Process Engineer; Smelter

Process Engineer (Smelter)
Rio Tinto Kennecott | Salt Lake City, Utah Support safe, stable and efficient smelter operations through daily process monitoring, analysis and improvement

Build hands-on experience in process control, problem solving and improvement projects alongside experienced technical and operational teams

Grow your engineering career with a global mining and materials company based in Salt Lake City, Utah 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

We are looking for a Process Engineer to support safe, stable and efficient operations at the Rio Tinto Kennecott Smelter. In this role, you will monitor process performance, analyze operating data and identify practical opportunities to improve safety, control, reliability and production outcomes over time.

You will also contribute to less complex engineering assignments, including equipment and process design support, optimization of existing assets, preparation of technical specifications and structured problem solving. This is a great opportunity to deepen your process engineering capability while working closely with operations, maintenance, technical specialists and project teams in a large-scale processing environment.

Reporting to the Superintendent, Process Engineering within the Smelter team, you will:

What you’ll be doing

Track, interpret and communicate operational and process-control data, drawing conclusions and recommending actions based on your analysis.

Identify and resolve process issues within an assigned area using established engineering procedures, analytical methods and structured problem-solving techniques.

Manage the implementation of clearly defined improvement initiatives and smaller-scope projects, coordinating actions through completion.

Provide practical technical support to supervisors, technicians and production teams, contributing credible engineering input to daily activities and project work.

Support equipment and process design activities, asset optimization and preparation of technical scopes, specifications and engineering documentation.

Prepare clear, concise reports and technical documents that explain findings, actions, risks and recommendations.

Present proposed solutions, project updates and results to team members and operational stakeholders.

Provide technical oversight to employees and contractors when required, reinforcing safe execution and alignment with approved work scopes.

About youWe’re looking for someone whose experience aligns with the key requirements below. You do not need to meet every helpful-for-success item to apply. If you bring relevant experience and are excited by the opportunity, we encourage you to submit an application.

Required for successA commitment to the safety of yourself and your teamA bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, metallurgical engineering or a closely related engineering discipline

Engineering experience within a smelter, processing plant, manufacturing facility or another safety-critical industrial environment

Experience analyzing operational or process data and translating findings into practical recommendations

Ability to apply structured problem-solving methods and support defined engineering improvements or smaller-scope projects

Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical and operational stakeholders

Helpful for success

At least two years of relevant process engineering experience

Experience with daily process control, metallurgical processing, asset optimization or equipment and process design

Experience preparing technical specifications, reports,…