Principal Geotechnical Engineer – Underground

Rio Tinto•Salt Lake City, UT

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a career defining opportunity for a geotechnical expert ready to elevate their impact beyond a single site. You will lead with influence, guiding safe and sustainable underground mining practices across Rio Tinto Copper assets such as Kennecott, Resolution, and Oyu Tolgoi. If you’re motivated by mentoring others, driving innovation, and partnering with senior leaders to improve performance, this role offers it all. Unlike traditional remote mining roles, this position offers access to major operations while allowing you to live in a vibrant, outdoor-focused city in close proximity to world-class ski fields and national parks. As Principal Geotechnical Engineer - Underground, you will be a partner with operations, projects, and study teams to manage geotechnical risk, improve performance, and embed best practice across our underground mines. You will work in an environment where safety, learning, and curiosity are non‑negotiable, and where your voice carries weight in shaping long‑term outcomes. In this role, you might start the day going underground at Kennecott, followed by reviewing the life of mine plan with site engineers and then spend the afternoon supporting decision making for the Resolution caving studies. You leave knowing your work directly reduced risk and improved the business, ready to start a new day tomorrow. Reporting to the Chief Underground Mining Engineer, you will be supported by a global central technical team and work closely with asset leaders, project teams, and study managers. Together, you will focus on strengthening underground geotechnical capability across the business through the following accountabilities:

Requirements

A personal commitment to safety, with a track record of protecting people through strong geotechnical risk management
A recognized bachelor’s degree in mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, or civil engineering
Demonstrated post‑graduate experience in underground mining operations, with depth in geotechnical practice
Deep practical experience in geotechnical design, stability assessment, ground support, monitoring systems, and data interpretation
Experience identifying and communicating geotechnical hazards and risks to a range of audiences, including senior leaders
Exposure to open stoping and cave mining, along with involvement in mining studies and long‑term planning
A sound understanding of numerical modelling and its application to underground mining decisions
Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence without authority
Demonstrated commercial awareness, strategic thinking, and sound business judgement
Proven leadership capability, including coaching and mentoring of technical professionals

Responsibilities

Champion safety above all else by ensuring geotechnical hazards are identified, communicated, and effectively controlled across underground operations and studies
Provide high‑level geotechnical technical support to Rio Tinto Copper underground assets, with particular focus on Kennecott Underground and the Resolution Project
Support major hazard management by guiding risk assessment, monitoring strategies, and assurance activities
Monitor and evaluate geotechnical performance, translating data and observations into practical improvement actions
Develop, document, and continuously improve standards, guidelines, and processes, embedding lessons learned and best practice
Strengthen underground geotechnical capability across the group through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and coaching
Improve technical systems, data quality, and data utilization to support better decision‑making
Provide clear, balanced, and strategic advice to senior leaders and internal and external stakeholders

Benefits

A safety-focused and inclusive working environment
Advantageous salary package with annual cash incentive awards (STIP) for eligible employees
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
Generous Rio Tinto employee share program, which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto Company shares.
Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life: PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
A favorable child-caregiver leave program (Up to 100% salary top-up)
Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Virgin Pulse with incentives supporting your wellbeing
Ongoing Employee Assistance Program for you and your family; to help in addressing educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns.
Our team and industry experts are here to support and work with you to explore your learning potential and career goals