Principal Mechanical Engineer – RTSD Development and Engineering

at  RIO Tinto

PRINCIPAL MECHANICAL ENGINEER – RTSD DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING

• Join our global leading business offering outstanding personal development & global career opportunities
• Drive our mechanical engineering insights
• Permanent employment which includes a huge range of additional benefits
• Real meaningful and impactful work in a mining giant
• Based in Perth, Australia

FINDING BETTER WAYS TO PROVIDE THE MATERIALS THE WORLD NEEDS.

The decarbonisation of the steel industry between now and future is likely to change the iron ore supply chain as we know it. The next 20 years will see the largest and fastest change in iron and steelmaking technology the industry has seen in decades. Positioning Rio Tinto as sustainability leaders is key in realising our ambitions, strategy and growth agenda. The Steel Decarbonisation team is at the forefront of this and will shape pathways for Rio Tinto’s iron ores in a decarbonised iron and steelmaking future.

The purpose of the Rio Tinto Steel Decarbonisation (RTSD) team is to:

• Protect the long-term value of Rio Tinto’s iron ore by developing and scaling up cost-effective technologies for the future low-carbon steel industry.
• Position Rio Tinto to participate in the emerging green iron market.
• Provide steel decarbonisation analysis and intelligence to support decisions on Rio Tinto’s future iron ore resource portfolio, product strategy, and renewable energy development.

We are now actively looking for a professional who will be responsible for the engineering components of the technology development for RTSD Pacific Projects, supporting application of Pilbara Iron ore in low carbon ironmaking technologies.
As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will play a crucial role in advancing our mission to decarbonize the steel industry. You will capture mechanical engineering insights from RTSD’s low-carbon ironmaking developments and scale-ups, transferring this knowledge to future customers, OEMs, and engineering providers. Your expertise will be essential in evaluating and improving the design of pilot, development, and commercial plants, as well as assessing study proposals.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Review and enhance mechanical design elements of RTSD’s low-carbon ironmaking projects from pilot to commercial scale.
• Collaborate with OEMs to extract mechanical engineering insights in plant designs.
• Document best practices, lessons learned, and innovative solutions in equipment design, installation, and plant commissioning.
• Coordinate equipment IP strategy and engineering partnership programs for mechanical design and construction.
• Ensure compliance with RT Project Engineering standards, including design audits, HAZOP, and other safety requirements.
• Support project IC and EC evaluations as the engineering lead.
• Monitor project budgets and schedules, ensuring proper reporting, deviation management, and document management.
• Engage with customers to understand their unique challenges and requirements.
• Facilitate workshops, training sessions, and knowledge-sharing events.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies.

The purpose of the Rio Tinto Steel Decarbonisation (RTSD) team is to:

• Protect the long-term value of Rio Tinto’s iron ore by developing and scaling up cost-effective technologies for the future low-carbon steel industry.
• Position Rio Tinto to participate in the emerging green iron market.
• Provide steel decarbonisation analysis and intelligence to support decisions on Rio Tinto’s future iron ore resource portfolio, product strategy, and renewable energy development

To be successfully considered for this role, you will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• Commercial acumen.
• Passion for sustainability and environmental impact reduction.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work across interdisciplinary teams.
• Detail-oriented and proactive problem solver.
• Project management skills with a focus on results.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesize complex information.
• Excellent communication skills to convey technical concepts effectively.
• Ability to translate complex technical information into practical guidance for our customers