- Build a long-term career at one of the largest copper-producing operations in the U.S. while maintaining a residential lifestyle
- Be trusted as a senior technical authority, shaping how Rio Tinto Copper manages geotechnical risk and performance
- Grow your career alongside respected leaders and peers who invest in your development and value how you think
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
About the role
This is a career defining opportunity for a geotechnical expert ready to elevate their impact beyond a single site. You will lead with influence, guiding safe and sustainable underground mining practices across Rio Tinto Copper assets such as Kennecott, Resolution, and Oyu Tolgoi. If you’re motivated by mentoring others, driving innovation, and partnering with senior leaders to improve performance, this role offers it all. Unlike traditional remote mining roles, this position offers access to major operations while allowing you to live in a vibrant, outdoor-focused city in close proximity to world-class ski fields and national parks.
As Principal Geotechnical Engineer - Underground, you will be a partner with operations, projects, and study teams to manage geotechnical risk, improve performance, and embed best practice across our underground mines. You will work in an environment where safety, learning, and curiosity are non‑negotiable, and where your voice carries weight in shaping long‑term outcomes.
In this role, you might start the day going underground at Kennecott, followed by reviewing the life of mine plan with site engineers and then spend the afternoon supporting decision making for the Resolution caving studies. You leave knowing your work directly reduced risk and improved the business, ready to start a new day tomorrow.
Reporting to the Chief Underground Mining Engineer, you will be supported by a global central technical team and work closely with asset leaders, project teams, and study managers. Together, you will focus on strengthening underground geotechnical capability across the business through the following accountabilities
- Champion safety above all else by ensuring geotechnical hazards are identified, communicated, and effectively controlled across underground operations and studies
- Provide high‑level geotechnical technical support to Rio Tinto Copper underground assets, with particular focus on Kennecott Underground and the Resolution Project
- Support major hazard management by guiding risk assessment, monitoring strategies, and assurance activities
- Monitor and evaluate geotechnical performance, translating data and observations into practical improvement actions
- Develop, document, and continuously improve standards, guidelines, and processes, embedding lessons learned and best practice
- Strengthen underground geotechnical capability across the group through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and coaching
- Improve technical systems, data quality, and data utilization to support better decision‑making
- Provide clear, balanced, and strategic advice to senior leaders and internal and external stakeholders
What You’ll Bring
- A personal commitment to safety, with a track record of protecting people through strong geotechnical risk management
- A recognized bachelor’s degree in mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, or civil engineering
- Demonstrated post‑graduate experience in underground mining operations, with depth in geotechnical practice
- Deep practical experience in geotechnical design, stability assessment, ground support, monitoring systems, and data interpretation
- Experience identifying and communicating geotechnical hazards and risks to a range of audiences, including senior leaders
- Exposure to open stoping and cave mining, along with involvement in mining studies and long‑term planning
- A sound understanding of numerical modelling and its application to underground mining decisions
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence without authority
- Demonstrated commercial awareness, strategic thinking, and sound business judgement
- Proven leadership capability, including coaching and mentoring of technical professionals
What We Offer
We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your way of thinking, your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress, we provide
- A safety-focused and inclusive working environment
- Advantageous salary package with annual cash incentive awards (STIP) for eligible employees
- Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.
- Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program
- Generous Rio Tinto employee share program, which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto Company shares.
- Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
- A favorable child-caregiver leave program (Up to 100% salary top-up)
- Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing
- Ongoing Employee Assistance Program for you and your family; to help in addressing educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns.
- Our team and industry experts are here to support and work with you to explore your learning potential and career goals
Where you will be working
The Rio Tinto Copper group is a global organization with operations and projects in the U.S. (Kennecott Utah Copper, “RTKC”, and Resolution Copper Project), Mongolia (Oyu Tolgoi), Simandou (Guinea) and Western Australia (Winu Cu-Au project). The portfolio also includes interests in a non-managed joint venture in Chile, in addition to exploration & evaluation interests and other minor investments.
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.
