Category Specialist – Corporate Services (Procurement)

Category Specialist – Corporate Services (Procurement)

• Full time permanent opportunity
• Based in Brisbane
• Be part of our indirect procurement team

Role Purpose:
We are looking for a Category Specialist, Corporate Services to join our Global Indirect Procurement team for a permanent opportunity to lead the development of the category strategy and management of the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program for the managed services, legal services, marketing, advertising, communications and other minor categories in the Corporate Services portfolio.

The role will contribute to the delivery of sustained value and the generation of competitive advantage for Rio Tinto Group globally. Reporting to the Principal Advisor Corporate Services, Global Procurement, and working in a collaborative team, you will:

• Develop and lead the implementation of a comprehensive global category management strategy and the development of agreements that deliver commercial and operational excellence to Rio Tinto’s global operations;
• Build relationships and collaborate with key internal stakeholders based at Rio Tinto sites or Rio Tinto Corporate offices globally which enable the delivery of key strategic initiatives;
• Research and update knowledge of relevant category (including spend analysis and market analysis) and subcategories to identify opportunities for improvement based on industry and market research, organisational priorities, supply chain risk and commercial opportunities;
• Work closely with sourcing specialists, legal, finance, business partners and other relevant SMEs to deliver an efficient end to end source to contract experience for all stakeholders;
• Develop and execute negotiation strategies and communication plans for supplier negotiations and meetings;
• Execute a robust supplier relationship management structure to strengthen partnership and value creation for both Rio Tinto and our supply partners;
• Develop, implement and present category strategies to Senior Procurement leaders for endorsement;
• Ensure sound category management processes are followed, project implementation methodologies are deployed and implementation is completed in accordance with Procurement’s processes, documentation and governance requirements. This will include processes such as negotiation, risk mitigation, change management and innovation.
• Conduct and implement contract management (e.g. contract execution, implementation, supplier reviews) for contracts or arising from initiatives previously executed.

Since this is a global role, be able to participate at times in the early morning / late evening meetings with the key stakeholders and suppliers.

What You'll Bring

• Commitment to the safety of yourself and your work combined with a passion for both procurement and people.
• Strong knowledge of procurement practices and responsibilities.
• A track record of stakeholder and supplier influencing.
• Sound negotiation skills and demonstrated experience leading contract negotiations.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated capabilities for gathering and analysing market and spend data effectively with a demonstrated track record in developing and implementing category strategies and associated initiatives annual plan.
• Collaborative mindset with excellent written and verbal communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated success in category management and/or strategic sourcing roles, preferably (but not essential) in managing indirect spend categories.
• Understanding of end to end procurement processes including category led buying channels
• The ability to work both independently and productively as well as contribute to a strong team environment.
• Prior experience in corporate services/indirect categories will be beneficial but is not essential.

What we offer

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• 18 weeks of gender-neutral and equal paid parental leave, with continued superannuation contributions whilst employees are on unpaid or half paid parental leave
• 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 (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)

Where you’ll be working

Rio Tinto Global Procurement ensures resilient supply chains that deliver value to the Rio Tinto Group through the strategic sourcing and buying of goods and services for our operations. Playing a fundamental role, value is achieved through effective supplier partnerships, innovation, easy and standardised processes, e-technology, corporate social responsibility and increased commercial advantage.

Application Deadline: 13th March 2026 COD

(Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)

Please note, in order to be successfully considered for this role you must complete all pre-screening questions.

Rio Tinto does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles from recruiters or employment agencies. Rio Tinto will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee relating to unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles. Rio Tinto reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Rio Tinto.

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 LGBTI+ 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.

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