Job Description
Intern Program 2026/2027 – Mechanical Engineer – Tiwai Point, New Zealand
Ready to drive meaningful change? We’re on the lookout for passionate individuals who are eager 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 better tomorrow. Let’s shape the future together.
Finding better ways™ to move our people forward.
Start your career as an Intern Mechanical Engineer at the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point, based close to Invercargill, where largescale operations, safety and teamwork come together every day. We’re looking for penultimate year or 2nd or 3rd year students studying a minimum bachelors degree in Engineering or Mechanical Engineering who want hands-on exposure early and who take safety seriously. In this role, you’ll work alongside experienced engineers, gain insight into how equipment, systems and processes interact, and contribute to improving how the operation runs safely and reliably. Based in Invercargill, this is an opportunity to build strong technical foundations, grow confidence, and create momentum at the very start of your career.
About the program
Our Intern Program offers you the chance to help shape Rio Tinto from within. 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, 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 base salary reflective of your skills and experience
Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual and sick leave)
Exclusive employee discounts
Where you will be working
New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) converts alumina into aluminium using renewable hydroelectricity, resulting in one of the lowest carbon footprints for an aluminium smelter in the world. The smelter is located on Tiwai Peninsula in Southland and the majority of the plant's alumina is supplied from our Yarwun and Queensland Alumina Limited refineries. Around 90% of the aluminium produced at NZAS is
exported. NZAS is a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto (79.36%) and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical Company (20.64%).
Eligibility
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)
Next steps
We’re Finding Better Ways™ to provide materials the world needs, now and in the future. Our values – care, courage and curiosity – guide how we work and how we treat each other.
Please note, to be considered for this role, you must complete all pre-screening questions.
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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.
Respect and Inclusion
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, ****** orientation or anything else that makes us different.
