Principal Traditional Owner Partnerships Programme Governance & Compliance

Rio Tinto; Perth; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent position

Private health insurance

Share ownership plan

Insurance cover

Salary packaging options

Career development

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Rio Tinto is seeking a Principal Advisor Programme Governance & Compliance to lead governance, compliance, assurance and performance framework for Traditional Owner Partnerships in our Perth office. You will report to the Manager TOP Governance & Improvement and establish practical governance tools across agreement making, heritage, risk and reporting to improve visibility and accountability.

This role requires experience across complex governance, strong stakeholder management and the ability

Qualifications

• Commitment to safety of yourself and team.
• Experience leading governance, compliance, assurance, risk or programme management across a complex programme.
• Experience interpreting agreements, obligations, commitments or regulatory requirements and translating them into practical business processes, controls and reporting routines.
• Strong working knowledge of compliance registers, commitment trackers, risk controls, governance routines, dashboards and assurance reporting.
• Demonstrated capability preparing governance papers, briefing notes, audit responses and clear written recommendations for senior decision-makers.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across multiple teams, clarify accountabilities and drive follow-through.
• Cultural competency and demonstrated ability to work respectfully in matters involving Traditional Owner groups, Prescribed Body Corporates and Indigenous partnership contexts.

Responsibilities

• Leading governance processes that integrate agreement making, implementation, heritage, risk, compliance and reporting workstreams.
• Establishing and maintaining governance tools, including terms of reference, decision logs, action registers, risk and issue registers, dashboards, meeting packs and record-keeping standards.
• Driving programme management discipline so initiatives are scoped, sequenced, resourced, tracked and reported with clear ownership.
• Managing the portfolio of Traditional Owner Partnerships improvement projects, keeping dependencies visible and escalating issues early.
• Establishing triage and response processes for urgent or unplanned work, including regulatory changes, Board visits, leader briefing packs and other high-priority requests.
• Monitoring agreement commitments, compliance actions, milestones and governance deliverables through dashboards, registers and assurance reporting.
• Defining evidence standards and supporting audit readiness for agreement commitments, compliance actions and governance decisions.
• Leading governance support for implementation of improved Traditional Owner Partnerships ways of working, including clearer routines, accountabilities and escalation pathways.
• Simplifying and automating governance, compliance, project tracking, document management and reporting processes.

Skills

Governance leadership

Compliance management

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Programme management

Audit readiness

Indigenous partnerships

Education

Governance qualification

Risk management certification

Legal/business degree

Job description

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 Programme Governance & Compliance to lead the governance, compliance, assurance and performance framework for Traditional Owner Partnerships.

Reporting to the Manager TOP Governance & Improvement, you will help ensure Traditional Owner commitments, agreement obligations, risk controls, evidence requirements and reporting routines are clearly defined, consistently managed and effectively assured.

Working across agreement making, agreement implementation, heritage, risk, compliance and reporting workstreams, you will establish practical governance tools, strengthen programme discipline and support timely decision-making. This role is central to improving visibility, accountability and assurance across a complex programme of work, helping Traditional Owner Partnerships provide a clear and reliable experience for Traditional Owner groups and Prescribed Body Corporates.

What You’ll Be Doing

Reporting to the Manager TOP Governance & Improvement and working across Traditional Owner Partnerships, you will be

• Leading governance processes that integrate agreement making, implementation, heritage, risk, compliance and reporting workstreams.
• Establishing and maintaining governance tools, including terms of reference, decision logs, action registers, risk and issue registers, dashboards, meeting packs and record-keeping standards.
• Driving programme management discipline so initiatives are scoped, sequenced, resourced, tracked and reported with clear ownership.
• Managing the portfolio of Traditional Owner Partnerships improvement projects, keeping dependencies visible and escalating issues early.
• Establishing triage and response processes for urgent or unplanned work, including regulatory changes, Board visits, leader briefing packs and other high-priority requests.
• Monitoring agreement commitments, compliance actions, milestones and governance deliverables through dashboards, registers and assurance reporting.
• Defining evidence standards and supporting audit readiness for agreement commitments, compliance actions and governance decisions.
• Leading governance support for implementation of improved Traditional Owner Partnerships ways of working, including clearer routines, accountabilities and escalation pathways.
• Simplifying and automating governance, compliance, project tracking, document management and reporting processes.

About You

We’re looking for someone whose experience aligns with the key requirements below. You do not need to meet every “helpful for success” item to apply; if you bring relevant experience and are excited by the opportunity, we encourage you to submit an application.

Required For Success

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
• Demonstrated experience leading governance, compliance, assurance, risk or programme management across a complex programme or portfolio.
• Experience interpreting agreements, obligations, commitments or regulatory requirements and translating them into practical business processes, controls and reporting routines.
• Strong working knowledge of compliance registers, commitment trackers, risk controls, governance routines, dashboards and assurance reporting.
• Demonstrated capability preparing governance papers, briefing notes, audit responses and clear written recommendations for senior decision-makers.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across multiple teams, clarify accountabilities and drive follow-through.
• Cultural competency and demonstrated ability to work respectfully in matters involving Traditional Owner groups, Prescribed Body Corporates and Indigenous partnership contexts.

Helpful for Success

• Experience in mining, resources, government or another large and highly regulated organisation.
• Experience supporting internal or external audits, regulatory assurance activities, governance forums or programme management office functions.
• Experience working with Traditional Owner agreements, Native Title, cultural heritage, land access, social performance or complex stakeholder commitments.
• A relevant qualification in governance, risk, compliance, law, business, project management or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

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 an annual incentive program.
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family.
• An attractive share ownership plan.
• Company-provided insurance cover.
• Extensive salary sacrifice and salary packaging options.
• Career development and 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, including annual, paid parental, personal and cultural leave.
• Exclusive employee discounts across banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more.
• Possible domestic relocation assistance.

Where you’ll be working

Our modern office located in Central Park tower in Perth provides an inspiring environment for collaboration and professional growth. You’ll have access to a modern gym, wellness programs and convenient amenities that support a healthy work-life balance. Situated in the heart of Perth, the office is close to public transport and several parking options.

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.