Rio Tinto · 1 day ago
Principal Engineer - Underground Mine Planning
Salt Lake City, UT
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff
10+ years expRio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company, and they are seeking a Principal Engineer - Underground Mine Planning to lead and manage the mining engineering function. This role involves overseeing mine planning, production planning, and ensuring alignment with safety standards and production targets while providing technical leadership.
ManufacturingMineralMiningMining TechnologyNatural Resources
Responsibilities
Provide technical leadership and operational expertise to the engineering and operations team
Oversee, coordinate, and address engineering activities including annual budgets, cost performance analysis, Reserves, mine planning, mine ventilation, backfill, and survey
Lead a diverse team of engineers and technicians to achieve technical excellence and drive industry best practice
Guide the development, optimization, approval, and implementation of the annual, quarterly, monthly, and weekly mine plans to achieve Life of Mine production in a safe and economic manner
Establish, execute, and effectively monitor short-term and long-term plans that support corporate growth strategies. Collaborate with corporate technical services on plans and projects
Ensure integration of mid-range and long-range mine infrastructure with mine planning with all site stakeholders
Monitor and provide guidance for daily/weekly planning meetings to ensure coordination of mining activities to meet safety and production targets
Manage technical work packages, including developing scope, schedule, and costs for life of mine projects
Manage critical underground risks in coordination with operations and safety teams
Build and maintain relationships with peers in other Kennecott operating areas to support the integrated value chain
Lead team engagement with internal stakeholders to establish clear lines of communication with the open pit operation and concentrator and ensure the underground is well integrated in the operation
Monitor compliance and ensure adherence to Rio Tinto standards, applicable engineering codes, and government regulations
Ensure month-end and year-end engineering reports and submissions are completed on time, meet the needs of the business, and comply with international best practice
Coordinate mine engineering work with geology and mine operations teams
Develop and maintain engineering policies, procedures, and processes
Drive accountability of compliance to plans in a coordinated effort with the mine operations department
Work cooperatively with the mine operations teams to develop engineered solutions to operational problems. Ensure engineering provides adequate communication and support to mine operations
Recruit, mentor, and retain qualified engineering personnel and coordination team succession planning
Support and guide team members in their professional development goals
Provide clear work objectives, performance expectations, and provide feedback to team members through reviews and coaching
You will help foster a strong safety culture, promoting and exemplifying safe work practices throughout the organization
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Must have a Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Mining Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related field and 10 years of related work experience in underground mining, of which at least 7 years are progressive post-baccalaureate related work experience in the mining industry. Employer may accept an additional 2 years of related experience in the mining industry in lieu of a Bachelor's degree
Must have 7 years of experience in underground mine design and scheduling
Must have 5 years of experience in each of the following: Underground drill and blast design; and Mine design and scheduling
Must have 3 years of experience leading a diverse technical team in the mining industry
Must have strong verbal and written communication skills
Must have experience with strategic business analysis of mining options and projects
Preferred
Experience using Deswik CAD and Sched
3+ years of experience in mine ventilation
Strong background in mine services, backfill QA/QC, mining QA/QC, and contractor management
Experience in integrating mine plans with continuous improvement initiatives to drive excellence in the operation
Benefits
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 Personify Health 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
Company
Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a mining and metals company that focuses on the extraction and processing of minerals and metals in various sectors.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Rio Tinto has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (8)
2024 (19)
2023 (18)
2022 (3)
2021 (7)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$30.74MKey Investors
Canadian GovernmentAustralian Renewable Energy Agency
2024-02-26Grant· $8.5M
2023-07-12Grant· $21.8M
2021-06-16Grant· $0.44M
Leadership Team
Bold Baatar
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
Katie Jackson
Chief Executive, Copper
Recent News
Morningstar.com
2026-01-11
2026-01-11
Company data provided by crunchbase