UG Project Coordinator & Controls

• Join a people-first, safety-led Rio Tinto team that invests in your development and offers real long-term career pathways
• Play a central role in a major underground project, where your coordination and controls work directly drives performance, cost, and schedule outcomes
• Build high-value, transferable skills in scheduling, cost control, and procurement within a structured, well-supported project environment

About the role

Build your career with a globally recognized mining organization while staying close to home in the Copper Triangle. As an Underground Project Coordinator, you will play a key role in driving project execution by supporting scheduling, cost tracking, procurement coordination, and document control. Your work will help ensure underground projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and with strong operational discipline.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, enjoys working across teams, and takes pride in keeping projects organized, aligned, and moving forward. You will gain exposure to complex underground operations while developing practical skills that are highly valued across mining and heavy industry.

In this role, you start the day with clear priorities and aligned teams. Schedules are up to date, materials and crews are coordinated, and stakeholders are informed. You track progress against plans, update lookaheads, and support smooth execution underground. Procurement and documentation are in order, and by the end of the shift, your work has helped keep the project on track, on budget, and well-coordinated.

Some shifts bring competing priorities and unexpected challenges. You may face schedule changes, delayed materials, or conflicting stakeholder needs. You respond by re-aligning plans, communicating clearly across teams, and resolving issues quickly. Even when things are moving fast, you stay organized and focused, ensuring accurate information, cost tracking, and coordination continue to support safe and effective project delivery.

You will report to the Underground Operations Superintendent and be supported by a collaborative team across operations, maintenance, engineering, project controls, and supply chain. This team will help guide your development while working together to deliver safe and successful underground projects, including in the following responsibilities:

Role Responsibilities

Project Scheduling & Planning

• Put safety first in all planning activities, ensuring schedules reflect safe work sequencing and underground constraints
• Develop and maintain clear, accurate weekly, 21-day, and monthly schedules
• Coordinate closely with operations and stakeholders to align crews, materials, and timelines
• Support planning meetings and contribute to practical, executable plans

Budget & Cost Tracking

• Support safe and efficient project execution by maintaining accurate, reliable cost tracking
• Track project costs against budgets and forecasts, ensuring visibility of performance
• Identify potential cost risks or variances and communicate early
• Support financial reporting with clear, actionable data

Procurement Coordination

• Promote safe and reliable operations by ensuring timely delivery of materials and services
• Coordinate purchase orders, deliveries, and vendor timelines
• Partner with supply chain and vendors to avoid delays and disruptions
• Support contractor coordination and service alignment

Document Control and Reporting

• Maintain accurate and compliant project records to support safe, traceable execution
• Organize and manage project documentation, ensuring it is current and accessible
• Control document versions and ensure proper distribution
• Create clear reports, dashboards, and updates for stakeholders

Project Coordination

• Support a safe and aligned work environment through strong communication and coordination
• Track progress against plan and adjust schedules based on actual performance
• Identify risks, constraints, and conflicts, escalating when needed
• Contribute to improving processes, tools, and team coordination

About You

• You prioritize safety and understand underground operational risks and constraints
• You bring experience in underground mining planning, scheduling, or project coordination
• You have working knowledge of underground development and production workflows
• You are confident using scheduling tools such as Primavera P6, Deswik, or MS Project
• You are highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• You communicate clearly and build strong relationships across teams and stakeholders
• You are proactive and solution-focused, able to adapt to changing priorities
• You hold a high school diploma or equivalent and a valid driver’s license

What we offer

We are committed to providing our employees with a generous benefits package. Be recognized for your contribution, your way of thinking, your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress, we provide: 

• 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 (EAP) 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 

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.