Senior Corporate Counsel – Project Development and Permitting

Senior Corporate Counsel – Project Development and Permitting

• Join Resolution Copper at a pivotal moment following the successful completion of a long‑awaited federal land exchange and major legal milestone, enabling the project to advance into its next phase of development

• C​ontribute to a critical materials project that supports U.S. domestic supply chains and the global energy transition through copper development

• Excellent opportunity to work in-house in Arizona

• Domestic Relocation Assistance may be considered 

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 Senior Corporate Counsel – Project Development and Permitting to help lead and coordinate the provision of legal support to Resolution Copper, a Rio Tinto-controlled joint venture with BHP that is simultaneously studying, developing and permitting the Resolution Copper Mine near Superior, Arizona.

This is a great opportunity for a seasoned, strategic, and commercially minded legal professional to lead and coordinate the provision of legal advice for Resolution Copper, working with direct and substantial interaction with business clients and cross‑functional stakeholders.

Reporting to the Chief Counsel, Copper, Americas and working in a collaborative, complex, and commercially focused in‑house environment within the Rio Tinto Legal function supporting Resolution Copper, you will be:

• Providing strategic and commercially pragmatic legal advice and support to Resolution Copper, including managing legal risks, setting the legal parameters for strategic business objectives and providing guidance as to compliance and reputational issues.

• Maintaining awareness of all material internal business and external legal developments that may lead to a need for legal advice.

• Drafting and negotiate various legal documents.

• Assessing the most appropriate means of providing legal advice for particular matters depending on business risk/opportunity and availability of resources.

• With other parts of the business, assist with the development and maintenance of external stakeholder relationships.

• Providing direct support for all operational and business matters for Resolution Copper including litigation, commercial, environmental compliance and permitting, communities, land use and regulatory issues, and compliance.

• Giving legal training for executives and other relevant Rio Tinto and Resolution Copper employees.

• Liaising, developing and maintaining close working relationships with operations personnel, members of Rio Tinto Legal, and Rio Tinto’s business units and functions, promoting collaboration and information sharing.

About you

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

• Networking skills that will enable you to develop relationships and collaborative approaches with other business functions and subject matter experts.

• Significant experience in either (1) industrial operations or the natural resources sector; or (2) administrative or regulatory counseling and litigation for industrial clients.

• Strong permitting experience, including permitting for large, complex infrastructure or natural resource projects such as mines, pipelines, powerlines, mining operations, oil & gas developments, or similar large-scale developments, with the ability to navigate multi-jurisdictional regulatory frameworks and stakeholder environments.

• Demonstrated leadership of legal or business teams or the potential to lead legal teams.

• A minimum of 10+ years of experience post qualification with a law firm or in-house as well as a minimum of 2+ years’ experience in-house.

• A license to practice law in Arizona, or the ability to obtain a license to practice law in Arizona via examination, admission on motion, or as licensed house counsel within one year of commencement of employment.

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

• 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 will be working

Once in operation, Resolution Copper has the potential to supply nearly 25% of US copper demand and create several thousand direct and indirect jobs in the Pioneer Mining District of Arizona, with an economic value estimated at several billion dollars over the mine life.

The project will rely on a block caving technique to extract the deposit that lies more than 2,000 metres below the surface. This method uses gravity to remove the ore and is the most viable way to recover the resource.

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

Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.

Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.