Advisor, External Affairs

Advisor, External Affairs

• Key role that supports Rio Tinto’s engagement with EU institutions, European governments and industry associations
• Be part of the Global Rio Tinto External Affairs Team
• Full-time permanent position based in Brussels, Belgium

About the role

Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We are looking for an Advisor to help coordinate and manage Rio Tinto’s relationships with EU institutions, European governments and European industry associations.

Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, Governance and Corporate Affairs, the External Affairs (EA) team has accountability for engaging external stakeholders to positively shape Rio Tinto’s policy and regulatory environment, enhance our competitive position and build trusted partnerships in our priority markets around the world.

Reporting to the Principal Advisor for EU External Affairs, you will be responsible for:

• Monitoring and briefing on political and regulatory developments: Tracking EU and European Member State (e.g France and Germany) legislative and policy developments which have the potential to impact Rio Tinto.
• EU Policy advocacy: Supporting Rio Tinto’s ongoing dialogue with EU institutions, embassies, key industry associations and other EU policy influencers.
• European engagement: Supporting our outreach and engagement in key European countries, such as France, Germany and the Balkans region.
• Rio-Tinto senior leader engagement: Supporting visits and engagement in Europe by senior Rio Tinto leaders, including preparing written briefings, presentations, minutes and other materials for these engagements as required.

About you

We are looking for someone with:

• A Bachelor’s Degree - preferably in an associated subject such as politics, economics, international or European affairs.
• A minimum of 5 years minimum of previous work experience in a government relations or public affairs role in a business or industry body; or in a relevant role within an EU institution or government
• A high level of understanding of the EU political and business landscape, with in-depth knowledge of EU institutions
• Strong analytical and written drafting skills
• Ability to be a self-starter and work independently
• Strong spoken and written communication skills in English. Fluency in German or French is also desirable.

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 competitive salary package with annual cash incentive awards for eligible employees
• Career development & education assistance to further your ambitions
• Access top tier family-friendly health and medical programs and pension plan
• Wellbeing benefits
• Generous Rio Tinto employee share program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Ongoing individual wellbeing support for you and your family for personal and professional matter
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)

Where you will be working

External Affairs seeks to embody our company values: Care, Courage and Curiosity. These values underpin the way we manage the economic, social and environmental effects of our operations, and how we govern our business.

With teams and country offices located in the US, Canada, Europe, South Africa and the UK, the EA function has responsibility for delivering commercially-focussed advocacy with stakeholders including governments, regulators, think tanks, civil society and industry associations. Working in collaboration with the Communications and Communities and Social Performance (CSP) teams, External Affairs seeks to drive Rio Tinto’s global reputation and build trusted partnerships that support our communities, our shareholders and drive shared value.

About us

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 almost 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 and meet opportunities.

Every Voice Matters

At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA+ 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.