Scientist | Gladstone

• Exciting opportunity to lead impactful research and development projects that transform complex challenges into practical business solutions

• Permanent, full-time opportunity which includes attractive salary, annual incentives and a range of additional benefits designed to make your life better

• Join a team where science, innovation and data-driven insights deliver safer, smarter, and more productive operations

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 motivated Scientist who can utilise their laboratory based experimental and data interpretation skills to further the knowledge within aluminium minerals processing and support our internal and external customers.

This is an opportunity to use your expertise in research and development processes and practical laboratory techniques, whilst helping to maintain and grow our R&D laboratory facility and functions. It is also an opportunity to work with a broad range of skilled individuals from technical and trades, to commercial and business.

You will be working within the Rio Tinto Aluminium, Technical Development teams laboratory group, the Queensland Research and Development Centre (QRDC). The role is part of the experimental function contributing to the development of both step-change and creep technology improvements to our Pacific Operation sites. The role also supports the growth of our bauxite export business via global customer technical support in both experimental and analytical techniques.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the QRDC Superintendent and working in a collaborative community, you will be:

• Actively supporting Rio Tinto’s Health, Safety and Environmental standards, consistently modelling the appropriate safety and cultural behaviours

• Working with subject matter experts, and site technical stakeholders to define issues affecting the business, and review and prioritise hypotheses for laboratory investigation

• Designing and conducting laboratory investigations and field trials for strategic projects and short-term technical support

• Reviewing and interpreting relevant test work and plant data

• Communicating outcomes and recommendations to relevant internal and external stakeholders

• Developing, operating, and maintaining analytical and process simulation instrumentation

About you

The successful candidate will have the following:

Essential:

• Tertiary qualification in Science or Chemistry or related discipline

• Solid foundation in and demonstration of safe laboratory operations

• A background in R&D laboratory processes, and use/maintenance of laboratory equipment and analytical instrumentation

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and develop practical recommendations

• Skills in experimental design, conducting experiments, data analysis, and interpretation plus reporting/presenting.

• The ability to work both independently and within a team to achieve project goals.

• Effective communication and time management skills, with the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and build strong working relationships

Desirable:

• Experience in bauxite and/or alumina/Bayer laboratory

• Post-graduate qualifications in science or related discipline

• Experience with ion chromatography and pressure vessels

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, sick & cultural leave)

• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)

• Possible domestic relocation assistance

Where you’ll be working

Located in Central Queensland, approximately 10km north-west of Gladstone, Yarwun alumina refinery commenced operations in 2004.  Processing bauxite from our mines in Weipa and Gove, Yarwun produces more than three million tonnes of smelter grade alumina annually. 

As one of the largest industries in the Gladstone region, Yarwun employs over 700 people and has a large contractor workforce. With a focus on safely improving our process every day, the team at Yarwun challenge themselves to use existing and emerging technology to support our 24-hour operation.  

Yarwun is a proud member of the Gladstone community, and along with Boyne Smelters Limited and Queensland Alumina Limited, support community investments that improve the liveability of the Gladstone region through the Here for Gladstone community fund.  

#gts

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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