Principal Business Improvement
Our Opportunity
Work Location: Port Hedland, Fortescue’s Hedland Operations are located on the traditional lands of the Kariyarra people.
Roster: 4 days on / 3 days off – FIFO ex Perth or Residentially based in Port Hedland (relocation assistance offered)
Fortescue is both a proud West Australian company and a global green energy and resources business. We are recognised for our culture, innovation, and leadership in the development of world-class infrastructure, mining assets, and renewable energy initiatives.
Reporting to the General Manager Hedland Operations, this role will play a pivotal part in driving operational excellence across Fortescue’s Port and Rail operations.
As Principal Business Improvement, you will partner with operational teams to foster a culture of continuous improvement, champion efficiency, and deliver strategic initiatives that enhance safety, productivity, and cost effectiveness. This position will lead the development and implementation of a robust improvement framework to ensure sustained value creation and alignment with Fortescue’s broader operational and sustainability goals.
This is a hands-on, influential role ideal for a data-driven, collaborative professional who thrives on solving complex operational challenges and driving meaningful change across multidisciplinary teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the formulation and delivery of the Hedland Operations Business Plan, ensuring alignment, tracking, and clear communication of priorities.
- Identify, analyse, and prioritise improvement opportunities across Port and Rail to optimise performance, streamline processes, and reduce cost.
- Develop and deliver business cases and improvement projects that drive measurable operational and financial benefits.
- Partner with integrated and central teams (Finance, HR, Safety, Planning, Category, and ABD) to ensure consistency in reporting, alignment, and execution.
- Facilitate collaborative workshops and foster a culture of innovation, engagement, and continuous improvement across all levels.
- Track, report, and communicate progress of improvement initiatives, ensuring benefits are sustained and lessons shared across Fortescue sites.
Qualifications and Experience
- Postgraduate qualification in business, engineering, or a related discipline.
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in a business improvement, operational excellence, or continuous improvement role within mining, rail, or port operations.
- Demonstrated experience in project management, data analytics, and stakeholder engagement.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate insights into actionable outcomes.
- Experience in Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies (Green or Black Belt desirable).
- Excellent communication, facilitation, and influencing skills with the ability to drive change across diverse teams.
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.