Chief Counsel, Innovation And Technology

Chief Counsel, Innovation and Technology - Brisbane, Australia - RioTinto
Chief Counsel, Innovation and Technology

• Exciting leadership opportunity to join a leading global company.
• Become part of a highly collaborative global team, committed to your growth and development.
• Permanent role, based in Montreal

About the role
Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.
As part of the broader Legal, Governance and Corporate Affairs function, we are looking for a Chief Counsel, Innovation and Technology to lead the global legal support for Innovation and Technology, which includes taking responsibility for providing legal support and advice for Intellectual Property, Innovation, Digital, Gen AI, Cyber and Data. The role will lead and be accountable for developing and maintaining a high performing team of lawyers and advisors to deliver on this scope across the Rio Tinto Group at a Corporate level as well as across each of our four Product Groups (PGs).
You will play an active role as a key member of the Innovation Advisory Committee responsible for accelerating our innovation portfolio. You will also be responsible for establishing and leading a global legal community of practice to share learnings and best practices in the areas of Digital, Gen AI and Data.
Being one of Rio Tinto's senior leaders means helping to run a company that drives human progress. You are writing the next chapter of our story. You lead some of the industry's best and brightest minds, working to solve the challenges of the 21st century where the scope of this role provides the platform to make a meaningful difference within Rio Tinto and beyond. We offer competitive, performance-focused remuneration and a wide range of benefits to reward your contribution. With a global reach, the opportunities to develop are broad and exciting.
Reporting to the General Counsel, Corporate, the Chief Counsel key responsibilities include:

• Building, developing and leading a global team of commercially centric lawyers and advisors in a fit-for-future and efficient support model which proactively anticipates future developments and the associated capabilities and skills needed
• Leading support across intellectual property within Rio Tinto and ensuring it has a best-in-class patent strategy, management and defence approach while embedding best in class operating practices which balance of internal and external support and identify areas that can be cost effectively offshored or outsourced.
• Working collaboratively with the PGs (and the legal teams across Rio Tinto) to support the protection, development and commercialization of industry changing technologies such as of Nuton within Copper and Elysis within Aluminium, which aim to address environmental stewardship and decarbonization through industry changing innovation of mining and processing methods
• Supporting the commercialization of Intellectual Property by advising on bespoke commercial agreements which balance intellectual property protection with achieving Rio Tinto's business objectives
• Working in collaboration with the Cyber Security, GenAI and Data Privacy AoEs to provide PG legal with the visibility and full understanding of risks.
• Leading the support on cyber and GenAI assessments, including advice on systems and processes and tools;
  legal advice on application and maintenance of data privacy;
  coordination with PG Legal and AoEs on issues raised in assessments.
• Establishing and leading a global legal Technology community of practice to share learnings and best practices in the areas of Digital, Gen AI and Data and future developments
• Understanding the current and anticipated regulatory landscapes across Innovation and Technology and advice internally on any required changes to business processes
• Reviewing and supporting any relevant papers for Exco, AuditCo or the Board or any relevant new or updated policies, standards, procedures and guidance documents, coordinating across the LG&
  CA function and other key stakeholders to take into account views
• Playing an active role in upskilling across Legal for Cyber and continuously ensure a state of readiness across Legal taking into account best practice in crisis management for Cyber
• Developing a high performing, diverse team and cultivating an environment of learning and continuous improvement.

What you'll bring

• A commitment to the safety and mental wellbeing of yourself and your team.
• A qualified Lawyer or Patent Agent with at least 10 years of exceptional experience in a major multinational business or international law firm
• Experience in leading and being accountable for delivering advice across the scope of the role and ideally additional degree or complimentary qualifications for the scope of the role
• Proven ability to supporting complex and novel commercial transactions and outcomes facilitating overall business objectives
• Accustomed to operating in dynamic, complex and innovative organization, ideally with an appreciation of the key issues in the markets in which Rio Tinto operates.
• Strong technical and analytical skills alongside a proven track record of formulating and offering creative, out-of-the box solutions to commercial problems.
• A pragmatic leadership approach which balances mitigating real risk with supporting the achievement of business opportunities
• Ability to influence credibly at senior management level, build relationships at executive level and contribute to debates outside of the legal remit.
• Experience in leading teams with a care based leadership approach and a passion for career development
• Ability to flex style to suit the audience &
  context, while demonstrating high level of integrity and a strong commitment to organisational and ethical values.

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 permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
• Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Company provided insurance cover
• Extensive salary sacrifice &
  salary packaging options
• Career development &
  education assistance tofurther your technical or leadership ambitions
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
• Leave for all of life's reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
• Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
• Possible domestic relocation assistance

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 and meet opportunities.
Every Voice Matters
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQ+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.
Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
Rio Tinto participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit for more information.
Applications close on 13 May 2024 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)
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