Principal Adviser Safety

Rio Tinto; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Rio Tinto is seeking a Principal Adviser Safety to provide technical safety expertise and support across our Brisbane operations. The role focuses on critical risk management, control effectiveness and safety assurance to ensure safety systems and standards remain fit for purpose.

You will collaborate with operational leaders and HSE teams to conduct safety reviews, provide guidance and identify improvement opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience in safety, HSE, operational risk or assurance within a complex operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of safety risk management, critical controls and assurance principles.
• Experience conducting safety audits, reviews or assurance activities.
• Ability to interpret safety standards and translate technical requirements into practical advice.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with capability to address complex safety issues.
• Well-developed communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to influence and build collaborative relationships across operational and technical teams.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and sharing safety knowledge and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist technical advice and support on safety and operational risk.
• Support effective management and monitoring of critical risks and controls.
• Conduct safety reviews, audits, assurance activities and pre-audit assessments.
• Provide technical input into the development and improvement of safety standards and guidelines.
• Support application of safety and health risk assessment methodologies.
• Analyse safety performance, risks and control effectiveness to identify improvement opportunities.
• Partner with operational and HSE teams to strengthen safety capability and risk management.
• Maintain awareness of industry developments and external safety expertise.

Skills

Safety risk mgmt

Audits & assurance

Stakeholder engagement

Technical interpretation

Analytical thinking

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Continuous improvement

Education

Health & Safety / Occupational Health & Safety / Risk / Engineering qualification

Job description

• Play a key role in strengthening critical risk management and safety assurance
• Provide specialist technical advice across safety standards, controls and risk
• Work with operational and HSE teams to drive safer, more effective outcomes

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We are looking for a Principal Adviser Safety to provide technical safety expertise and support across our operations.

This role will provide specialist advice across critical risk management, control effectiveness and safety assurance, helping to ensure our safety systems, standards and controls remain effective and fit for purpose.

Working collaboratively with operational leaders, HSE teams and other technical specialists, you will conduct safety reviews and assurance activities, provide technical guidance and identify opportunities to continuously improve how safety risks are understood and managed.

This role will involve various ad-hoc travel to various Rio Tinto Aluminium sites across Pac-Ops remit.

Key responsibilities

Reporting to the Manager HSE, you will:

• Provide specialist technical advice and support on safety and operational risk
• Support effective management and monitoring of critical risks and controls
• Conduct safety reviews, audits, assurance activities and pre-audit assessments
• Provide technical input into the development and improvement of safety standards and guidelines
• Support the application of appropriate safety and health risk assessment methodologies
• Analyse safety performance, risks and control effectiveness to identify improvement opportunities
• Partner with operational and HSE teams to strengthen safety capability and risk management
• Maintain awareness of industry developments, emerging practices and relevant external safety expertise

Rio Tinto's current Safety & Technical Framework specifically identifies structured operational risk assessment, effective control selection and Critical Risk Management through verification and assurance of critical controls.

What you'll bring

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Experience in a safety, HSE, operational risk or assurance role within a complex operational environment
• Strong knowledge of safety risk management, critical controls and assurance principles
• Experience conducting safety audits, reviews or assurance activities
• The ability to interpret safety standards and translate technical requirements into practical advice
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the confidence to work through complex safety issues
• Well-developed communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• The ability to influence and build collaborative relationships across operational and technical teams
• A commitment to continuous improvement and sharing safety knowledge and better practice
• Relevant qualifications in Health & Safety, Occupational Health & Safety, Risk, Engineering or a related discipline would be highly regarded

What we offer

• A specialist role where you can influence safety outcomes and continuous improvement
• The opportunity to work across critical risk, assurance and safety standards
• Exposure to a broad range of operational and technical stakeholders
• A collaborative environment where your specialist knowledge and perspective are valued
• Ongoing opportunities to develop your technical capability and career with Rio Tinto

Where you'll be working

Based in Rio Tinto's Brisbane Head Office, you'll join a collaborative, high-performing corporate environment supporting our Aluminium business.

Located in the CBD, the office offers modern, flexible workspaces and close proximity to public transport, dining, and lifestyle amenities. From here, you'll partner with leaders across multiple sites, contributing to enterprise priorities while being connected to a strong community of HR, commercial, and operational professionals.

#gts

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.