Laboratory Operator

• Be part of a team that is safety driven and values inclusion

• Permanent employment, competitive salary which includes a range of company benefits

• 8 days on, 6 days off, 7 nights on, 7 days off FIFO from Perth or Busselton – Hope Downs 4

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.

About the role

As a Laboratory Operator, you will be responsible for collecting and preparing samples to a high standard, ensuring they are representative and meet tonnage grade, safety, environmental, and statutory requirements. You will also perform quality control and quality assurance tasks to maintain analytical accuracy.

Experience with the following may include:

Operating and maintaining laboratory equipment, including XRF Axios & Zetium, LECO TGA, Ox fusion, Ant fluxing, RSD & sample drives, Haver shakers, ABM mills, and automated crushers.

Conducting crushing and milling of process plant and pit samples, ensuring correct sample preparation procedures are followed.

Performing equipment checks, calibrations, and troubleshooting to identify and repair mechanical and electrical issues with laboratory instrumentation.

Utilizing laboratory software such as Starlims, Prepmaster robotic program, Super Q Program for XRFs, and MGS for data management and process automation.

Contributing to a strong safety culture, adhering to all safety and environmental regulations.

About you

• A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team

• An Australian C Class manual drivers’ licence or higher

• Ideally have experience working in a mining laboratory environment

• Strong communication skills

• Ability to work safely and cooperatively in a team, demonstrating flexibility to business requirements

• You must currently be residing in WA

• Permanent Australian residency with full unrestricted working rights and without the need for sponsorship

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

• Fly direct to Hope Downs 4 from Perth or Busselton on a lifestyle friendly 8 days on 6 days off, 7 nights on 7 days off roster

• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive bonus

• 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, cultural leave)

• To better suit different family needs, our paid parental leave approach gives all parents the option to take 18 weeks of paid leave after a new child arrives – at a time that suits them

• Exclusive employee discounts including hotel stays, banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more.

Where you’ll be working

Located 50km north-west of Newman, Hope Downs 4 is a joint venture managed and operated by Rio Tinto, working in conjunction with nearby site Hope Downs 1. Hope Downs 4 provides excellent career growth and opportunities, and the village provides excellent facilities for its fly-in fly-out workers.

Apply now to become a valuable member of our team!

Applications for this role will close on 24/04/2026, however we do reserve the right to close the role earlier.

#gts

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.