Mechanical Project Specialist

Our Opportunity

Work Location: Perth CBD and Port Hedland, alternating weeks

Roster: 4 Days On / 3 Days Off – Perth CBD Office and FIFO ex Perth

Ready to play a key role in shaping the future of Fortescue’s Anderson Point Port Facilities? We’re seeking a motivated Mechanical Engineer or Mechanical Project Specialist to drive early engineering and project initiation activities across a diverse and high-impact project portfolio.Working on a 4/3 roster—one week onsite followed by one week in Perth—you’ll collaborate closely with technical specialists, operations teams, and stakeholders to turn complex operational challenges into well-defined engineering solutions. Reporting to the Senior Project Manager, this role offers a rare blend of frontline project involvement and strategic engineering leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Early Engineering & Project Definition

• Engage with key stakeholders to clarify engineering requirements, define problem statements, and shape project objectives.
• Transform operational and technical challenges into clear scopes, concept options, and actionable engineering plans.
• Develop detailed engineering work plans including scope, deliverables, risks, resource estimates, and battery limits.

Technical Leadership & Design Oversight

• Provide specialist mechanical expertise across materials handling systems—conveyors, train unloaders, stackers, reclaimers, ship loaders, transfer stations, and wharf assets.
• Manage and review engineering design deliverables to ensure alignment with safety, environmental, quality, and governance standards.
• Lead multidisciplinary collaboration to evaluate design options, challenge assumptions, and guide optimal technical outcomes.
• Drive early optioneering with a strong focus on constructability, maintainability, reliability, and lifecycle performance.

Project Execution & Contractor Management

• Support execution teams onsite—coordination, contractor oversight, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring design intent is upheld.
• Conduct mechanical field inspections to validate engineering assumptions, equipment conditions, and constructability of proposed solutions.
• Review and challenge contractor and vendor deliverables, ensuring mechanical integrity and suitability for Pilbara site conditions.
• Manage long-lead equipment requirements and contribute to tender scopes, technical evaluations, and contract reviews.

Assurance, Integration & System Performance

• Work closely with Maintenance, Operations, Reliability, and PCS teams to capture performance history and operational constraints.
• Ensure alignment of mechanical system design across contractors, OEMs, consultants, and internal teams.
• Support HAZOP/HAZID, CHAZOP, constructability, and maintainability reviews with a mechanical-systems lens.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in mining or heavy industry.
• Experience across full project lifecycle—from Pre-Feasibility through to Detailed Design, Construction, and Commissioning.
• Solid technical understanding of bulk materials handling systems.
• Experience managing contractors, vendor deliverables, or conducting technical contract reviews (highly regarded).
• Section 26 supervision competency (highly regarded).
• Knowledge of Pilbara Port Authority (PPA) requirements, wharf spillage management, and associated operational challenges (highly regarded).
• Ability to work autonomously while producing high-quality scopes, estimates, and engineering documentation.
• Familiarity with Australian mechanical engineering standards.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency in SAP and Microsoft Office (Excel, Project, Word, PowerPoint).

Why Join Fortescue?

This role offers the chance to make a meaningful impact on high-value infrastructure that keeps Fortescue moving. You’ll influence early project direction, solve complex operational challenges, and work alongside some of the industry’s leading technical specialists—all while enjoying the balance of a rotating onsite/Perth schedule.

About Us

Be part of something big. Fortescue is leading the world with our plan to decarbonise our iron ore operations, projects that harness renewable energy and the development of technology that will change our planet forever.

Our Commitment

Fortescue celebrates individual strengths and team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Our global workforce drives and promotes an inclusive culture, both within our organisation and throughout the communities we interact with. Diverse backgrounds include First Nations Peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ community, gender, neurodiverse, cultural diversity, all age groups, and those with an intersectional or multiple diverse characteristics. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

https://fortescue.com/careers 

Internal Candidates / Current Contractors please apply via Success Factors Careers Portal. For further information on how to apply please visit the Fortescue Hub. 

Fortescue reserves the right to close applications early should a suitable pool of candidates be identified. Fortescue will never contact you to ask for payment of any kind, whether directly or through a third party.