Graduate Program 2027 – Chemist – Gladstone, QLD

Graduate Program 2027 – Chemist – Gladstone, QLD

Ready to drive meaningful change? We’re on the lookout for passionate individuals who are eager to join our team and help us tackle the challenges shaping our future. At Rio Tinto, we believe innovation thrives when diverse minds collaborate toward a common purpose – creating a better tomorrow. Let’s shape the future together.

Finding better ways™ to move our people forward.

Start your career as a Graduate Chemist in Gladstone, the Boyne Smelter, one of Rio Tinto’s two major industrial operations in Gladstone. We’re looking for graduates with a minimum of a bachelors degree in Chemistry or Science (majoring in Chemistry) or a related degreewho want early exposure to complex, large‑scale processing environments. In this role, you’ll learn how a refinery or smelter operates day to day, work alongside experienced professionals, and contribute to improving processes that run around the clock. Outside of work, Gladstone offers coastal living, a strong local community, and the balance of a regional lifestyle combined with world‑class operations. This is an opportunity to build strong technical foundations and momentum at the very start of your career.

About the program

Our Graduate Program offers you the chance to help shape Rio Tinto from within. The Graduate Program extends over two years, focusing on developing both foundational and future-focused skills.

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

• A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto

• 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)

• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)

• Domestic relocation assistance

Where you will be working

Boyne Smelters Limited is Australia’s second largest aluminium smelter with a 1,000-person strong workforce. Located approximately 20km south east of Gladstone at Boyne Island on the Central Queensland coast, BSL produces around 500,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum. Activities at BSL include manufacturing carbon anodes in the carbon plant, aluminium production (smelting) in reduction lines, and casting of molten material into aluminium products ready to ship. The smelter is connected via a conveyor belt to the Queensland Alumina Limited refinery for the supply of alumina. BSL is committed to protecting the environment and ensuring safe work practices where people feel safe at work and care for each other.

Eligibility

• Graduate Program – final year of study/have recently graduated with less than 2 years of relevant work experience

• Have the right to work in Australia or New Zealand (citizens, permanent residents, student or postgraduate work visa holders)

• A current "C Class" Manual Driver’s License at the time of your Graduate Program commencement

Next steps

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.

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

Applications close 17 April 2026

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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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