Senior Specialist Water (Contracts & Procurement)

Rio Tinto; Perth; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible WFH

Parental leave

Annual incentive

Private health insurance

Share ownership plan

Insurance cover

Salary packaging

Education support

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Rio Tinto is seeking a Senior Specialist – Water to lead the water team within Pilbara Projects Procurement based in Perth.

You will develop and implement water programme strategies, manage contract lifecycle, negotiate with key partners, and drive value while ensuring safe, compliant operations across major capital projects.

Qualifications

• Strategic mindset with experience leading category strategies in construction.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced capital projects environment.
• Leadership and coaching experience is advantageous.
• Experience in water infrastructure projects is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Support building a high performing water team and portfolio.
• Develop and implement water programme strategies with Pilbara Projects.
• Manage dispute resolution process for complex contractual claims.
• Provide sound contractual judgments and value-based solutions.
• Lead negotiations to mitigate commercial risks and maximize value.
• Coach specialists on end-to-end procurement activities.

Skills

Strategic mindset

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Autonomous work

Leadership

Water infrastructure experience

Education

Business/Commercial Law degree

Job description

Senior Specialist – Water (Pilbara Projects Procurement)

• Implementation of category strategy for all Water Programs across Pilbara Projects

• Management of the new Master Construction Agreements (MCA) with our 4 key partners

• Implementation of Horizon 2 of the Water Category Strategy in achieving a programmatic approach & regional partnerships

• Construction focused contract management, including commercial dispute resolution

• Build trust, team culture, enable voice and deliver results

• Full time permanent role, based in Central Park, Perth

About the role

We are looking for a Senior Specialist – Water to lead our water team and deliver programmes across Pilbara Projects.

Supporting Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) Pilbara Projects, this role will work closely with cross-departmental (Studies & Program, Delivery, Project Services) stakeholders within our business, as well as collaborating with other stakeholders within Global Procurement. This is a great opportunity for a driven contracts and procurement professional who has effective stakeholder engagement, strong commercial acumen, great negotiation and presentation skills, with an extensive working experience in high paced capital projects environment.

Reporting to the Manager BEC & Water you will:

• Support building a high performing team and managing the water portfolio

• Work closely with the Pilbara Projects team and broader business to develop & implement water programme strategies

• Manage dispute resolution process for complex contractual claims

• Proven capability in construction & commercial knowledge, make sound contractual judgements & recommend value-based solutions for the business

• Be an expert negotiator, mediator and problem solver who is committed to driving positive contractual outcomes and mitigate commercial risks

• Maximise commercial value for the business through leading contract management practices and behaviours

• Build and manage supplier long term relationships

• Provide coaching to Specialists on end-to-end procurement activities

What you’ll bring

• A degree in Business and/or Commercial Law (or a related discipline)

• Strategic mindset, with in-depth experience in leading and implementing construction category strategy

• A minimum of 6 years’ experience in delivering large & complex projects in the Pilbara, with significant exposure to capital projects across the end-to-end contract lifecycle

• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing and negotiation skills

• Ability to successfully manage competing priorities in a fast paced work environment with demonstrated experience in working autonomously adhering to critical milestones

• Prior leadership (direct or indirect) and coaching experience will be highly regarded

• Prior experience in water infrastructure projects will be advantageous

Where you’ll be working

• This role will be based in Central Park, our Rio Tinto Perth office

• Ad-hoc travels to Pilbara when required in order to maintain effective relationships with site based stakeholders & contractors

What we offer

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority

• Flexible working from home arrangements as per operational requirements

• 18 weeks of gender-neutral and equal paid parental leave, with continued superannuation contributions whilst employees are on unpaid or half paid parental leave

• 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); and

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.