Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa. For more information, please visit www.riotinto.com.

Diavik Diamond Mines (DDMI) owns Rio Tinto's interest in and manages the unincorporated Diavik diamonds joint venture in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Mining takes place in the lake bed at Lac de Gras with water held back by a dike made of rock fill. With approximately 800 employees, Diavik is instrumental in making Canada the world's third largest diamond producer by value. Diavik has won awards for its sensitive management of environmental and community issues.

Reporting to the Superintendent, Underground Planning, the Senior Engineer, Underground Mine Planning will work on a 2 weeks in / 2 weeks out rotational basis at the Lac De Gras Mine Site. The incumbent will provide leadership and direction to others in the mine planning group and will be directly accountable for providing short range to long range mine plans that are accurate, practical, consistent with industry standards, and comply with recommended design guidelines and all applicable codes and regulations.

Key aspects of the role include, but are not limited to:

• Establishing, implementing, and maintaining a mine planning process that effectively links long range mine plans through to short range mine plans;
• Developing Life of Mine plans (LOM), Long Range plans (yearly - 5 year plan), and Medium Range plans (monthly - rolling 3 month), and Short range plans (weekly - rolling 2 week plan).
• Providing mine plans that are accurate, practical, consistent with industry standards, and complying with recommended design guidelines and all applicable codes and regulations;
• Producing, documenting and communicating realistic and workable mining schedules in a timely manner;
• Optimizing plans and schedules for underground mining and backfilling to maximize production;
• Presenting plans for management decision making in an error-free, well organized, concise, and complete manner, writing brief or comprehensive summaries as requested;
• Having direct involvement in establishing operating budgets, equipment requirements, and winter road planning;
• Assisting with yearly resource/reserves statements.
• Calculating mine cost estimates based on research, consultation, history, convention, calculation, or other logical derivation that are acceptable to management;
• Working closely with other engineers to ensure mine infrastructure is adequate to meet long range needs (i.e. ventilation, pumping, muck handling);
• Undertaking continuous improvement projects related to mining or maintenance activities as directed;
• Informing stakeholders upstream and downstream (e.g., Geology staff, Planning Engineers and Operations staff) of plans, recommendations, and requirements and ensuring related calculations are correct and the message is understood;
• Undertaking field visits, as required (at least once weekly), to assess current underground status and the accuracy of plans and adjusting plans accordingly to ensure they are realistic;
• Expanding and updating knowledge and skills through continuing professional development (self-directed or employer sponsored) that is consistent with the requirements of the Northwest Territories Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists (NAPEGG).

Above all, the successful candidate will be one whose #1 priority is safety in the workplace. The incumbent will hold a Bachelor's degree in geology, mining or geological engineering, along with seven or more years of experience in underground mining. The successful candidate will have to be eligible for membership in NAPEGG and have experience supervising professional and technical staff and contractors.

We offer an attractive remuneration package including a range of Rio Tinto benefits, as well as the sought after opportunity to develop and expand upon your knowledge and experience with a world leader in the industry.

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.

If this position interests you and you have the experience and qualifications we are looking for, please submit an on-line application no later than November 30, 2009.