Tailings Dam Engineer

About BHP

At BHP we support our people to grow, learn, develop their skills and reach their potential. With a global portfolio of operations, we offer a diverse and inclusive environment with extraordinary career opportunities. Our strategy is to focus on creating a safe work environment where our employees feel strongly connected to our values and objectives, and where the capability of our people is key to our success.

Come and be a part of this success.

About the Role

Olympic Dam is one of Australia’s most significant and complex mining and minerals processing operations, producing copper, uranium, gold and silver through an integrated operation from ore to metal. 

We are seeking a Tailings Engineer to join the Olympic Dam Mine Dams team. Reporting to the Superintendent Dams, you will play a key role in protecting the integrity of Olympic Dam’s tailings and water storage assets, combining field leadership, operational support, data interpretation, risk management and collaboration with leading internal and external dam professionals.

This is a hands-on operational engineering role where you will help oversee the integrity, safety, performance and governance of Olympic Dam’s tailings storage facilities and evaporation ponds. You will work closely with Operations, Projects, Directional Studies, Environment, Risk, Corporate Tailings and Dams teams, the Engineer of Record, the Independent Tailings Review Board and the Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer.

This role offers rare exposure to complex operational tailings infrastructure, dam safety governance, water management, wall raise planning, critical stability programs and long-term asset stewardship. It is an opportunity to build specialist capability in one of the most important and evolving disciplines in mining.

You will also have the opportunity to further develop as a dam and tailings professional through Future Tails, an industry-leading global tailings management program developed through a partnership between The University of Western Australia, Rio Tinto and BHP. Future Tails supports training, research, technical references and capability development aligned to the global goal of zero catastrophic tailings failures.

The role can be offered as either FIFO ex-Adelaide on a 5/2 4/3 day only roster or residential in Roxby Downs on a 5:2 roster - flexibility to this will also be made available**.**

In this role you will:

You will support the safe, reliable and responsible management of Olympic Dam’s tailings and water storage assets by combining practical field engagement, technical interpretation, risk management and cross-functional collaboration.

• Support the safe operation, surveillance and governance of Olympic Dam’s tailings storage facilities and evaporation ponds.
• Respond to dam integrity issues and work with Operations to plan and implement practical remedial actions.
• Interpret monitoring, inspection and operational data to support safe dam performance and informed decision-making.
• Own, verify and improve critical controls associated with dam safety and tailings management.
• Support wall raise planning, deposition planning, water balance strategy and critical stability programs of work.
• Work closely with the Engineer of Record, Independent Tailings Review Board, Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer and internal technical specialists.
• Manage consultants and contractors to deliver safe, practical and value-adding outcomes. Provide field leadership and support safe operational practices across dam infrastructure.
• Ensure statutory, governance and internal reporting requirements are completed to a high standard.
• Act as a key interface between Operations, Projects, Planning, Environment, Risk and Corporate Tailings teams.
• Share knowledge and contribute to a learning culture focused on safe, responsible and continuously improving tailings management.

About You

You will bring a practical engineering mindset, strong communication skills and a genuine interest in dam safety, tailings, water management and operational risk. 

You will ideally have:

• A bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical, Civil, or Environmental Engineering, or another relevant discipline.
• Experience or exposure in tailings, water dams, dam safety, water management, hydrology, geotechnical engineering, mining operations or civil infrastructure.
• Sound understanding of geotechnical, slope stability, water management or dam safety principles, with a willingness to continue developing specialist tailings capability.
• Experience with operational upstream-raised TSFs will be highly regarded.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to communicate clearly across operational, technical and leadership teams.
• A proactive approach to field leadership, problem solving, risk management and continuous improvement.
• Curiosity, accountability and a genuine desire to build a career in tailings and dam safety.
• We are open to candidates who may not meet every requirement but bring strong technical foundations, operational judgement and the motivation to develop as a tailings and dams professional.

Applications close 5pm Wednesday 29th July 2026.

About Our Process

At BHP, we are committed to employing individuals who align with the BHP Charter Values and meet the requirements of the role. As part of the recruitment process, there are a number of checks which may be conducted to demonstrate applicants suitability for a role including police / criminal background checks, medical, drug and alcohol testing, due diligence checks, right to work checks, and/or reference checks.

If you are already employed directly by BHP, please log in using your BHP email address or apply via our internal jobs portal.

Supporting a Diverse Workforce

The size, stability and magnitude of our business not only provides significant opportunity for professional development, but also attractive salary packages with performance-based bonuses and a best-in-class employee share program. We know there are many aspects of our employees' lives that are important, and work is only one of these, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, other extended leave entitlements and parent rooms. 

At BHP, we know that we are strengthened by diversity. We are an Equal Opportunity employer that is committed to making BHP a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and be at their best every day. We are focused on creating a workforce that’s more diverse and represents the communities where we work and live. providing a work environment in which everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. We are an Equal Opportunity employer and recognise that true diversity includes gender, age, race, disability status, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, education levels, and many more aspects of your identity.

BHP is committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all. If you have a disability, we know that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. If you would like to reach out to someone about your situation and our recruitment process, please email us at inclusion@bhp.com.