- Help shape the future of underground mining at Kennecott, contributing to a major investment that will define copper production for generations.
- Be part of Utah’s proud mining legacy, advancing the work that has powered communities for more than a century, delivered with modern, responsible practices.
- Join a highly skilled underground team delivering safe, disciplined operations, where experience, teamwork, and innovation come together underground.
About The Role
We’re looking for an
Engineer – Drill and Blast to join our Rio Tinto Kennecott team in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In this role, you’ll play a key part in how we plan, design, and execute safe and efficient mining operations. You’ll work closely with teams across geology, geotechnical, and operations to bring mine plans to life, connecting short and long-term planning to make sure we’re getting the most value from the orebody while managing risk.
This is a great opportunity to build your impact in a hands-on environment where your ideas, curiosity, and collaboration truly matter.
What You’ll Be Working On
You’ll focus primarily on drill and blast activities, supporting both planning and execution. In this role, you will
- Partner with the team to design and schedule drill and blast plans aligned with production goals
- Help implement and continuously improve QA/QC processes for drilling and blasting
- Develop daily and weekly plans that optimize blast performance
- Review mine plans and translate them into practical, safe drill and blast designs
- Use mine planning tools to create and refine efficient and integrated designs
- Track performance and support reconciliation to improve future plans
- Communicate plans clearly to partners across operations to ensure alignment
- Collaborate with teams like Geology, Geotech, and Execution to deliver safe outcomes
- Work with processing and support teams to understand constraints, costs, and performance drivers
Note This role includes some weekend coverage as part of supporting operations.
What You’ll Bring
We know great candidates don’t always check every box, so we encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match every qualification.
To be successful in this role, you’ll likely have
- A degree in Mining Engineering (or a related field)
- Experience in mine planning, drill and blast, or a similar technical role
- The ability to break down complex problems and communicate practical solutions
- A collaborative mindset and ability to work across teams
- Curiosity and a continuous improvement approach
It’s a bonus if you also have
- Experience in open pit mining environments
- Familiarity with tools like Minesight (Atlas, MSSO) or similar software
- Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or safety systems
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools
What We Offer
- Be recognized for your contributions, innovative thinking and dedication, and leave each day knowing you’ve helped the world progress.
- A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
- Competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with an annual incentive bonus
- Access to top-tier family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits
- Excellent retirement plan including up to 6% defined company contribution; Generous 401k matching program
- Attractive share ownership plan
- Comprehensive leave policies which cover all the moments that matter in life PTO (paid time off), paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave
- A generous parental leave policy, which ensures you’re able to spend quality time with your new family
- Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to Personify Health with incentives supporting your wellbeing
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential counselling or expert guidance for you and your family to help get through life’s challenges
Where you’ll 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, tellurium 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 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
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 http //www.ucis.gov/ for more information.
