Graduate Program - Gladstone, Qld (Jan 2026)

Ready to drive meaningful change? We’re looking for passionate individuals 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 sustainable and better tomorrow. Let’s shape the future, together.  

Finding better ways™ to provide the materials the world needs. 

We’re inviting recent graduates and students looking at Graduate and/or Intern roles in the following disciplines. 

• Engineering – Electrical 
• Engineering – Mechanical 
• Engineering – Process / Chemical / Metallurgy  
• Sciences – Health & Safety, Environment 
• Humanities – Learning & Development 
• Data Science 

About the programs  

Our Graduate and Intern Programs offer 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, leading to permanent positions in the organisation. The 12-week Summer Internship Program provides hands-on experience, with the potential to secure a graduate position upon completion. 

What we offer 

Be recognised for your contribution, thinking, and hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.  

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority 
• 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 members 
• 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 everything life throws at us (annual leave, paid parental leave, sick leave, carer’s leave) 
• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)  
• Relocation assistance, as required 

 Eligibility    

• Graduate Program – final year of study/have recently graduated with less than 2 years of relevant work experience 
• Intern Program – penultimate year or students in 2nd or 3rd year 
• Have the right to work in Australia or New Zealand (citizens, permanent residents, student or postgraduate work visa holders)   
• Must be available to work Residential or locally in Gladstone, Qld 

 Where you’ll be working 

In Gladstone, you could have the opportunity to work at the following operations; 

Boyne Smelters Limited 

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. 

Yarwun 

Located in Central Queensland, approximately 10km north-west of Gladstone, Yarwun alumina refinery commenced operations in 2004. Processing bauxite from our mines in Weipa and Gove, Yarwun produces more than three million tonnes of smelter grade alumina annually.  

 As one of the largest industries in the Gladstone region, Yarwun employs over 700 people and has a large contractor workforce.  

 With a focus on safely improving our process every day, the team at Yarwun challenge themselves to use existing and emerging technology to support our 24 hour operation.  

Yarwun is a proud member of the Gladstone community, and along with Boyne Smelters Limited and Queensland Alumina Limited, support community investments that improve the liveability of the Gladstone region through the Here for Gladstone community fund 

 Next steps    

There’s no better time to drive change than with the leaders of tomorrow, and it all begins with a Graduate or Intern role at Rio Tinto. Apply today.  

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

Applications close 7 April 2025 

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.

Every Voice Matters

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.