Maintenance Planner

About Iluka Resources and the Eneabba Refinery

Iluka Resources is a prominent global producer specializing in critical minerals, zircon, and premium titanium dioxide feedstocks. In collaboration with the Australian Government, the company is establishing Australia’s first fully integrated rare earths refinery located at Eneabba in Western Australia's Mid West. This facility will manufacture both light and heavy separated rare earth oxides, essential materials supporting global supply chains in defense, renewable energy, electric vehicles, robotics, and advanced technology sectors.

Role Overview

The Maintenance Planner position reports directly to the Maintenance Manager and is responsible for creating high-quality mechanical maintenance plans, safe work packages prepared for execution, and resource-loaded maintenance schedules for the Eneabba Rare Earths Refinery's operations. The main focus is planning and scheduling mechanical and electrical fixed plant maintenance, spanning routine, preventive, condition-based, corrective, breakdown, and shutdown activities.

During the initial 6 to 12 months aligned with operational readiness, the planner will also assist with cataloging materials, validating equipment, spare parts, bills of materials, and maintaining maintenance and materials master data. Post this phase, the core concentration will rest on mechanical maintenance planning and scheduling practices.

The role requires close collaboration with multiple teams, including Maintenance, Operations, Reliability, Engineering, Warehouse, Procurement, external contractors, and original equipment manufacturers.

The position follows a rostered schedule of 5 days on, 2 days off, then 4 days on, 3 days off, based onsite at Eneabba, approximately three hours north of Perth and one and a half hours south of Geraldton. The role operates on a bus-in, bus-out basis with accommodation and facilities provided at a new camp site.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive maintenance plans and work packages supporting routine, preventative, corrective, and shutdown maintenance operations.
• Perform site inspections and walkdowns of work orders to define scopes, recognize limitations, and ensure readiness for execution.
• Create and maintain detailed, resource-loaded weekly, four-week advance, shutdown, and longer-term maintenance schedules in line with labor availability, plant operation, and production demands.
• Record and keep maintenance work orders, task lists, equipment details, and historical work records current within SAP Plant Maintenance.
• Design safe, practical mechanical work packages to ensure effective task completion.
• Manage the maintenance backlog, enforce work readiness, and monitor schedule compliance to maintain safe and reliable plant function.
• Support, during operational readiness phase, activities concerning verification of equipment, spare parts, bills of materials, and upkeep of maintenance and material master data.
• Assist in shutdown planning and execution by preparing thorough scopes, schedules, and resource allocation plans.

Candidate Profile

• Possess qualifications in Mechanical or Electrical trade, Mechanical Engineering, or commensurate professional experience.
• Proven expertise in planning mechanical fixed plant maintenance tasks involving rotating and static equipment, including routine, preventive, corrective, breakdown, and shutdown work.
• Experience in supporting spare parts management, materials cataloging, and maintaining master data in a maintenance context is advantageous.
• Solid knowledge of equipment bills of materials (BOMs), asset hierarchies, and maintenance data frameworks.
• Proficiency using SAP Plant Maintenance or similar computerized maintenance management systems.
• Successful track record in preparing detailed work packages and developing realistic, resource-optimized maintenance schedules.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and project scheduling software such as Microsoft Project or equivalents.
• Strong communication and ability to liaise effectively with multiple departments and external stakeholders.
• Previous experience in Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control maintenance planning is highly desirable.

Additional Information

The role is located onsite at Eneabba, Western Australia, and operates on a bus-in, bus-out roster with accommodation provided. The schedule follows a rotating roster pattern of 5 days on then 2 off, followed by 4 days on then 3 off, supporting work-life balance in a remote location.

Equal Opportunity and Application Process

Iluka Resources values integrity, respect, courage, accountability, and collaboration, and is dedicated to fostering diversity and equal opportunity in its workforce that mirrors the community. Applications are encouraged from all qualified individuals, with consideration for future recruitment if not immediately selected.

Applications must include a detailed resume outlining prior experience and close by 8 October 2026.