Project Lead – Civil Design

Project Lead – Civil Design | Project Leader – Senior Civil Design

Rio Tinto | QAL Sustaining Capital | Brisbane or Gladstone, QLD

• Two Senior Civil Engineering Opportunities
• Brisbane or Gladstone Based
• Major Sustaining Capital Program

Chandler Macleod is currently seeking experienced civil engineering professionals for two opportunities within Rio Tinto’s Pacific Operations Sustaining Capital team:

Project Lead – Civil Design
Project Leader – Senior Civil Design

These roles will support the design development and long-term planning of the QAL Residue Disposal Area (RDA) Annual Wall Raise Program, providing an opportunity to work across critical civil, earthworks and residue management infrastructure.

Working alongside Operations, Tailings & Water, Engineering, Project Delivery teams and specialist consultants, you’ll contribute to the development of safe, practical and constructable engineering solutions supporting both annual project delivery and QAL’s longer-term infrastructure requirements.

If you’re an experienced Civil Engineer with a background in major earthworks, dams, tailings, water storage, mining or infrastructure projects, we’d like to hear from you.

About the RolesThese opportunities will provide senior engineering and design leadership across the planning, design and governance phases of the QAL RDA Annual Wall Raise Program.

Depending on the position and your experience, responsibilities will include:

• Opportunity with Rio Tinto.
• Leading and supporting development of annual wall raise design packages for the QAL RDA.
• Managing and coordinating specialist engineering consultants and multidisciplinary design teams.
• Supporting development of the rolling 5-year RDA wall raise strategy.
• Coordinating geotechnical investigations, technical studies and design assurance activities.
• Providing technical leadership across civil, geotechnical, earthworks and water management interfaces.
• Ensuring designs are practical, constructable and aligned with operational and project delivery requirements.
• Leading and supporting technical reviews, design assurance and verification activities.
• Developing scopes of work for engineering and technical service providers.
• Supporting capital planning, project development, business cases and funding submissions.
• Managing technical risks and opportunities throughout the design lifecycle.
• Monitoring design schedules, budgets, forecasts and deliverables.
• Working closely with Operations, Tailings & Water, Engineering and Project Delivery stakeholders.
• Driving technical excellence, accountability and continuous improvement across project design.

About YouWe’re looking for experienced Civil Engineering professionals who can bring strong technical capability combined with the ability to work across complex operational and project environments.
To be successful, you will ideally have:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering.
• Significant experience delivering large-scale civil infrastructure, resources or mining projects.
• Experience across embankments, bulk earthworks, dams, tailings, water storage or residue management infrastructure.
• Strong civil design, design management or technical leadership experience.
• Experience working with engineering consultants and multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Strong understanding of design governance, technical assurance and risk management.
• Experience managing or contributing to project scope, cost and schedule.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across Engineering, Operations and Project Delivery teams.
• Experience within an owner’s team or capital project environment will be highly regarded.
• RPEQ or equivalent professional accreditation will be highly regarded.
• Previous tailings or residue management experience will be advantageous.

Why Join Rio Tinto?

• Work with one of Australia’s leading industrial operators.
• Two senior civil engineering opportunities available.
• Brisbane or Gladstone based.
• Work across a major QAL sustaining capital infrastructure program.
• Exposure to large-scale civil, earthworks and residue management projects.
• Opportunity to influence both annual project delivery and longer-term asset strategy.
• Work alongside experienced technical, operational and project delivery teams.
• Exposure to industry-leading tailings stewardship and asset management practices.
• Long-term opportunity supporting critical operational infrastructure.

Additional Information

• CAT 1 contractor opportunities.
• Brisbane or Gladstone based.
• Site medical, Drug & Alcohol screening and relevant inductions may be required.
• Candidates must have unrestricted Australian working rights.

If you’re an experienced Civil Engineer looking to step into a senior technical or project leadership opportunity and contribute to critical infrastructure across Rio Tinto’s QAL operations, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now through Chandler Macleod for a confidential discussion.



At Chandler Macleod, we are committed to fostering a diverse workforce where everyone is welcome. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, neurodiverse, people living with a disability and the LGBTIQA+ community.

You can read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion at https://www.chandlermacleod.com/diversity-and-inclusion.