Senior Manager Training & Capability Development

An inclusive environment for all
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves. We also want everyone to feel that their voices matter, that all cultures are respected, and that perspectives, as diverse as they are, are not only welcome, but essential to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity, regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation or any other distinguishing aspect.

At Rio Tinto, we welcome and encourage applications from women, older workers, persons with disabilities and representatives from diverse backgrounds.

Everyone is different, and we believe that these differences are our strength. The diversity of skills, life experiences, and perspectives within our team enhances the way we work and our ability to succeed together.

About the Role

The Senior Manager Training & Capability Development is responsible for leading the development and execution of the organisation's learning, training, leadership, and workforce capability strategy. The role ensures employees, leaders, and contractors possess the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to safely and effectively perform their roles while supporting long-term business objectives, operational readiness, productivity, and workforce sustainability.

The position drives a culture of continuous learning, capability growth, knowledge transfer, and organisational effectiveness through innovative learning solutions, leadership development programs, workforce development initiatives, and technical competency frameworks.

In support of the Simandou project ramp-up, this role integrates into all of its activities and strategic initiatives the requirements necessary to contribute to SIMFER’s objectives of maintaining the highest safety standards, achieving production and cost targets, and developing a skilled and capable Guinean workforce

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement an enterprise-wide Training and Capability Development Strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Establish capability-building roadmaps to support safety and operational performance, transformation initiatives, and future workforce requirements.
• Partner with Executive Leadership and functional leaders to identify critical capability gaps and succession risks.
• Ensure capability development programs support workforce planning, localisation, diversity, and talent development objectives.

Learning & Development Governance

• Establish training governance frameworks, standards, policies, and processes.
• Ensure alignment with legislative, regulatory, and organisational compliance requirements.
• Manage corporate learning systems, competency frameworks, and training assurance processes.
• Monitor training effectiveness and compliance across all business units.

Capability Development

• Lead the design and implementation of technical, operational, leadership, and professional development programs.
• Develop capability pathways for frontline employees, supervisors, managers, and senior leaders.
• Oversee competency management programs and workforce certification processes.
• Introduce innovative learning methodologies, digital learning technologies, and blended learning approaches, adapted for Simfer multicultural context, with several local languages, low literacy and several expatriate nationalities
• Lead trades training for Guinean employees that cannot access the needed qualifications locally

Operational Readiness & Workforce Development

• Support major projects and operational readiness initiatives through workforce capability planning.
• Ensure employees are trained and competent before deployment into operational environments.
• Develop workforce transition and change management learning solutions during transformation programs.
• Drive knowledge transfer initiatives between expatriate and national workforces.

Leadership Development

• Design and implement leadership development programs for emerging, mid-level, and senior leaders.
• Support succession planning activities across critical positions.
• Build coaching, mentoring, and leadership capability throughout the organisation.
• Promote a high-performance culture through leadership capability enhancement.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with HR, Operations, Technical Functions, and Project Teams to determine capability priorities.
• Collaborate with external learning providers, universities, industry bodies, and consultants.
• Influence senior stakeholders through strategic workforce capability insights and recommendations.
• Establish strong relationships across operational and corporate functions.

Learning Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Develop capability metrics and reporting dashboards.
• Analyse learning outcomes, competency data, compliance statistics, and workforce readiness indicators.
• Measure return on investment (ROI) of training programs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance learning effectiveness and business impact.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing capability and learning team.
• Foster innovation, collaboration, and customer-focused service delivery.
• Manage workforce planning, budgeting, and resource allocation within the Learning & Capability function.
• Build capability within the training team to deliver world-class learning solutions.
• Ensure functional & efficient department management considering a mix of expatriates and local managers under different roasters.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure all training programs support safe work practices.
• Ensure statutory, legislative, and compliance training requirements are effectively managed.
• Promote diversity, inclusion, and psychological safety across all learning programs.
• Maintain governance over competency and certification requirements.

Qualifications

• Fluent in French & English
• Minimum 10-15 years' experience in Learning, Training, Organisational Development, or Workforce Capability (HR or Safety)
• Degrees or Certifications in Learning & Development, Change Management, Coaching, Leadership Development, or Instructional Design.
• Experience in large-scale industrial, mining, construction, energy, infrastructure, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience in Africa, or low literacy and low industrial maturity context
• Establishing enterprise learning and capability strategies.
• Managing large training budgets and learning portfolios.
• Leading competency management and workforce development programs.
• Delivering capability solutions during major organisational transformations.
• Implementing Learning Management Systems (LMS).
• Leadership development, succession planning, and talent development.
• Driving capability development in complex and geographically dispersed operations.
• Capacity to work under pressure in a challenging context.

What we offer

Get recognition for your contributions, your ability to think, your hard work, and the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped the world move forward.

• Work environment where safety is always the top priority
• Competitive base salary based on your skills and experience
• Annual cash incentives for eligible employees
• Career development opportunities and training assistance to achieve your aspirations • Access to family-friendly health programs, top-notch retirement and savings plans
• Wellness benefits
• Rio Tinto's generous employee stock ownership plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• One-on-one wellness support (personal and professional matters) for you and your family
• Comprehensive leave policy covering all important life moments (vacation/annual, paid parental leave, etc.)  
   

About the Simandou Project
The Simandou Iron Ore Project is located in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. It is Africa’s largest infrastructure and mining project and represents one of the largest known reserves of high-grade iron ore in the world.

Rio Tinto holds rights to Simandou Blocks 3 and 4 through SimFer, a joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Guinea, Rio Tinto and Chalco Iron Ore Holdings (CIOH). Construction of the mine, together with the associated rail and port infrastructure, is well underway with first production from the SimFer mine expected in 2025.

About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a global leader in the mining and materials companies. We are established in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and the prosperity of people, communities, and nations. We have been in business for 150 years, drawing on knowledge accumulated over generations and on different continents. Our mission – to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs – guides us in our quest for innovation and continuous improvement, with the goal of making products that are low in emissions and meet the right environmental, social and governance standards. But because we can't do it alone, we focus on creating partnerships that allow us to solve problems, create mutually beneficial situations and seize opportunities.