Principal Adviser Strategic Communications & Issues Management

Rio Tinto; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Private health insurance

Share ownership plan

Company provided insurance cover

Salary packaging options

Education assistance

Job summary

Rio Tinto is seeking a Principal Advisor – Strategic Communications & Issues Management to shape and protect the company’s global reputation. You will counsel senior leaders on complex matters, translate information into clear narratives, and drive communications strategies across a global matrixed organisation.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Strategic Communications, you will lead reputation programs, monitor developments, and use AI-enabled tools to inform decisions in a rapidly changing

Qualifications

• Significant experience across corporate communications, corporate affairs, media relations, reputation or issues management.
• Ability to advise senior leaders and influence across a global organisation.
• Excellent writing and synthesis skills to turn complex information into narratives and briefs.
• Experience leading cross-functional workstreams and managing fast-moving scenarios.

Responsibilities

• Lead proactive reputation strategies and communications programs aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams for complex reputation issues and provide strategic counsel.
• Monitor societal, geopolitical, regulatory, industry developments to identify risks and opportunities.
• Use horizon scanning, media intelligence, and AI-enabled tools to understand stakeholder perceptions.
• Provide reputation intelligence during incidents, supporting crisis communications and scenario planning.
• Develop opportunities through storytelling, executive positioning and thought leadership.
• Shape enterprise narratives to ensure consistent, credible communication and evidence-based positions.
• Evaluate outcomes and apply insights to improve performance and capability across the function.

Skills

Corporate communications

Corporate affairs

Media relations

Reputation management

Strategic advisory

Horizon scanning

Executive briefing

Stakeholder management

Job description

• Shape and protect Rio Tinto’s reputation on the complex issues that matter most to our business and stakeholders
• Influence enterprise decisions, lead global communications workstreams and strengthen reputation capability across the function
• Perth or Brisbane based opportunity, partnering with senior leaders and communications teams across Rio Tinto

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

We are looking for a Principal Advisor – Strategic Communications & Issues Management to help shape and protect Rio Tinto’s global reputation.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced communications professional who can provide trusted counsel on complex and high-profile matters, identify emerging reputation risks and opportunities, and translate complex information into clear recommendations, narratives and communications strategies. You will work across a global, matrixed organisation, influencing stakeholders and supporting senior leaders to make informed decisions in a rapidly changing external environment.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Strategic Communications, you will

• Lead proactive reputation strategies and communications programs aligned with business and enterprise priorities
• Lead cross-functional communications workstreams for complex reputation issues, providing strategic counsel and coordinating responses
• Monitor societal, geopolitical, regulatory, industry and stakeholder developments to identify emerging reputation risks and opportunities
• Use horizon scanning, media and social intelligence, reputation research and AI-enabled tools to understand changes in stakeholder perceptions
• Provide reputation intelligence during emerging issues and incidents, supporting crisis communications, preparedness and scenario planning
• Develop reputation opportunities through corporate storytelling, executive positioning and thought leadership
• Shape enterprise narratives and positions to support consistent, credible and evidence-based communications
• Evaluate communications outcomes and use insights and analytics to improve performance and build issues and reputation capability across the function

About You

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team
• Significant experience across corporate communications, corporate affairs, media relations, reputation or issues management, including complex or sensitive matters
• Strong strategic judgement, with the ability to advise senior leaders and influence stakeholders across a complex, global organisation
• Excellent writing and synthesis skills, with the ability to turn complex information into clear narratives, executive briefs, recommendations and communications strategies
• Strong capability in horizon scanning, media and social intelligence, reputation research and measurement, including emerging digital and AI-enabled tools
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional communications workstreams and delivering high-quality outcomes in fast-moving environments

What We Offer

• Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress
• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Company provided insurance cover
• Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
• Possible domestic relocation assistance

Where you’ll be working

You will be part of Rio Tinto’s Strategic Communications team, working across a globally connected communications function to identify and respond to emerging reputation issues and opportunities. Based in Perth or Brisbane, you will partner with senior leaders, communications teams and stakeholders across the business to strengthen Rio Tinto’s reputation and support informed enterprise decision-making.

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.