Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Principal Geotechnical Engineer

• Be part of a group that is safety driven, values inclusion and is renowned for technical excellence
• Join our global leading business offering outstanding personal development & global career opportunities
• Permanent role based in the beautiful outdoor and family-oriented community of Salt Lake City, Utah

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 Principal Geotechnical Engineer to provide support for slope design and geotechnical risk management for Rio Tinto’s surface copper mine operations and projects. In this role you will be regarded as a subject matter expert in major aspects of geotechnical engineering across the full mining life cycle (conceptual to closure) for both open pit and heap leach operations. Reporting to the Principal Engineer Geotechnical, you will be:

• Providing technical support and advice to operations, projects and studies in areas of slope design, operational slope management process, and the identification of potential risks that may lead to catastrophic or reputational risks.
• Supporting site geotechnical teams and projects with their Line 1 assurance processes and that these are appropriately focused on the key risk areas at each operation or project.
• A geotechnical SME supporting business development and the evaluation of any merger and acquisition opportunities, including Rio Tinto’s unique Nuton heap leach technology
• Developing innovative solutions through connection and engagement with leading external practitioners including consultants and educational/research institutions.
• Coaching and mentoring junior engineers across Rio Tinto’s surface mining portfolio.
• Contributing to developing best practice standards and guidelines in geotechnical engineering.

About you

• A commitment to the safety of yourself, your team and the operations and projects you support
• Bachelor's degree in Geotechnical engineering or other relevant discipline.
• 10-15 years of geotechnical experience in large open pits.
• Strong experience with slope investigation, characterization & slope design and able to define appropriate scopes of work / geotechnical requirements for all levels of study.
• Experience in advanced stability modelling, incl numerical models, and the appropriate inclusion of pore pressure in stability analyses.
• Strong site based geotechnical operations and hazard management experience
• Professional working proficiency in English is required with strong written (technical reports and memos) and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with multi-disciplinary and diverse teams and to communicate effectively to all levels of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Spanish fluency (or desire/ability to learn very quickly)
• Multi-site experience across both geotechnical operations and slope design focused roles
• Familiarity & credibility with geotechnical review boards

Where you will be working

The Rio Tinto Copper Technical group is a global organization with operations and projects in the U.S. (Kennecott Utah Copper, “RTKC”, and Resolution Copper Project), Mongolia (Oyu Tolgoi), and Western Australia (Winu Cu-Au project). The portfolio also supports Rio Tinto’s interests in a non-managed joint venture in Chile (Escondida) and the USA (Johnson Camp mine leach operation), in addition to exploration & evaluation interests and other minor investments.

The role is focused primarily on supporting the operations, studies and growth opportunities in North and South America. Periodic travel to these locations is expected. Very occasional travel to other locations outside of the Americas is also likely.

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.

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