Safety Advisor – NZAS
Tiwai Point, Invercargill | Permanent Role | Relocation Provided
Join New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) — home to some of the world’s purest, lowest‑carbon aluminium and one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most complex industrial operations. This is your opportunity to influence safety where it matters: on the floor, with the people doing the work.
We’re building a future‑focused safety culture grounded in leadership, discipline, and Human & Organisational Performance (HOP). If you want to shape how safety is done, not just how it’s documented, this is the role for you.
Shape the way safety is done – not just the way it’s documented.
This is not a back-office safety role. This is a hands‑on, high‑credibility advisory role at the sharp end of a 24/7 heavy industrial environment where safety decisions matter, leadership behaviours count, and credibility is earned on the floor.
You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with operational leaders across production, maintenance, logistics, and support areas to:
- Provide trusted safety advice and challenge unsafe norms with confidence and credibility
- Strengthen critical risk controls and operational discipline
- Build a consistent, respectful, high‑performance safety culture
- Coach leaders in effective risk conversations, field interactions, and learning practices
- Support incident investigations with a focus on systemic and human‑factor insights
- Translate safety expectations into practical, usable tools for the frontline
- Drive continual improvement across safety, health, security, and wellbeing
- Embed Human & Organisational Performance (HOP) and Human-Factors thinking across our workforce and contracting partners
You’ll earn influence through presence, judgement, and credibility—not paperwork.
What You’ll Bring
We’re looking for a trusted practitioner, not a compliance enforcer.
You will have:
- Solid safety experience in heavy industry (processing, mining, manufacturing, energy, etc.)
- Practical understanding of New Zealand H&S legislation
- Strong capability in risk management and critical controls
- Experience or strong interest in HOP / human factors
- Confidence engaging with everyone from operators to site leadership
- Sound judgement, resilience, and the ability to speak up when it matters
- Relevant H&S qualifications (formal credentials valued, but real‑world experience matters more)
This Role Is for You If You…
- Want to make a meaningful impact—not just maintain a system
- Are calm under pressure and comfortable in PPE, on the shop floor
- Back your professional judgement and are willing to challenge unsafe norms
- Value humility, teamwork, and practical solutions
- Believe good safety is built through leadership, discipline, and respect for risk
What We Offer
- A permanent role based in Invercargill, with full relocation support
- Competitive salary package with annual incentive
- Retirement plan, medical benefits, and comprehensive leave
- Flexible working arrangements
- Rio Tinto employee share program
- Ongoing wellbeing support for you and your family
- Career development opportunities across a global mining organisation
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 Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA+ 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 LGBTQIA+ 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 Theresia’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 – PresentChief advisor Nature SolutionsJohannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
- 2018 – 2022Head of Environment, Global HSESMontreal, Quebec, Canada
- 2016 – 2018Principal advisor: EnvironmentJohannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
- 2013 – 2016Superintendent: Ecology and RehabilitationRichards Bay Minerals, KZN, South Africa
- 2012 – 2013EcologistRichards Bay Minerals, KZN, South Africa
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.