What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Engineer, Geotechnical position at Rio Tinto?
- Lead geotechnical engineering for one of the world's largest open pit mining operations, helping manage safety-critical slope performance and geohazard controls.
- Grow your leadership capability by mentoring engineers, influencing technical decisions, and partnering with operational leaders across the mine.
- Enjoy a rostered Monday to Friday schedule with a mix of office and field-based work near Salt Lake City, Utah.
We’re Finding Better Ways™ to provide the 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
We are looking for a Senior Engineer, Geotechnical to lead the Operational Geotechnical engineering team supporting the Kennecott Copper Mine. Reporting to the Principal Advisor, Geotechnical, on a Monday to Friday (5/2 or 5/2/4/3) roster and working collaboratively with operational and functional teams, you will be responsible for
- Lead and develop a team of geotechnical engineers, supporting technical excellence and safe operational outcomes.
- Provide recommendations on open pit slope design, implementation of mine plans, and geohazard controls.
- Monitor slope performance, interpret movement data, and support risk-based decision making in partnership with the Geotechnical Monitoring Center.
- Develop and implement Geotechnical Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs).
- Review slope conformance and recommend rockfall mitigation strategies and controls.
- Present geotechnical designs, monitoring information, and risk assessments to stakeholders, senior leaders, and external reviewers.
- Collaborate with operations, planning, engineering teams, and external vendors to support mine performance and safety.
- Analyse monitoring and geotechnical data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
- A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
- Bachelor’s degree in Mining, Geological, Geotechnical, Civil Engineering, or Geology and/or
- Technical experience in open pit mining environments.
- Experience using ground-based radar systems and monitoring data software applicable to open pit mining.
- Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across technical and operational teams.
- Proficiency with geotechnical software such as Rocscience Suite (Rocfall, Slide 2D/3D, RS2/3, and Dips).
- Experience using Minesight, PointStudio, and/or Leapfrog.
- Valid U.S. driver’s license and ability to drive in open pit environments.
- Experience in slope stability assessment and open pit slope design.
- Master’s degree in a related field
- Experience managing interactions between underground voids and open pit mining activities.
- Familiarity with avalanche hazard assessment and management.
- Ability to evaluate slope movement behaviour and estimate rockfall runout potential.
- Knowledge of blast vibration analysis, wall control techniques, subsurface slope movement detection technologies, and GIS or ArcGIS field mapping.
- A work environment where safety is always the number one priority.
- Competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with an annual incentive bonus.
- 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.
- Attractive share ownership plan.
- Comprehensive leave policies which cover all the moments that matter in life PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
- A generous parental leave policy, which ensures you’re able to spend quality time with your new family.
- Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing.
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential counselling or expert guidance for you and your family to help get through life’s challenges.
Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, fully integrated copper mining operation, including a concentrator, smelter, and refinery, located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. We produce copper, precious metals including gold and silver, molybdenum, and sulfuric acid. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903 and is one of the top producing mines in the world, comprising approximately 11 percent of U.S. annual copper production.
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.