Oyu Tolgoi’s workforce today is more than 97 per cent Mongolian, and a major strategic focus for the company is to develop a skilled workforce that is continuously learning. We aim to attract the best talent, so that we can together deliver a safe and globally competitive copper business that contributes to the prosperity of Mongolia.
Oyu Tolgoi LLC is operating a copper-gold mine in southern territory of Mongolia. The company aspires a vision ‘Natural wealth to enduring value, knowledge, and skill’, and pursues a mission, 'Together deliver a safe and globally competitive copper business that contributes to the prosperity of Mongolia' to build one of the largest copper-gold mines worldwide.
Principal Advisor Project Management – Mining
- Make an impact and contribute to the development of a world-class project within a pioneering organization.
- Great opportunity to work for a global company at the forefront of mining.
- Dynamic work culture and great exposure to multicultural teams.
Join one of the world’s most exciting copper-gold mining projects
Oyu Tolgoi has been one of the most exciting projects in copper and gold mining for several decades. It contains reserves and resources that make it one of the world’s largest known copper and gold deposits. The project, managed by Rio Tinto, is expanding underground. With a high demand for skills required to complete the project safely and successfully, Oyu Tolgoi is expected to be a significant contributor to Mongolia’s development and the prosperity of the Mongolian people.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a
Principal Advisor Project Management - Mining to support the UG Operations Project Management. The Principal Advisor Project Management – Mining is responsible for leading and managing projects from initiation through completion to support the underground mine expansion. This includes ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in full compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Specifically, the role will oversee the underground expansion initiatives in the “P1&P2 Caves” and “Ramp-up to 95ktpd” mining projects.
With a strong focus on Operational Readiness, Project Management and Underground Mining Operations disciplines, the position drives the implementation of standardized project management processes, robust governance, risk management, and continuous improvement practices.
Additionally, the Principal Advisor will play a critical role in training and mentoring local nationals, developing their project management capabilities and understanding of mining operations to ensure projects are executed safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards.
What The Role Entails
Project Leadership & Oversight for the “P1&P2 Caves” and “Ramp-up to 95ktpd” projects
Lead and manage the full lifecycle of these mining projects, including planning, execution, and commissioning.
Own scope, schedule, and budget, ensuring strict alignment with the strategic objectives of the Underground Mine unit and holding teams accountable for results.
Drive accountability across cross-functional teams and stakeholders, fostering clear communication, decisive action, and collaboration across engineering, procurement, technical services, construction, operations, and finance.
Enforce project governance and PMO best practices, ensuring compliance with standardized processes and proactively addressing risks and performance gaps to keep projects on track.
PMO Methodology & Standards
Champion the development and implementation of standardized project management processes and tools tailored for underground mining expansion, ensuring full adherence to OT’s frameworks and methodologies.
Conduct rigorous project reviews and audits, enforcing compliance with governance, risk management, and performance metrics.
Ensure complete and accurate documentation of all project activities, including plans, schedules, budgets, and change management reports, in line with company policies.
Budget & Resource Management
Lead resource allocation, ensuring manpower, equipment, and materials are deployed effectively to meet project objectives.
Oversee UG Mine budgets for both projects and operations, ensuring alignment with company standards and financial discipline.
Monitor expenditures and cash flow, driving cost-effective procurement and resource utilization across departments.
Risk Management
Proactively identify and mitigate risks, developing robust contingency plans to safeguard timelines, costs, and compliance.
Monitor and report on potential risks related to project timelines, costs, resource availability and safety.
Manage scope changes decisively, adapting to shifting priorities while maintaining project integrity.
Stakeholder Management & Communication
Develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders relevant to the “P1&P2 Caves” and “Ramp-up to 95ktpd” projects, including senior leadership, UG Mine department managers and contractors.
Provide transparent and timely reporting on project performance, risks, and corrective actions to senior management.
Lead stakeholder meetings, driving clarity on goals, timelines, and expectations.
Project Performance Monitoring (Projects Control)
Track and report performance against schedules and KPIs using project management tools.
Ensure optimal resource utilization and maintain visibility on project progress and resource utilization through robust monitoring systems.
Drive continuous improvement, capturing lessons learned and embedding best practices into future projects.
Development of Mongolian workforce
Train and mentor Mongolian nationals, with a focus on developing their project management skills and knowledge of underground mining operations.
Deliver hands-on knowledge transfer, ensuring practical experience on live projects.
Design tailored training programs aligned with project needs, including PMO methodologies, risk management, and safety protocols.
Foster a culture of accountability and growth, providing regular feedback and development opportunities to sustain workforce excellence.
What You Will Need For This Role
To succeed in this role, you will have
- Bachelor’s degree in mining engineering, Project Management, or a related field required.
- A professional accreditation is preferred (PMP or Mining Manager’s Certification)
- Previous expatriate experience, working in remote mining projects, and developing local workforces’ skills is highly desirable.
- Have good understanding of, and proven skills in, work management process analysis and improvement,
- Have strong communication skills and proven ability to engage and build relationships across multiple layers of the organization from management to front line leaders.
- Have strong organizational skills with the ability to effectively prioritize tasks and work both independently and as part of a team,
- Experience in the facilitation and implementation of improvement programs.
- At least 15 years relevant experience in mining operations and/or project management in an underground mining context.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Project, etc.).
- Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in remote, high-pressure, and multicultural environments.
- Experience in facilitating and implementing process improvement initiatives.
What We Offer
Be recognized 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
- Excellent career opportunity with one of the world's leading mining organizations
- A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with an annual incentive program
- Private health insurance for employees
- Attractive share ownership plan
- Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
- Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
About Us
Joining the Rio Tinto majority-owned Oyu Tolgoi operations is a great opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting developments in copper and gold mining for several decades. The mine contains reserves and resources that make it one of the world’s largest copper-gold deposits.
This mega project is expected to be a major contributor to Mongolia’s development. As part of the Oyu Tolgoi Operations team, you have the ability to contribute to something significant and learn and develop both personally and professionally. We offer a collaborative, high-performing environment where success is achieved by working together.
Discover More About Mongolia And Oyu Tolgoi
Mongolia is increasingly becoming a destination for tourism and expatriate residents. As a rapidly developing city, Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, is seen as a comfortable yet exciting place to live. With an array of cultural and social activities available and a growing network of international schools, housing options, and leisure facilities, it's home to a growing community of international expatriates.
Located in the South Gobi Desert, just 80 kilometers from the Chinese border, the Oyu Tolgoi mine and camp is a large, well-run, and comfortable site with multiple amenities, including recreational and sports facilities, a cinema, shops, restaurants, and bars, catering to a growing community. For more information about the OT site, please check out this video.
Where you’ll be working
Oyu Tolgoi is an operating Copper / Gold open-pit and underground mine. The site is located in the Gobi Desert region of Mongolia. The reserves case for the underground project is in the order of 0.5 billion tonnes of ore to be mined from the 95,000 tonnes per day Hugo North Lift 1 (HNL1) panel cave mine with a 20-year operations life. There is also the potential for 3 further block cave districts to increase mine life beyond 100 years.
Job application closes on Feb 4, 2026
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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.
