Job Description

Principal Advisor, Regional Economic Development

• Be part of a group that is safety driven and values inclusion
• Access to industry-leading technical development programmes
• Work with exceptional team of technical experts
• Role based in Yellowknife, NT

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We are looking for a Principal Advisor, Regional Economic Development to ensure that there is effective engagement with key business stakeholders such that they are taken along the journey of closure at Diavik and ultimately become advocates for the mine. Ensuring a strong focus on Indigenous Northern businesses and economic development in closure initiatives will maintain relationships between Rio Tinto and stakeholders, leaving lasting positive reputational legacy.

You will be responsible for:

• Lead planning for economic opportunities related to closure \xe2\x80\x93 bridging the Commercial and CSP workstreams with Procurement and Northern and Indigenous businesses.
• Work with broader team to develop the Diavik Regional Economic Development Strategy.
• Implementation of identified socio-economic mitigation programs for Participation Agreement (PA) businesses through the Diavik Regional Economic Development Strategy.
• Create and implement Closure Procurement Strategy for closure execution; outlining how operational priority for PA and Northern Business will continue through closure.
• Develop a phasing/sequencing strategy that will guide implementation of prioritized opportunities.
• Working with the Procurement team, participate in strategic discussions for existing PA contracts or new contracts.
• Focus on current PA businesses to review overall spend patterns, performance, and potential for other business partnerships.
• Engagement with PA economic arms to strategize on economic diversification opportunities through closure (including support for high level asset disposal discussions).
• Identify socio-economic mitigations to reduce risks to PA and, when appropriate, Northern businesses.
• Oversight, effective control, and reporting on regional economic development programming results.
• Establish and manage relationships with key contacts and proactively ensure the positive impact of transition activities is maintained.
• Advise on guidelines and best practice to enable teams to maintain a positive working relationship with external stakeholders.
• Participate and/or support in the renewal of Participation Agreements for closure.
• Support in the establishment of the Government Relations Strategy.
• Identify appropriate regional and community-based partnership opportunities.
• Explore further niche opportunities for diversifying the regional economy for sustainable mitigation of both the current and future challenges of the NWT and to build resilience.

What you\xe2\x80\x99ll bring

• Bachelor\'s Degree in development studies, development economics, or related business, social or economic disciplines.
• Minimum of seven (7) years\xe2\x80\x99 experience in related role, ideally with experience in mining.
• Solid project management skills and experience. Project management certification would be an advantage.
• Understanding and appreciation of the Northern climate, including Indigenous governments, politics, and economics.
• Experience in managing contracts and contractor relationships.
• Experience in the design and implementation of economic development approaches such as value chain development, workforce development, entrepreneurship and enterprise developed and financial service delivery.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with government, private sector, and non-government organizations.
• Proven ability to negotiate, develop and successfully implement partnerships involving one or more agencies.
• Influencing skills across multiple disciplines in order to achieve desired outcomes.
• Effective communication skills, including verbal and written.
• Proficiency in use of the Microsoft Office suite of applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

Northern residency and experience working in a cross-cultural environment, coupled with knowledge of the unique challenges and opportunities presented to those living in the North, are assets. Hiring priority will be given to qualified applicants who are beneficiaries of the DDMI Participation Agreement Groups and to qualified applicants residing in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Territories. Members must clearly identify their status on the online job application and resume if they wish to receive priority consideration.

What we offer

Be recognized for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you\xe2\x80\x99ve helped the world progress.

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• Career development to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• A competitive compensation
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical programs, pension and savings plans
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Leave for all of life\xe2\x80\x99s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)

Where you\xe2\x80\x99ll be working

The Diavik Diamond Mine, in Canada\xe2\x80\x99s Northwest Territories, is located on a 20 square kilometer island, called East Island, in Lac de Gras, a lake located 300 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife. It is 100 kilometers north of the tree line and 210 km south of the Arctic Circle. Workers at the mine site commute to the island by plane.

Our diamonds from Diavik are stunning white gems, produced to the highest possible standards of safety and integrity. At Diavik, the safety of our people is our number one priority. We will never compromise this. Having all of the people who come to our mine site return home to their families and loved ones at the end of every roster or visit is our number one goal.

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 \xe2\x80\x93 striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can\xe2\x80\x99t do it on our own, so we\xe2\x80\x99re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win and meet opportunities

Working at Rio Tinto also means choosing to be part of a company designated as one of Canada\'s Top 100 Employers in 2023 for a 4th consecutive year. For more information, click here:

Every Voice Matters

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 \xe2\x80\x93 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.
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA2 community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.

At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA2 community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.

Rio Tinto