data and convert findings into targeted business actions.
- Collaboration and Delivery: Experience working across people teams and specialist functions to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes within agreed timeframes.
- Fluency in both Spanish and English, with strong written and verbal communication skills in both languages, is required.
Helpful for Success
- Experience supporting leaders across large-scale, operational or multi-geography environments.
- Experience with union matters, organisational restructures or enterprise-wide change and transformation initiatives.
- Experience facilitating talent or performance calibration sessions and supporting fair, consistent pay review decisions.
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 competitive salary package with annual cash incentive awards for eligible employees
- Career development & education assistance to further your ambitions
- Access top tier family-friendly health and medical programs and pension plan
- Wellbeing benefits
- Generous Rio Tinto employee share program
- Employee Assistance Program
- Ongoing individual wellbeing support for you and your family for personal and professional matters
- Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
Applications close at 11:59pm local time on 18 October 2026. Applications after this date will not be accepted
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.
R67426
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 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 one of our function’s teams
We supply the materials that drive human progress. You make it all possible.
With business operations that stretch from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Perth, Western Australia, we have exciting opportunities in virtually every discipline imaginable. From HR to marketing, finance to technology, infrastructure to supply chain, and much more, the opportunities are endless. Join us and enjoy:
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.