Chief Counsel Sales & Marketing

• Significant leadership position based in Chicago or Singapore
• Exciting career opportunity supporting our dynamic business
• Strategic advisory and complex business engagements

The Opportunity

The Chief Counsel Sales & Marketing, Shipping & International Trade will lead an integrated team of global lawyers providing legal support to our Commercial organisation.

This role requires strong senior leadership experience and innovative solutions to the variable and complex stakeholder issues arising at all levels of the value chain. The role is required to use superior judgment, cultural sensitivity, and negotiation skills on the best process forward to achieve the desired outcome.

About the role

• Providing outstanding and impactful leadership to an international team of high calibre lawyers and global trade professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographies.
• Development of global sales & marketing strategy to best support the organisation in pursuit of the Best Operator objective.
• Structuring and advising on complex multi-stakeholder negotiations with internal and external parties relating to sale of our commodities in various global markets.
• Provide strategic legal support and oversee the legal team supporting our Marine & Logistics business.
• Providing sound advice on commodities-related disputes, including force majeure, sanctions, trade finance, and geopolitical risks affecting shipping and commodity transactions.
• Identify and mitigate sanctions- related and export control risks for the business
• Optimising and effectively managing the time and cost of internal and external legal resources.
• Effectively managing external counsel in disputes relating to commodities or shipping and other commercial disputes
• Being a proactive member of the cross-functional teams involved in structuring new transactions or partnerships with external stakeholders relating to new projects and spearheading creative solutions.
• Support digitalization, decarbonization and integrated trading initiatives related to commodities trading, working closely with teams across Rio Tinto’s business on the legal and commercial aspects of structuring commodity trading transactions to unlock value.
• Driving a culture of commercial entrepreneurialism whilst balancing risk for the business.
• Ensuring adherence to the highest standards of compliance in order to build and protect Rio Tinto’s reputation.
• Leading global legal initiatives to excel in contracting through a range of tools including digitalisation and automation.
• Providing strong support to senior leaders in the Commercial organisation and ensuring that the legal teams promote efficient ways of working to improve commercial outcomes.

What you’ll bring

You are a caring and empowering people leader with the ability to build strong and lasting relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels. A strong influencer who is able to use credibility and experience to leverage debates whilst aligning to organisational and ethical values. You are a leader who has strong experience in leading multinational teams and enjoys developing them.

To be successfully considered for this role, you will preferably have:

• At least 15 years PQE with In-house legal leadership at a senior level in a major multinational business.
• Proven leadership skill and ability to manage and develop remote international teams and to work collaboratively within a matrix organisation.
• Excellent international stakeholder management skills with a record in improving business outcomes.
• Strong experience operating within an international business, ideally with an appreciation of the key issues in the markets in which Rio Tinto operates and asolid understanding of the business environment and constraints with a good ability to think strategically.
• Good understanding of all aspects of trading, including structuring transactions, navigating regulatory landscapes.
• Good knowledge of sanctions programs imposed by various countries, including the US, EU, UK, and UN would be very helpful.
• Pragmatic attitude to the handling of risk, ability to prioritise and delegate effectively.
• Ability to anticipate issues, and be proactive and creative, focusing on improvements and solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, enjoy and is at ease interacting with people at all levels.

What we offer

Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.

• Work on high-profile, world-class mining projects with a global leader in the industry.
• Influence legal strategy at a senior level and help shape the company’s project development
• approach.
• Be part of a diverse, collaborative, and high-performing team in a dynamic global environment.
• Work on high-profile, world-class mining projects with a global leader in the industry.
• Influence legal strategy at a senior level and help shape the company’s project development approach.
• Be part of a diverse, collaborative, and high-performing team in a dynamic global environment
• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
• Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
• A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
• Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical programs, pension and savings plans
• Attractive share ownership plan
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
• Exclusive employee discounts

Applications close on Friday 9th May (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)

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.

Every Voice Matters

Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.

Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.

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