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Ros Green

from Sales Assistant to Principal Environmental Geochemist
I protect waterways from contamination
Industry
Mining and Resources
Company
Rio Tinto
Job Level
Senior

Ask me about

  • If my parents played a role in shaping my career choice
  • Do I work with uni students
  • What have I seen that works well with uni students

About me

  • International Experience

At high school I really enjoyed geography and in particular how water shapes coastal landforms. I was good at math, physics and chemistry. So, at a university career day I spoke to someone about a new course starting in civil and environmental engineering and I was assured this course involves working with water and landforms. So, I enrolled in this course and that is what I still do 30 years later.

My journey was not quite this straight forward though. After Uni I switched jobs every year for the first 3 years because I was not enjoying it. Whilst working with water, I was working more in the civil engineering aspects of water and not the environment/landform aspects. So, I enrolled in a PhD and specalised in the area I wanted to work in. That set me up to get the jobs I wanted. I thoroughly enjoy my work. I get to make a real difference and improve the environment where mine sites are located.

About my role

  • Logical
  • Reliable
  • Resourceful
  • Thorough
  • Tolerant

I work to protect and improve water quality at mine sites across the world. I work with exploration geologists to identify problematic rocks that could cause contamination and work with operational mine sites to ensure the problematic rocks are managed appropriately. I focus on leaving a non-polluting mine site at mine closure and to help communities transit to their next land use after mining is finished.

Education

  • Bachelor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • PhD Joint Geography/Civil and Environmental Enginering

Subjects

  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • Physics
  • Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Awards

  • School dux Year 11 and 12

Hobbies

  • Dancing
  • Gym
  • Seeing family and friends
  • Travel

Pets

  • 1 Dog

15 year old me!!

“Follow your passions!”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Didn't enjoy working
  2. Found a PhD I was passionate about
  3. Specalised in an area I enjoy
  4. Found a company with similar values to me
  5. Balanced my career with raising children

My typical day

My employer

Rio Tinto operates in 35 countries where its 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs. Rio’s portfolio includes iron ore, copper, aluminium and a range of other minerals and materials needed for people, communities and nations to grow and prosper, and for the world to cut carbon emissions to net zero. Continuously searching for new projects that can support the energy transition, Rio Tinto is currently exploring for 8 commodities in 17 countries. The organisation has more than 150 years of mining and processing experience guiding its work and, today, the business relies on technology such as automation and artificial intelligence to help it run more safely, more efficiently and leave a lighter footprint.