Principal Advisor Process Safety

Rio Tinto•Bessemer City, NC

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Rio Tinto Lithium is seeking a Principal Adviser Process Safety to lead and advance process safety practices across its operations. This role is responsible for identifying, guiding, and embedding best practice process safety standards, ensuring consistent and effective application across operations. The role operates as a technical expert and trusted advisor, setting the culture for process safety, leading improvement initiatives, driving the implementation of Rio Tinto Process Safety standards, and strengthening hazard identification, risk management, and control effectiveness. The position ensures process safety is integrated into how Lithium designs, operates, and improves its processing systems, working closely with operations, technical services, and peer networks.

Requirements

Deep expertise in process safety within a chemical manufacturing environment
Strong understanding of hazard identification, risk assessment, and critical control management
Demonstrated ability to influence leaders and teams and drive adoption of best practices without direct authority
Experience leading or contributing to process safety initiatives across multi-site operations
Ability to translate technical requirements into practical, scalable solutions
Strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills across operational and technical environments
A structured, risk-based approach to problem solving and continuous improvement
Experience working across multiple technologies and processing environments
Experience supporting organisational integration or rapidly evolving operations

Responsibilities

Set the culture for process safety across all lithium operations
Lead process safety improvement initiatives across Lithium operations
Drive implement of Rio Tinto Process Safety standards and establish programs to ensure sustained compliance
Strengthen hazard identification, risk management, and control effectiveness
Embed consistent process safety practices across the full asset lifecycle
Act as a subject matter expert in process safety, guiding sites and functions on best practices and standards
Lead strategic process safety initiatives with meaningful impact at site and business unit level
Influence leaders and teams by providing expert advice and practical solutions
Identify leading, fit-for-purpose process safety practices and support their embedding across Lithium operations
Ensure alignment with Rio Tinto standards and the consistent application of process safety frameworks
Support the development and improvement of process safety tools, systems, and ways of working
Utilize capability assessments and compliance activities to evaluate the effectiveness of process safety programs
Support identification of process hazards, definition of critical controls, and management of residual risk
Ensure robust implementation of process safety technologies and control systems
Proactively collaborate with peer groups and technical networks across Rio Tinto
Lead or support workshops, reviews, and cross-site engagement to drive learning and continuous improvement
Promote consistency in process safety practices across sites and regions
Embed a culture of process safety in lithium operations
Embed process safety considerations across the full asset lifecycle, from design through to operations and improvement
Support integration of process safety into projects, operational planning, and continuous improvement activities