Quality Engineer

About Rio Tinto: Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, 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 and meet opportunities.

About Rio Tinto Lithium: On 5 March 2025, Rio Tinto completed the acquisition of Arcadium Lithium and combined it with its Rincon asset to form Rio Tinto Lithium, establishing Rio Tinto as a global leader in the supply of energy transition materials and one of the world's top lithium producers.

Position Summary: The Quality Engineer will have primary responsibility to support the conformity of the Lithium Hydroxide Process, support functions to the Automotive Quality Standard, IATF 16949:2016 and other process areas such as Metals and Specialty Organics. The ideal candidate will work with cross-functional teams, such as Manufacturing, R&D, Quality and Commercial, to ensure alignment with the Bessemer City site Quality Program and defined Quality Objectives. The Quality Engineer will focus on conformity of the Lithium Hydroxide Unit and support functions with IATF 16949:2016, analysis of statistical process control for quality metrics, and quality improvement initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops/uses key process indicators and statistical methods to determine process effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, best practices, and lead teams in driving continuous quality improvement.
• Leads/drives/supports corrective and preventive actions, and effectiveness verification activities for product quality issues and customer complaints.
• Ensures that quality reporting and records related to incoming and in-process quality trends, returns analysis, complaint investigation, corrective action activity, are clearly documented and maintained.
• May conduct internal audits and other quality system functions as assigned.
• Establish and participate in supplier qualification/development activities.
• Understands and applies statistical concepts including, but not limited to:
  • Utilization of hypothesis testing, capability analysis, and other methods based on use of normal and non-normal data distributions where appropriate.
• Control charting methodologies for various types of data, manufacturing processes, and desired controls.
  • Confidence intervals and their relation to sampling and appropriate application for given risk levels.
• Works closely with Lithium Hydroxide production line to ensure all necessary controls are enforced to be compliant with IATF 16949:2016.
• Ensure that all company safety rules and regulations are followed and promote general plant safety.
  • Other job duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Education and Experience:

• B.S. degree required (Chemical Engineering preferred)
• 3 - 5+ years' experience in a manufacturing environment with strong experience in product quality; chemical manufacturing experience a plus.
• Knowledge of the Automotive Quality Standard IATF or earlier versions) preferred.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

• Knowledge of ISO 9001:2015.
• Experienced professional with developing knowledge of the technical field and working knowledge of business processes, technologies and applications.
• Able to independently select, evaluate and apply techniques, processes and criteria to complete standard assignments.
• Competency at the customer interface level commensurate with starting level.
• Strong safety orientation in OSHA.
• Knowledge of statistical tools such as Minitab or equivalent.
• The ability to effectively present at both informal and formal training settings.
• Ability to lead project teams.
• Data based, and results driven with strong action orientation combined with practiced risk management abilities.
• Strategic agility with foresight and the ability to create alternate plans.

Safety Requirements: (position and location specific) All employees are expected to carry out their work functions in a healthy and safe manner, to encourage and support safe work practices at all times, and to report and/or rectify any unsafe conditions that may come to their attention immediately.

Physical Demands: (position and location specific) The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; climb or balance and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and color vision.

Work Environment: (position and location specific) The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is frequently exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Personal Protective Equipment – (position specific) Must wear PPE as required based on job duties or when traveling to locations where PPE is essential.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

RIO TINTO LITHIUM employs people across a broad range of occupations in locations across the world. We are looking for people to join us in creating, developing, and improving our products, our processes, and our markets. Employees enjoy competitive compensation, a menu of work/life benefits and opportunities to continue developing their skills and building their career.

RIO TINTO LITHIUM is an Equal Opportunity Employer, EEO, AAE, MFDV and supports a drug free workplace.