About the role:

We are looking for a Principal Advisor, Technical Due Diligence & Mine Optimisation to strengthen a rapid, scalable and decision-focused technical due diligence capability within Rio Tinto Copper’s Surface Mining and Strategic Production Planning team.

This influential individual-contributor role sits at the intersection of technical excellence, commercial decision-making and risk management. Working through technical credibility, collaboration and influence, you will bring together multidisciplinary expertise and turn incomplete information into clear, decision-useful insights for senior leaders and investment teams.

You will challenge reference mine plans, test credible alternatives and connect technical uncertainty to implications for value, execution, schedule and optionality. You will also help establish practical methods, tools and ways of working that improve the consistency, pace and quality of due diligence across the opportunity portfolio.

Reporting to the General Manager, Surface Mining and SPP, you will:

• Frame material investment questions and determine the appropriate depth of technical analysis, from rapid screening to deeper strategic optimisation.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary technical reviews and integrate findings into concise, evidence-based advice.
• Challenge vendor, partner, study and internal assumptions, clearly separating facts, assumptions, uncertainty, material risks, opportunities and residual exposure.
• Interrogate mine plans and development cases, including scale, sequencing, cut-off strategy, mining rate, capital timing, operating constraints and expansion pathways.
• Develop central, downside and upside cases and test alternative mine-development strategies where these may materially change value or risk.
• Work with Business Analysts so that key technical assumptions, ranges and sensitivities are appropriately reflected in valuation models.
• Strengthen Technical DD methods, templates, lessons learned and capability across the broader technical organisation.
• Shape digital and AI-supported workflows that improve speed, evidence management and traceability while preserving professional judgement.
• Communicate complex technical issues in clear commercial language and provide constructive challenge to senior technical, commercial and business stakeholders.

What you’ll bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in mining, engineering, geoscience or another relevant field associated with mining or other asset-intensive industries.
• Significant senior experience across mining, project development, operations, engineering, technical studies, strategic planning or related disciplines.
• Experience in technical due diligence, project evaluation, technical assurance or investment assessment for complex opportunities.
• Broad understanding of mine-development value drivers and the ability to integrate mining with geotechnical, water, tailings, processing, infrastructure, environmental, closure and execution considerations.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge mine plans and technical assumptions, frame credible alternatives and connect technical findings to valuation and investment decisions.
• Sound judgement in risk, uncertainty and opportunity assessment, including the ability to match analytical effort to decision materiality.
• Proven ability to coordinate multidisciplinary expertise and influence outcomes across organisational boundaries.
• Exceptional communication skills, high integrity and confidence to provide balanced, independent and constructive challenge.