Principal Ventilation Engineer

• Join a leader in mining & metals offering outstanding personal development & global career opportunities.
• Competitive salary and benefits, with relocation assistance available for eligible candidates
• Work in an underground project located near Superior, Arizona.

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

The Principal Ventilation Engineer serves as the site's technical authority and subject matter expert for underground ventilation, refrigeration, hazardous atmosphere management, and mine air quality. The role is responsible for developing and governing ventilation strategies that support safe, productive, and efficient underground mining operations while ensuring compliance with MSHA regulations, company requirements, and industry best practices.

This position provides strategic leadership for mine ventilation systems throughout the life of mine and is accountable for ensuring sufficient air quantity, air quality, cooling, contaminant control, and emergency ventilation capability to maintain a safe working environment for underground personnel. Ventilation subject matter experts are responsible for long-term ventilation strategy, design reviews, underground air quality management, support to site ventilation teams, and technical oversight of ventilation systems.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the Life of Mine Ventilation Strategy.
• Define long-term primary and secondary ventilation requirements.
• Establish ventilation standards, specifications, and engineering guidelines.
• Provide technical assurance for all ventilation-related engineering designs.
• Review mining layouts and schedules to ensure ventilation requirements are incorporated into planning activities.
• Act as the site technical authority for underground ventilation and refrigeration systems.
• Develop and maintain detailed ventilation models using VentSim, Deswik, or equivalent software.
• Evaluate future mine expansions and infrastructure requirements.
• Ensure adequate airflow is available to support mining, construction, maintenance, and emergency activities.
• Lead development and maintenance of the Ventilation Management Plan.
• Establish atmospheric monitoring requirements and compliance programs.
• Review air quality sampling results and initiate corrective actions when required.
• Ensure ventilation monitoring programs meet regulatory requirements and company standards.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to technical and operational personnel, ensuring effective interpretation of ventilation and atmospheric monitoring data and application of ventilation best practices.
• Identify and communicate ventilation-related technical risks, uncertainties, and opportunities affecting project schedule, capital investment, and operational performance.

About you

• Bachelor's Degree in Mining Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Professional Engineer (PE) registration or ability to obtain.
• Minimum 10 years of underground mining experience.
• Minimum 7 years of mine ventilation engineering experience.
• Extensive experience with ventilation modeling software such as VentSim and Deswik.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. MSHA regulations and underground mine ventilation requirements.

Preferred

• Master's Degree in Mine Ventilation, Mining Engineering, or Occupational Hygiene.
• Experience with large-scale block cave or deep underground mining operations.
• Experience with ventilation refrigeration systems.

What we offer

We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your 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 (EAP) 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

You will be joining Resolution Copper at a pivotal moment in the project’s history. With the Resolution Copper Land Exchange now complete, the project is advancing its next phase of technical work, community engagement, and state permitting activities.

Resolution Copper has the potential to supply nearly 25% of total U.S. copper demand and generate several thousand direct and indirect jobs in the Pioneer Mining District of Arizona, delivering an economic value of several billion dollars over the life of the mine. The project will rely on block caving, a proven underground mining method that uses gravity to extract ore from a deposit located more than 2,000 meters below the surface. This technique is the most viable way to safely and efficiently recover the resource.

As development continues, Resolution Copper will expand its underground operations, conduct extensive drilling and orebody characterization, and maintain both the permitting process and ongoing public engagement with Native American tribes, local communities, and stakeholders.

The Resolution Copper project is vital to securing America’s energy future, infrastructure needs, and national defense by providing a domestic supply of copper and other critical minerals. Once operational, it has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in the United States, contribute approximately $1 billion annually to Arizona’s economy, and create thousands of local jobs in a region with more than a century‑long mining heritage.

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.