Principal Adviser Ethics and Compliance Australasia

• Shape ethical and compliant decision-making across Rio Tinto’s Australian operations through practical, senior-level risk advice
• Influence leaders, strengthen material controls and build first-line Ethics & Compliance capability
• Brisbane-based permanent opportunity, with regular travel to relevant operations and offices

We’re Finding Better Ways™ to provide materials the world needs, now and in the future. Our values – care, courage and curiosity – guide how we work and how we treat each other.

About the role

We are looking for a Principal Adviser Ethics & Compliance – Australasia to provide senior Ethics & Compliance advisory support across Rio Tinto’s Australian operations.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced Ethics & Compliance professional to influence how integrity and regulatory risks are managed across a large and diverse operational footprint. You will work directly with business and functional leaders, providing practical advice and constructive challenge while strengthening material controls and building first-line capability.

Reporting to the Manager Ethics & Compliance – Australasia and working as part of the independent second-line Ethics & Compliance function within Legal, Governance & Corporate Affairs, you will:

• Provide practical, independent advice to leaders on material Ethics & Compliance risks, high-risk transactions and business decisions
• Build trusted relationships with leaders, risk and control owners and subject matter experts while maintaining appropriate second-line independence
• Support implementation of The Way We Work, the Ethics & Compliance Group Standard and supporting procedures across Australian operations
• Develop guidance, briefings and learning that strengthen first-line ownership and capability
• Deliver risk-based monitoring and assurance across priority risks, controls and locations, including control effectiveness reviews
• Document evidence-based findings, agree practical remediation actions and monitor progress through to sustainable closure
• Support investigations, incident response and root cause analysis, identifying recurring issues and emerging risks
• Collaborate across Legal, Risk & Insurance, Group Internal Audit, People, Commercial and operational teams to strengthen the consistent application of Ethics & Compliance requirements

About you

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team
• Strong practical experience in Ethics & Compliance, regulatory risk, assurance, investigations, legal risk or a related field within a complex organisation
• Working knowledge of business integrity risks and controls, including anti-bribery and corruption, third-party risk, conflicts of interest, benefits, fraud, sanctions and speak-up processes
• Experience assessing control design and operating effectiveness and developing practical remediation actions
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders, risk and control owners and multidisciplinary stakeholders, providing constructive challenge on complex or sensitive matters
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into concise, evidence-based insights, recommendations and practical guidance

What we offer

• Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress
• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Company provided insurance cover
• Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
• Leave for all of life’s reasons
• Exclusive employee discounts across banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more

Where you’ll be working

You will be based in Brisbane, working as part of Rio Tinto’s independent second-line Ethics & Compliance function within Legal, Governance & Corporate Affairs.

With an Australian operational remit, you will partner with business and functional leaders, risk and control owners and specialist teams across the organisation. Regular travel to relevant operations and offices will form part of the role.

About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.
We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs – striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win situations and meet opportunities.

Respect and Inclusion
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTQ+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or anything else that makes us different.