Superintendent Operations - Perth to Yandi

Rio Tinto; Tom Price; On-site; AUD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent role

Competitive base salary

Annual incentive program

Private health insurance

Share ownership plan

Insurance cover

Salary packaging options

Career development

Family wellbeing support

Leave entitlements

Employee discounts

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Rio Tinto is seeking a Superintendent Operations to lead the Rail Inland Operations team across Pilbara rail operations. You will provide leadership, foster a positive safety culture and drive continuous improvement, aligning staffing, development and costs with the Manager Inland Rail.

This role offers FIFO from Perth to Yandi, a large privately owned heavy haul rail network, and an opportunity to partner across functions to deliver safe, reliable and cost-effective outcomes through system

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading operational teams in rail, mining or safety-critical environments.
• Ability to translate operational plans into safe, reliable daily execution.
• Experience managing operating costs and workforce capability.
• Understanding of maintenance/work management and risk controls.
• Experience with continuous improvement or Rio Tinto Production System.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Rail Inland Operations team with a focus on safety and reliability.
• Direct safe operational execution aligned to plans, standards and budgets.
• Identify improvements to strengthen efficiency and reduce costs.
• Collaborate with functions to coordinate rail operations and safety planning.
• Define staffing needs and create training pathways for capability growth.
• Provide quality control over processes and sustain Rio Tinto Production System practices.

Skills

Safety leadership

People leadership

Rail operations

Pilbara / heavy haul

Cost management

Compliance knowledge

Communication

Maintenance & work management

Quality & continuous improvement

Job description

• Lead and develop the Rail Inland Operations team, shaping safe and reliable performance across Pilbara rail operations.
• Influence continuous improvement, workforce capability and operational excellence in a complex heavy haul rail environment.
• Join a business operating Australia’s largest privately owned and operated heavy haul rail system.
• FIFO from Perth to Yandi – 5 days on, 3 off, 4 days on, 3 off

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 Superintendent Operations to lead, mentor, coach and develop the Rail Inland Operations team. Reporting to the Manager Inland Rail, you will provide leadership across site operational activities, foster a positive safety culture and drive continuous improvement. You will help maximise productivity while managing operating costs, defining staffing and development needs, and supporting compliance with relevant legislation and statutory obligations.

This is a great opportunity for an operational leader who enjoys developing people, improving systems of work and partnering across a broad rail network to deliver safe and sustainable outcomes.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the Manager Inland Rail and working across Rail Inland Operations, you will

• Establish and maintain a culture of safety, reinforcing safety protocols and procedures across operational activities.
• Lead, mentor, coach and develop the operations team through regular performance feedback, clear expectations and capability planning.
• Direct safe operational execution so team performance aligns with business standards, weekly and quarterly plans, and operational objectives.
• Identify, evaluate and implement improvement opportunities that strengthen operational efficiency and support continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with other functions and stakeholders to coordinate work across rail operations and prioritise safety in planning and execution.
• Define staffing and development needs and provide training pathways that build skills and productivity.
• Provide quality control over operational processes so activities are completed safely, to plan and cost-efficiently.
• Manage and support the sustainability of Rio Tinto Production System practices across the operation.

About You

We’re looking for someone whose experience aligns with the key requirements below. You do not need to meet every item to apply.

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing operational teams in rail, mining, logistics or another large-scale, safety-critical industrial environment.
• Experience translating operational plans into safe, reliable and cost-effective daily execution.
• Working knowledge of operational compliance, risk controls and relevant legislative or statutory obligations.
• Experience managing operating costs, workforce capability and contractor or stakeholder interfaces.
• Clear communication skills with experience coordinating decisions across operational and functional teams.
• Experience in heavy haul rail or Pilbara operations.
• Understanding of maintenance and work management execution.
• Experience implementing quality control practices, continuous improvement or the Rio Tinto Production System.

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 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 (vacation/annual, paid parental, personal and cultural leave)
• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
• Possible domestic relocation assistance

Where you’ll be working

Our rail network is the largest privately owned and operated heavy haul rail system in Australia, and as we focus on the future, our vision is to become the greatest heavy haul railway in the world.

We operate over 220 locomotives on nearly 2,000 kilometres of track in the Pilbara, transporting ore from 18 mines to four port terminals.

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.