Graduate Recruitment Programme
NEW ZEALAND ALUMINIUM SMELTERS LIMITED | Graduate Recruitment Programme
If you’re looking to join a company that will allow you to develop, grow and reach your full potential – anywhere in the world – then a career with New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS) is where you should start. When you are accepted into our Graduate Recruitment programme, you immediately become part of the global Rio Tinto group where opportunities for career advancement abound.
About NZAS
As a graduate, you are regarded as a very important part of the business at NZAS. We are committed to helping you develop your leadership and technical skills. With around 750 employees and a further 150 contractors on site, you’ll become part of a team that is recognised as a global leader in its field.
The company, which produces the highest purity aluminium in the world, is a joint venture operation owned by Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand (79.36 per cent) and Sumitomo Chemical Company of Japan (20.64 per cent). Each year NZAS produces around 360,000 tonnes of aluminium, 90 per cent of which is exported, with our largest market being Japan.
NZAS is New Zealand’s only aluminium smelter, located on Tiwai Peninsula, across the harbour from the port of Bluff and 26 km from Invercargill, the gateway to Southland and Fiordland.
To help you get a feel for the opportunities a career with NZAS/Rio Tinto can offer you, we’ve got the inside story from some of our successful graduates. Here’s what they have to say:
He says shifting from the North Island to the deep south has been easier than he thought given its proximity to what he describes as “some of the best places in the country”, including tramping, hunting, skiing and vineyards.
THOMAS TROTT – Process Control Engineer
And working for a global company means Thomas has career options. ”This is the benefit of working for NZAS/Rio Tinto, I can look for jobs in most places around the world. I might spend some time in one of the Australian smelters in the future.”
Thomas Trott is thriving in a working environment that offers him the chance to develop his leadership and technical skills in tandem. “NZAS is one of the few heavy industries left in NZ and Rio Tinto is a global company with a strong reputation for looking after its employees.” Raised in Whakatane, Thomas studied Chemical and Process Engineering at Canterbury University and was keen for a career with a company that would foster his personal and professional development. “I was interested in maths and science and wanted a job that was going to be more exciting than your average desk job, one that allowed you to get out and about and also one that would have opportunities around the world!” Since beginning work at NZAS in February 2008, Thomas has worked as a Process Engineer on Line 3 before becoming Process Control Engineer on Line 4. “The company has put me through Six Sigma Green Belt training and I have also been assigned a mentor who has passed on a lot of technical knowledge. Being a larger company there is always someone nearby who can help you out.”
STEW HAMILTON – Carbon Manager With more than twelve years experience working within NZAS and Rio Tinto, Stew Hamilton considers choosing a career within these companies should be a no-brainer for graduates. Firstly, there’s the interest and excitement of being involved in large scale projects coupled with strong personal and professional development opportunities, complemented by very good support systems and coaching. “It’s a world class operation that enables skills to be developed at the envy of many other businesses. Then there are the opportunities to go around the world within Rio Tinto – you can transfer skills and experience easily, due to commonality across the group.”
Having studied at both Auckland and Melbourne Universities, Stew studied Chemical and Materials Engineering (BE) before going on to complete a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Masters in Engineering Studies. And he has found no shortage of opportunities within the group to apply his skills and knowledge. He started at NZAS in 1998 following a two year stint in Melbourne with Rio Tinto Alcan (Comalco) Research Centre. Since then Stew has enjoyed a variety of roles that have allowed him to showcase his talent including: • Process Control Engineer • Specialist Project Engineer • Specialist Business Improvement (Six Sigma) • Reduction Line Superintendent • Manager Business Improvement • Manager Health Safety Environment • Manager Carbon He also worked as Manager Business Analysis for two years in Brisbane and as a Research Engineer in Melbourne. Stew says he’s enjoyed the variety those roles have provided and the development and training the company offers. “The opportunities, responsibility and recognition I have received are second to none and being able to stay at the one site - and yet develop a career through multiple roles and areas – makes life so much easier.” And he has words of advice for graduates unsure about moving south. “The biggest challenge I’ve had since arriving here is dealing with the perception others from outside the region have about Invercargill. It’s an easy city to get around, it’s safe, the people are friendly and there are great sporting and outdoor activities to be enjoyed throughout Southland, Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District.”
DONNA CARTER – Safety Advisor When psychology graduate Donna Carter reports for work, she knows one thing is for certain - no day is ever the same. The Invercargill local joined the Safety and Loss Prevention team in September 2010. Always fascinated by why people do things, how the brain works and reacts, Donna went to Otago University where she completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology before completing a Master of Science with a thesis in Neuropsychology. As a Safety Advisor at NZAS she spends a lot of time with the operational employees, developing safety improvements that are beneficial and sustainable. ”I enjoy that every day is different and I can make my own work.” Donna likes the challenge of convincing some employees about the benefits of having a psychologist on the safety team and is excited that so early in her career with NZAS and Rio Tinto, she’s already been given the go-ahead to start her own projects. And her future aspirations are with the company too. “I would like to continue in a safety related role but move up to a more senior level within Rio Tinto.”
Donna says NZAS is the perfect fit for a whole host of graduates. “The areas of expertise needed include engineers, environmental science, chemistry, psychology and more. They need to be hard working, social and keen to learn.” She believes both NZAS and Rio Tinto are very good employers and really push employees to achieve their personal career goals. “You get great opportunities with a global company, good remuneration and you’re treated fairly. I am also interested in travelling and living in other countries and Rio Tinto can provide me with that opportunity and still give me job security.”
Matthew joined NZAS in February 2011 as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer. It’s a job that allows him to apply the skills he learnt studying at Canterbury University. And even though he’s only been with the company a short time, he’s already enjoying the benefits of working there. “The site induction has proved very valuable. I’ve completed one month of shift work doing two shifts in each key department. This has allowed me to learn the process of aluminium smelting. And I’ve also been signed up to attend a three day leadership course at Telford.” Having grown up in Palmerston North, Matthew says the transition to Invercargill was made easy with accommodation and moving costs covered by the company. He’s got Stewart Island, the Catlins, Fiordland and Queenstown all on his doorstep, new friends and a secure future. “I see myself learning an array of new skills and gaining experience as I progress from being a graduate to a fully fledged engineer.”
Now in her second year with the company, Rebekah’s already achieving that. She’s part of the Plant Services team and is working to reduce site emissions. She also keeps those who need to know up to date with the ongoing status of the fume scrubbing and bath recycle plants. “I enjoy how work varies from day to day and that both technical and people skills are needed.” She also enjoys the positive work environment at NZAS where, due to the nature of the smelting process, there’s a lot of manual work compared to traditional chemical facilities. “This means that a team atmosphere is necessary and that solutions need to address all aspects of a situation – including the qualitative ones. Process and development support is provided by Rio Tinto as needed. Both NZAS and Rio Tinto focus a lot of resources on minimising harm to people, communities and the environment. “ During her first year with NZAS Rebekah attended technical training courses run by NZAS and Rio Tinto and she receives technical support as needed from other engineers on site and in Australia. Rebekah has also had the opportunity to develop her leadership skills during an off site training week relating to leading teams. “My plan this year is focused on improving these skills.”
MATTHEW HOLLAND – Graduate Mechanical Engineer If you have an ambition to become a leader or technical specialist, graduate Matthew Holland believes NZAS is the perfect place to start, with frequent opportunities to develop your own career pathway. “Keen graduates with good interpersonal skills will fit in well at NZAS/Rio Tinto. It’s a large, well known and respected international company which has overseas interactions with suppliers and customers. It presents a great opportunity to graduates who want to travel because it’s possible to transfer to other international Rio Tinto sites.”
and would allow her to make a positive contribution to society.
REBEKAH KIM – Process Engineer
Rebekah enjoys development work and seeing how each piece of work ties into the overall site strategy. “I’d like to get into strategic analysis and business planning at a corporate level, directing company efforts to where they would best be focused for maximum stakeholder value.”
When NZAS Process Engineer Rebekah Kim took up studying Chemical and Materials Engineering at Auckland University, she had a career in mind that was challenging
She believes NZAS/Rio Tinto is a great career choice for graduates. “It offers good people, challenging work and plenty of opportunities.”
SAM McCREADY – Crew Leader Having recently returned from a technology and innovation conference in Melbourne, Sam McCready knows two things - NZAS/Rio Tinto is an exciting company to work for and the opportunities within the group for graduates are limitless in the foreseeable future. “The opportunities for development at NZAS and Rio Tinto are huge and at no point are you limited to one role or department. It is possible to pursue the technical and/or leadership route.” Sam started at NZAS in February 2010, having graduated from Canterbury University with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Chemical and Process Engineering. Initially he was interested in chemistry but as he made his way through the degree, Sam realised the problem solving aspect was where he wanted to go. He started as a Vertical Direct Chill (VDC) Process Engineer but is now a Crew Leader. “Process Engineering was doing day to day improvement projects and also being a technical resource to the teams on shift. Being Crew Leader is giving me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills in a real environment. Experiencing the daily interaction with a team and understanding the needs of the business is invaluable.”
With an eye on the future Sam is looking forward to continuing to develop his technical and leadership skills and applying them to business improvement. “I want to pursue the leadership avenue and hope to move up to a management position either here at NZAS or abroad, depending on the quality of the opportunity.” And he says NZAS/Rio Tinto is not just for high achieving graduates. “Graduates that really fit in here seem to have a good rapport with their technical and operations colleagues. They are down to earth people with a technical grounding, not necessarily the ‘top of the class’ students.”
The Auckland University graduate completed a Bachelor of Engineering – Chemical and Materials in 2003 and was keen to work for the company. “I had enjoyed my time as a vacation student and was impressed with the care taken with safety systems on site, especially given the nature of the industry. I was also impressed with the scale of the operation and the genuine nature of the people.” The roles he has enjoyed include: • Research Engineer • Development Engineer • Technical Specialist • Strategic Specialist
BLAINE MORCH – Superintendent After almost a decade working for Rio Tinto, Reduction Strategy and Support Superintendent Blaine Morch has already tasted the travel and career opportunities it offers. Since starting with the company as a vacation student in 2001/2002, Blaine has worked in Melbourne, Tasmania and since 2007 at NZAS. Within that time he’s held a variety of positions which have increased his personal and professional skills. “I started very much in research and development type
He also enjoys the great workplace environment and culture, friendly people, and successful and highly rated team at NZAS. Among the roles Stu has held are: • VDC Process Control Engineer • Business Improvement Specialist – Lean Coach • Ingot Superintendent
roles developing new technologies. I liked applying fundamentals/first principles-type knowledge. Specialist roles at NZAS have been a very interesting mix of technical, leadership (through influencing rather than direct line leadership) and commercial.”
Blaine says the high focus on safety and other values as a company makes it easy to hold strong morals/ethics and work for NZAS/Rio Tinto. “It’s a very systematic company. There are a lot of systems setting the standard for how things should be done, but there’s also a lot of scope within those systems to choose the exact way to go about something.” And he is clear about why graduates should consider NZAS/Rio Tinto as a career choice. “If they want to work for a successful company that allows for a huge range of opportunities and professional development, a company that puts safety at the forefront of the way everyone operates, and if they want to work in one of New Zealand’s largest process plants and be directly involved with the success of the plant, it’s the perfect place.”
STU MURRAY – Superintendent For Melbourne-born Metal Products Maintenance Superintendent Stu Murray, the move from a big Australian city to Invercargill and NZAS wasn’t easy but he has no regrets. “Initially I did miss friends and family after moving here from Melbourne. I believe that the key is to focus on what we do have here rather than see the things that we don’t.” The “haves” include friendly people, low cost of living, relaxed lifestyle and access to all the key facilities. “And it’s near enough to Queenstown, Fiordland and Dunedin if you feel like you need to get away for a weekend.” Stu joined NZAS/Rio Tinto in 2006 having studied Materials Engineering at Monash University. He recognised the opportunity to work for a large multi-national company and the potential for exposure to a range of work options and experiences. “Given the current strength of the resources sector I felt that this would be a stable, interesting and rewarding field to work in.”
“My current role involved me stepping out of my comfort zone to provide leadership to a team of tradesmen in a field where I am not a technical expert. At the time I took it on, my team was also undergoing a period of immense change to organisational structure and personnel.” But working for a supportive, progressive company meant he had the skills to cope. “Early on I was exposed to a range of training courses particularly related to the casting process. This helped to make practical links with the theoretical knowledge that I had gained from university. I’ve also enjoyed a range of leadership development courses during my time with Rio Tinto, Working Together (stratified systems theory), Frontline Leadership Development programme (delivers a diploma qualification) and more recently the Developing Future Leaders programme.”
A General Manager’s Story He grew up in Cornwall, United Kingdom, and graduated from the University of Birmingham with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and PhD in Chemical Engineering with Minerals Engineering. Now he’s the General Manager at NZAS. Ryan Cavanagh shares his NZAS/Rio Tinto story:
“I wanted to join a company with options to travel and see the world - at the company’s expense of course! Rio Tinto is one of the largest and most respected mining companies, so when they advertised in the United Kingdom for their international graduate recruitment programme I applied. Luckily I was successful.” He began working for the company in Zimbabwe but due to the difficult economic conditions, started looking for alternative roles within the Rio Tinto Group. “I sent my CV randomly to the Managing Director of what was Comalco at the time and it somehow found its way to NZAS. A role came up in Carbon Bake as Process Control Engineer; I was interviewed and joined NZAS in March 2001.”
From that moment, Ryan moved swiftly up the company ranks holding several key roles at NZAS including: • Carbon Technical Specialist • Green Carbon Superintendent • Carbon Bake Superintendent • Carbon Manager At the end of 2006 he transferred to Rio Tinto HQ in London and during his three years there held the following roles: • Mining Executive for the Diamonds Product Group • Business Executive for Business Resources • Chief Advisor Organisational Effectiveness in Human Resources But when the chance arose for Ryan to take over the helm at NZAS, he seized the opportunity to return to Invercargill and in November 2009 he became General Manager.
For Ryan, the key reason he enjoys NZAS/ Rio Tinto is the continually challenging and interesting work. “I really like working with people and helping them to reach their full potential, so the leadership roles have been great. I also enjoy the technical side of the business. Working in the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and New Zealand has been great, especially experiencing different cultures. The people in Rio Tinto make the difference and that is especially true at NZAS – if you treat people well then they will do everything in their power to help you succeed – that is my reality at NZAS.”
The General Manager’s tips for graduates If you are considering a career with NZAS/ Rio Tinto, Ryan says it’s important to ensure you’ve got what it takes to fit. “There are many factors to look at – there must be a base level of intelligence but people skills are the most important. You can be the most intelligent person in the world but if you can’t communicate to whatever audience you are speaking to, then you will not be effective. “Graduates are primarily brought into the organisation for key technical roles or future leadership roles. Successful graduates have the intelligence, the people skills but also drive. You have to be prepared to really try and fit in both at work and in the local community – so cultural fit is important too. “The most successful graduates have been the ones that bring all of these attributes to the table.”
Ready to start?
Make one of the best decisions of your life and apply online at www.nzaluminium.co.nz
