Rio Tinto

Mechanical Engineer

Rio Tinto$90K — $135K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent; eligible for Engineer-in-Training registration
  • At least two years of experience in processing plants or related heavy industrial fields
  • Knowledge of maintenance or asset management practices
  • Ability to troubleshoot engineering issues and recognize improvement opportunities
  • Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration
  • Commitment to safety in engineering practices

Responsibilities

  • Improve asset reliability and performance using best practices
  • Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programs
  • Lead maintenance strategies to maximize asset performance
  • Analyze equipment failures and implement corrective actions
  • Provide technical support to resolve equipment issues
  • Manage equipment specifications and collaborate with stakeholders

Benefits

  • Focus on safety as top priority
  • Career development and education assistance
  • Leave for various life events
  • Attractive share ownership plan
  • Exclusive employee discounts
  • Domestic relocation assistance
Full Job Description
  • Your work will directly influence the safety, reliability, and performance of critical equipment, helping keep a world-class smelter operating at its best.
  • Gain exposure to complex industrial assets, lead meaningful improvement projects, and develop your career.
  • This permanent, full-time, role is based in Kitimat, BC. The perfect place to live and work, combining the tranquility of a small community with an unrivaled love for the great outdoors


About the role

We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer to help the Asset Management team deliver safe, reliable, and efficient performance of critical plant assets. In this role, you'll contribute to improving equipment reliability, sustaining operational performance, and driving continuous improvement initiatives while working with operations, maintenance, and technical teams across our modernized aluminium smelter in Kitimat.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys solving complex engineering challenges in a heavy industrial environment and wants to build expertise in asset management and reliability engineering. You'll work with the specialized equipment that powers Rio Tinto's reduction process, including overhead cranes with custom tools and other critical assets that support one of the world's most advanced aluminium smelting operations.

While we don't offer fly-in-fly-out arrangements, we do offer relocation assistance, to help you settle in and thrive. Join us and become an integral part of our vibrant community. Located on British Columbia, Canada's northwest coast, Kitimat is a welcoming, family-friendly community set between the mountains and the sea. Known for its strong local economy, modern amenities, short commutes, and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, it's an ideal place to build both a career and a life.

What you'll be doing

Reporting to the Superintendent Asset Management, you will:
  • Improve the reliability, availability, and performance of critical plant assets through asset management best practices, continuous improvement initiatives, and equipment lifecycle strategies.
  • Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programs, engineering standards, and work procedures that support safe, efficient, and high-quality maintenance execution.
  • Lead maintenance and reliability strategies for routine and major work scopes to maximize asset performance, reduce production impact, and support safe operational outcomes.
  • Analyze equipment failures and performance trends using root cause analysis and defect elimination methodologies to identify, prioritize, and close reliability gaps.
  • Provide technical expertise and troubleshooting support to maintenance teams, resolving immediate equipment issues while identifying long-term solutions that improve asset health and reduce downtime.
  • Manage equipment specifications, material substitutions, and bills of materials while partnering with Operations and Maintenance stakeholders to deliver sustainable reliability improvements.


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
  • Ability to troubleshoot equipment issues, apply engineering principles, and identify opportunities to improve asset reliability and performance.
  • At least two years of engineering experience in processing plants, mining, manufacturing, pulp and paper, or a similar heavy industrial environment.
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or an equivalent discipline, with registration or immediate eligibility to register as an Engineer-in-Training with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
  • Knowledge of work management processes and maintenance or asset management practices.
  • Ability to influence, collaborate, and communicate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders to solve technical problems and improve asset performance.


What we offer

Be recognized for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go

home knowing you've helped the world progress.

The base salary range for this role is $90,560 - $135,840 CAD in addition to allowances, bonus, equity, health or retirement benefits, and any other discretionary benefits offered at Rio Tinto. Our base salary ranges are based on role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by the skills, experience, and impact you bring to the role. Our talent acquisition partners can share more during the hiring process.

At Rio Tinto, we offer a competitive reward package that reflects the value that each person brings to our business. As part of our pay philosophy, we believe equity represents fairness, and is rooted in our values and aligns with what we stand for.
  • A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
  • Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
  • Leave for all of life's reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
  • Attractive share ownership plan
  • Exclusive employee discounts
  • Domestic relocation program


Where you'll be working

Rio Tinto's BC Works is a part of the Atlantic Operations of the Aluminium product group and has been operating in British Columbia for over 70 years. With industry leading new technology and four generations of employee expertise, as well as our hydropower facility at Kemano and the Nechako Reservoir, the Kitimat smelter is one of the world's most competitive aluminium smelters, producing aluminium with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry.

Rio Tinto is proud to operate in BC alongside our 1,000 employees, partners, community stakeholders and First Nations, and we look forward to the next 70 years.

Applications close on Sunday, 6 September 2026 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date).

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto Group is a British-Australian multinational mining and metals corporation. The company was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in London, England. Rio Tinto operates in over 35 countries and is one of the largest mining companies in the world. The company produces a wide range of commodities, including aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, iron ore, and uranium. Rio Tinto is committed to sustainable mining practices and has been recognized for its efforts in this area. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange.
Learn more about Rio Tinto
Size
49,000 employees
Market Cap
$116.2 billion
Industry
Net Income
$9.7 billion
5 Year Trend
+13.5%
Revenue
$44.6 billion
NASDAQ

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