What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Advisor, Closure Studies position at Rio Tinto?
- Drive strategic closure planning, study management, and long-term asset stewardship
- Excellent opportunity to shape the future of Kennecott’s closure strategy
- Permanent role based in Salt Lake City, USA
About The Role
As the Principal Advisor, Closure Studies, you will lead Kennecott Utah Copper’s integrated portfolio of closure projects and studies, ensuring disciplined planning, rigorous analysis, and alignment with both regulatory expectations and Rio Tinto’s global closure standards. You will be responsible for developing and steering long-range closure strategies, coordinating multi-functional technical work, and ensuring studies advance with the right scope, cost, schedule, and risk definition.
You will partner closely with technical, operational, financial, and permitting teams to ensure closure decisions are well informed, value focused, and compliant. Additionally, you'll be responsible for enforcing disciplined governance and maintaining quality assurance standards throughout the closure study lifecycle.
This role is a great opportunity to provide strategic leadership and technical excellence across Kennecott’s closure portfolio, enabling optimized life‑of‑asset outcomes and long-term environmental stewardship. In addition, the role entails high levels of engagement with key internal stakeholders.
Reporting to the Lead, Study Management, you will
- Lead the development, prioritization, and execution of Kennecott’s full portfolio of closure studies and prefeasibility/feasibility work
- Coordinate interdisciplinary study teams across technical, operational, environmental, and financial disciplines to define closure options, trade‑offs, and value drivers
- Maintain and improve Rio Tinto compliant Closure Governance, ensuring studies progress through appropriate stage gates
- Oversee cost estimating, schedule development, risk assessment, and alternative analysis for closure study deliverables
- Provide strategic insights and recommendations to leadership on closure risks, long term liabilities, and optimization opportunities
- Ensure high‑quality documentation and transparent reporting of study status, risks, costs, and schedule performance
- Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, influencing alignment and driving clear decision making across the business
- Support long‑term closure planning integration with Life of Asset strategies, capital planning, and sustainability objectives
Specialist Expertise
- Deep knowledge of mine closure planning, closure design, reclamation, and/or long-term environmental management
- Strong understanding of the mining study lifecycle, including scoping, PFS, FS, and project approval processes
- Experience applying closure standards, regulatory frameworks, and best practice guidance
- Ability to work in partnership with stakeholders and implement complex, cross-functional projects through influential leadership
- Proven ability to drive alignment, manage competing priorities, and influence decision-making without direct authority
- Demonstrated experience in project management, mining studies, business improvement, transformation, or major technical project delivery
- Strong capability in scope definition, cost and schedule development, risk management, and quality assurance
- College degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Business Administration, Project Management, or other relevant disciplines
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.