Rio Tinto

Senior Engineer, Geotechnical

Rio Tinto • $110K — $130K *
Salt Lake City, UT 84118In-Person
Real Estate & Construction
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mining, Geological, Geotechnical, Civil Engineering, or Geology.
  • Technical experience in open pit mining environments.
  • Experience with ground-based radar systems and monitoring data software in mining.
  • Proficient with geotechnical software like Rocscience Suite and Minesight.
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills for engaging across teams.
  • Valid U.S. driver's license to operate in open pit areas.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and develop a team of geotechnical engineers for safe operational outcomes.
  • Provide recommendations on slope design and mine plan implementation.
  • Monitor slope performance and interpret movement data for risk management.
  • Implement Geotechnical Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs).
  • Review slope conformance and recommend rockfall mitigation strategies.
  • Present geotechnical designs and risk assessments to stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with operations, planning, and engineering teams to enhance mine performance.

Benefits

  • Safety is our top priority in the work environment.
  • Competitive base salary with annual incentive bonuses.
  • Comprehensive health programs including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Excellent retirement plan with a generous 401k matching program.
  • Attractive share ownership and comprehensive leave policies.
  • Generous parental leave policy for quality family time.
  • Discount programs for leisure and wellbeing incentives.
  • Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for personal support.
Full Job Description
  • Lead geotechnical engineering for one of the world's largest open pit mining operations, helping manage safety-critical slope performance and geohazard controls.


  • Grow your leadership capability by mentoring engineers, influencing technical decisions, and partnering with operational leaders across the mine.


  • Enjoy a rostered Monday to Friday schedule with a mix of office and field-based work near Salt Lake City, Utah.


About the role

We are looking for a Senior Engineer, Geotechnical to lead the Operational Geotechnical engineering team supporting the Kennecott Copper Mine. Reporting to the Principal Advisor, Geotechnical, on a Monday to Friday (5/2 or 5/2/4/3) roster and working collaboratively with operational and functional teams, you will be responsible for:

  • Lead and develop a team of geotechnical engineers, supporting technical excellence and safe operational outcomes.


  • Provide recommendations on open pit slope design, implementation of mine plans, and geohazard controls.


  • Monitor slope performance, interpret movement data, and support risk-based decision making in partnership with the Geotechnical Monitoring Center.


  • Develop and implement Geotechnical Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs).


  • Review slope conformance and recommend rockfall mitigation strategies and controls.


  • Present geotechnical designs, monitoring information, and risk assessments to stakeholders, senior leaders, and external reviewers.


  • Collaborate with operations, planning, engineering teams, and external vendors to support mine performance and safety.


  • Analyse monitoring and geotechnical data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.


About you

  • A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.


  • Bachelor's degree in Mining, Geological, Geotechnical, Civil Engineering, or Geology and/or


  • Technical experience in open pit mining environments.


  • Experience using ground-based radar systems and monitoring data software applicable to open pit mining.


  • Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across technical and operational teams.


  • Proficiency with geotechnical software such as Rocscience Suite (Rocfall, Slide 2D/3D, RS2/3, and Dips).


  • Experience using Minesight, PointStudio, and/or Leapfrog.


  • Valid U.S. driver's license and ability to drive in open pit environments.


It will also be beneficial if you have:

  • Experience in slope stability assessment and open pit slope design.


  • Master's degree in a related field


  • Experience managing interactions between underground voids and open pit mining activities.


  • Familiarity with avalanche hazard assessment and management.


  • Ability to evaluate slope movement behaviour and estimate rockfall runout potential.


  • Knowledge of blast vibration analysis, wall control techniques, subsurface slope movement detection technologies, and GIS or ArcGIS field mapping.


What we offer

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


  • Competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with an annual incentive bonus.


  • Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.


  • Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program.


  • Attractive share ownership plan.


  • Comprehensive leave policies which cover all the moments that matter in life: PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.


  • A generous parental leave policy, which ensures you're able to spend quality time with your new family.


  • Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing.


  • Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential counselling or expert guidance for you and your family to help get through life's challenges.


Where you'll be working

Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, fully integrated copper mining operation, including a concentrator, smelter, and refinery, located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. We produce copper, precious metals including gold and silver, molybdenum, and sulfuric acid. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903 and is one of the top producing mines in the world, comprising approximately 11 percent of U.S. annual copper production.

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
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
$9.7 billion
5 Year Trend
+13.5%
Revenue
$44.6 billion
NASDAQ
RIO
* Ladders Estimates

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