Senior Byproducts Engineer Technical Projects
Salt Lake, UT - USA
Job Summary
Senior Byproducts Engineer - Technical Projects
Our friendly teams look after each other because your safety and wellbeing are always our priority
Join an encouraging leadership group committed to your growth and development
Role based in Salt Lake City Utah
Were 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 Byproducts Engineer - Technical Projects to join our Technical Projects team. This is great opportunity to be in a senior technical role driving process improvements and delivering sustaining and capital projects across the Acid Plant Powerhouse Filter Plant Slag Mill and Hydromet plant.
The role provides focused technical leadership for defect elimination reliability improvement cost reduction and HSE compliance. This position complements daytoday process engineering by leading initiatives that require crossfunctional coordination senior technical judgment and sustained position supports both routine operations and shutdown activities balancing hands-on service coordination with governance oversight continuous improvement and strong engagement with internal teams and external contractors.
Reporting to the Superintendent Technical Projects you will:
Lead process improvement initiatives to eliminate recurring defects and improve safety reliability efficiency and metal recovery across byproducts processing facilities.
Provide senior technical leadership for short term improvement projects and sustaining capital projects within the Acid Plant Powerhouse Filter Plant Slag Mill and Hydromet plant.
Act as technical owner for improvement and capital projects from problem definition through implementation and benefit realization.
Drive structured problem solving including root cause analysis development of permanent solutions and verification of sustained performance improvement.
Identify evaluate and challenge existing practices to optimize acid plant process performance energy efficiency and variable operating costs.
Develop project scopes technical evaluations and business cases in collaboration with operations maintenance environmental and Projects and Engineering teams.
Provide technical oversight during detailed engineering commissioning startup and performance testing to ensure projects deliver intended outcomes.
Coordinate cross functional stakeholders to ensure improvements are integrated operable safe and environmentally compliant.
Provide technical input to management of change hazard reviews and risk assessments related to process changes and project execution.
Mentor and provide technical guidance to day-to-day process engineers contributing to capability development within the byproducts area.
Support development and maintenance of technical standards best practices and long-term plant knowledge.
Track and report improvement outcomes to ensure benefits are sustained and aligned with site objectives.
What youll bring
To be successfully considered for this role you will have:
Bachelors degree in chemical engineering Metallurgical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
Minimum of 7 years of engineering and operations experience primarily focused on sulfuric acid plant process or closely related byproducts processing systems.
Demonstrated experience leading process improvements defect elimination initiatives or technical projects in complex continuous processing operations.
Strong understanding of acid plant operations process control gas handling energy recovery and environmental performance drivers.
Proven ability to lead cross functional teams and influence outcomes without direct authority.
Strong analytical problem solving and communication skills.
Where Youll Be Working
Our Kennecott mine is a world-class fully integrated copper mining operation including a concentrator smelter and refinery located just outside Salt Lake City Utah in the United States. We produce copper precious metals including gold and silver molybdenum and sulfuric acid. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903 and is one of the top producing mines in the world comprising approximately 11 percent of U.S. annual copper production.
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 cant do it on our own so were 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 for more information.
Required Experience:
Senior IC
About Company
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining group that focuses on finding, mining and processing the Earth’s mineral resources. Discover more about Rio Tinto's mining operations today.