Laboratory Manager for Pilot Trials & Testing

Rio Tinto; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive bonus

Health & wellbeing programs

Retirement plan with company match

Employee share ownership plan

Paid time off & parental leave

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

Rio Tinto is seeking a Laboratory Manager for Nuton in Salt Lake City to lead laboratory operations, oversee testwork programmes, and drive pilot activities. You will work with technical specialists to advance beneficiation and leaching technologies while ensuring safe, high‑quality results.

Reporting to the Technology Development Manager, you will guide multidisciplinary teams, manage budgets and schedules, and promote best practices across partner sites and labs to deliver innovative

Qualifications

• Leadership experience managing technical, operational or laboratory teams and resources.
• Commitment to safety of yourself and your team.
• Ability to lead multi-functional and multidisciplinary teams and deliver measurable operational outcomes.
• Experience managing laboratory operations, budgets, equipment reliability and continuous improvement activities.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing laboratory testwork programmes, pilot plant trials or comparable processing technology programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead laboratory teams to safely deliver testwork programmes, pilot trials and operational objectives.
• Drive safety, industrial hygiene and environmental standards while maintaining relevant certifications and compliance requirements.
• Ensure test plans, procedures and quality standards are followed to meet customer requirements for quantity, quality and delivery timelines.
• Improve laboratory performance through continuous improvement, Lean management systems and benchmarking of operational efficiency.
• Manage operating and maintenance budgets while ensuring equipment availability and the reliability of laboratory results.
• Optimise workforce capability, flexibility and resource planning to build an inclusive and high-performing team environment.
• Collaborate with internal technical specialists and external laboratories on sample selection, preparation, testing and blending strategies.
• Represent Nuton at partner sites and test facilities while protecting intellectual property and promoting best practices.

Skills

Leadership experience

Safety commitment

Multidisciplinary team leadership

Laboratory operations management

Budget & equipment reliability

Testwork programme design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Rio Tinto is seeking a Laboratory Manager for Nuton in Salt Lake City to lead laboratory operations, oversee testwork programmes, and drive pilot activities. You will work with technical specialists to advance beneficiation and leaching technologies while ensuring safe, high‑quality results.

Reporting to the Technology Development Manager, you will guide multidisciplinary teams, manage budgets and schedules, and promote best practices across partner sites and labs to deliver innovative