Nuton Rio Tinto Venture | Arizona, USA

Metallurgical Engineering

Graduate role – 2025

If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it. Our Graduate Development Program is an opportunity for you to shape Rio Tinto from the inside out. We want you to be part of our team to help take us forward by solving the emerging challenges of our time. At Rio Tinto, we believe the best ideas come from bringing people together with different perspectives to work toward a common goal – to create a better tomorrow.  

About the role

We look for graduates from a range of degrees for different areas across our business. This requisition is focused on Metallurgical Engineering based at Johnson Camp Mine (JCM) outside Tucson, Arizona and reporting to the Deployment Principal Advisor. The Heap Leach Metallurgist is responsible for planning and operating metallurgical testwork in on-site labs and pilot scale equipment.

As a Graduate Metallurgist, your role will include:

• Assisting with set up and running an on-site pilot scale agglomeration drum.
• Conducting column-scale testwork for investigating geotechnical, hydrogeological and metallurgical performance of samples.
• Conducting bench-scale testwork for acid consumption, leaching, and bacterial growth investigations.
• Operation of material handling equipment such as laboratory-scale crushing, screening and conveying equipment.
• Routine completion sample analysis such as pH and Eh measurements and titrations.
• Review of in-field equipment and assistance with collecting plant measurements such as solution samples, solvent extraction samples, heap instrumentation.
• Cleaning and maintaining workspaces to be free of clutter – leaving the labs in the same condition they started in.
• Collation, analysis and presentation of testwork results to the team.

You will be accountable for:

• The responsibilities of this role will include being able to work independently on assigned tasked in a safe and effective manner. This will include ensuring the safety of yourself as well as other coworkers.
• To able to work in an active mine site and abide by all MSHA and OSHA compliance including all local safety protocols such as zero tolerance for drug and alcohol. 
• Ensuring a high level of detail on task such sample collection are completed in a comprehensive and representative method as outlined to ensure sample quality and analysis.
• To be able to effectively work in environmentally adverse conditions including high temperature associated with Arizona climate.
• Have a desire and ability to learn new tasks and responsibilities. This role will include a variety of changing tasks and assignments as the project develops.

What you’ll bring

• Desire to learn more about how heap leach operations are managed and optimized.
• Ability to link technical background to the performance of a heap through understanding testwork data, including a wide range of inputs such as: geotechnical stability, air and solution conductivity, acid consumption, oxygen consumption, metal dissolution and metal precipitation.
• Keen to work on an operating mine site deploying a novel processing technology.

To be eligible for the Graduate program, you must have completed your studies within the last two years (2023, 2024) or working towards graduation in April/May 2025.

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree STEM related field with a technical background.
• Less than two years of relevant work experience (local and international).
• Right to work in US.
• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team on site environment.
• Ability to rigorously follow written procedures and safe work instructions.
• Scientific mindset, with the ability to learn and understand new concepts.
• Proficient in using Microsoft Excel.
• Technically or mechanically minded – ability to solve operational or mechanical issues as they occur.
• Previous experience with conducting laboratory or pilot scale testwork is a bonus but training will be provided for the exact methods used at JCM.
• Ability to work independently.
• Valid driver’s license.

What we offer 

Our global Graduate Development Program is designed to prepare the leaders of the future through a series of engaging, progressive and future skills activities. Visit our webpage for a detailed overview of our program.

In addition, 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
• A generous relocation package for eligible candidates   
• Career development & education assistance to further your ambitions 
• Access to top tier family-friendly health and medical programs  
• Excellent retirement plan 
• 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

Nuton™ is an innovative Rio Tinto venture founded on extensive copper leach technology research. Although our research is vast, our ambition has been focused from our beginning – producing better copper with a smaller environmental footprint. The first commercial scale deployment of the Nuton technology is currently under construction at Gunnison’s Johnson Camp Mine located 1 hour outside Tucson, Arizona.

You will join a team of pioneering heap leach experts working on site at Johnson Camp Mine to help bring the technology to life. Learn more at  nuton.tech

Next steps… 

Please note, in order to be considered for this role you must complete all pre-screening questions.

*Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove job postings as there is enough applicants, therefore, if you are interested in applying for this vacancy, please submit your application as soon as possible.

Finding better ways™ to provide the materials the world needs.

#Graduate

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.

Every Voice Matters

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
Rio Tinto participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization.  Please visit http://www.uscis.gov/ for more information.

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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