Superintendent Technical Projects

Superintendent Technical Projects | Brisbane

• Lead a portfolio of technology, automation and robotics projects across the Rio Tinto Pacific Aluminium chain of mining, refining and smelting operations.
• Shape future investment opportunities that improve safety, productivity and operational performance at these operations.
• Provide leadership to a specialist team delivering projects from concept through to implementation.
• Brisbane office-based role with travel to Pacific Operations sites on the East Coast of Australia and in New Zealand.

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs

We are looking for a Superintendent Technical Projects to join our Technology Projects team within Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Smelting & Technology division.

Based in Brisbane, this role will provide leadership and day-to-day supervision to a team of Specialist Technical Project Leads delivering technology projects across our Pacific Operations network of mines, refineries and smelters. The portfolio focuses on using automation, robotics, new sensors and worker-augmentation technologies to improve operational capability, safety and production performance.

Reporting to the Manager, Technology Projects, you will oversee the successful execution of the technology program while helping identify and develop the future pipeline of technology and automation opportunities. You will work closely with operating sites, senior stakeholders, technical specialists and the Operational & Digital Systems team to support the industrialisation and operationalisation of new technologies.

This is an opportunity for an experienced engineering and project leader who is passionate about implementing meaningful change and delivering practical technology solutions within complex operating environments.

Key responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing leadership, coaching, and day-to-day supervision to Specialist Technical Project Leads.
• Ensuring project delivery meets performance metrics spanning health, safety, environment, cost, schedule, quality, resources and agreed economic business benefits.
• Coordinating project governance meetings and maintaining transparency across program priorities, milestones and delivery risks.
• Supporting Project Leads to develop robust scopes, business cases, risk assessments, schedules and investment approval materials.
• Ensuring projects transition effectively through proof of concept demonstration, and implementation stages.
• Monitoring project costs, forecasts, and value capture in partnership with project controls and site stakeholders.
• Ensuring risks, opportunities, mitigations and management-of-change requirements are identified and addressed throughout project delivery including operational readiness.
• Continuously improving the technology project workflow from idea generation through to execution and operationalisation.
• Building strong relationships across Pacific Operations to identify future technology, automation and robotics opportunities.
• Working with site stakeholders and finance business partners to develop well-supported business cases that deliver financial or safety benefits.
• Supporting a positive team culture focused on safe, efficient and high-quality project delivery.

What you’ll bring

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• A tertiary qualification in a relevant engineering discipline, such as mechatronics, electrical, mechanical or process engineering.
• Significant relevant industry experience, ideally gained within mining, processing, refining, smelting operations, or another complex industrial environment. Hands on practical operational experience is highly valued.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop high-performing teams
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering, technology or operational improvement projects.
• Sound commercial acumen, including experience managing project budgets, forecasts, and investment outcomes.
• The technical capability to contribute to engineering studies, scope development, and detailed engineering activities.
• Strong project planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to influence and communicate effectively with operational teams, technical specialists, senior leaders, and external partners.
• A results-focused (outcome driven) approach, supported by strong analytical, negotiation and decision-making capability.
• Genuine drive and ability to work autonomously to find solutions to problems, with the awareness to seek help when required to clarify understanding, and/or to seek endorsement for the solution approach.
• A genuine commitment to health, safety, environmental performance and responsible project delivery.

A recognised project management qualification or equivalent experience will be highly regarded. Experience with agile project delivery, onsite installation and commissioning, automation or robotics projects execution will also be advantageous.

Experience within alumina refining or aluminium smelting would be highly desirable, but is not essential. RPEQ or Chartered Engineer status would be viewed favourably.

What we offer

• A Brisbane-based leadership opportunity with exposure across Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Pacific Operations
• The opportunity to influence how emerging technology is adopted across complex operational environments
• A role that combines people leadership, engineering, project delivery and strategic portfolio development
• Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams across operations, engineering, technology, finance and digital systems
• The opportunity to deliver projects that improve safety, production capability and operational efficiency
• A supportive environment where curiosity, innovation and continuous improvement are encouraged

Where you’ll be working

This position is based in our Brisbane office and forms part of the Technology Projects team within Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Smelting & Technology division.

The team supports Pacific Operations across mines, refineries and smelters, using technologies such as automation, robotics, advanced connectivity, drones, remotely operated vehicles and simulation tools to improve the capability and performance of site operations.

Regular travel to Pacific Operations sites will be required to build stakeholder relationships, understand operational challenges and support project development and implementation.

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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

At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTQ+ 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.