Fortescue Metals Group and Thiess hiring 700 FIFO jobs for Iron Bridge magnetite project in the Pilbara

About 700 FIFO jobs paying “top of the market” six-figure salaries — including for workers with no experience — are on offer at WA’s newest iron ore mine, with a national recruitment drive launching today. Fortescue Metals Group is ramping up hiring for its Iron Bridge magnetite project in the Pilbara, which is slated to produce its first shipment of iron ore by next March. More than 400 of the jobs are being offered by FMG directly while contractor Thiess — the site’s mining services provider — is looking to fill a further 300 roles. Most in demand are process operators (50 required by March) and fitters (49) but jobs on offer span everything from mining and process engineers to human resources, finance, procurement and warehousing. The Iron Bridge mine site — about 145km south of Port Hedland — is unusual in that it also contains a processing facility designed to refine the raw product to a higher grade ore and capture more of the value chain. FMG chief operating officer iron ore Dino Otranto said the “majority” of the jobs did not require any pre-existing experience, with the resources giant willing to provide training and apprenticeships — and immediate starts. “We offer grassroots entry for people who have never had any experience in the mining industry and we offer the full complement to upskill (our workers),” he said. “What we like to do is on-board our employees well ahead of when they’re needed so we can train them and immerse them in our unique values that we have at Fortescue. “So, really, the doors are open as of now.” The huge recruitment push comes with WA experiencing near-record low unemployment — the jobless rate is currently 3.1 per cent — which Mr Otranto said was a factor in the decision to begin advertising early. “We see the tightness in in the labour market,” he said. “When you start a new operation up, it’s always good to get the message out about… what roles we do (have on offer) because we are trying to recruit a whole new workforce.” That tightness — which means there are around 1.4 jobs on offer for every unemployed West Australian — means FMG is also offering top dollar in the hope of luring workers out of other roles. “We offer extremely competitive six figure salaries and some of the best working conditions that any of the mine sites in the industry offer, Mr Otranto said. Most of the jobs operate on 2:2 or 2:1 FIFO schedules but Mr Otranto said FMG provided “flexibility” in its rostering that was not always available with other resources companies. “We certainly acknowledge that in the (current jobs) market rosters are extremely important and flexibility in adapting rosters is a selling point,” he said. “It’s a strategy has worked extremely well. Since adopting (flexible roster) in this last year our turnover rates have gone back to industry low numbers.” Rounding out Mr Otranto’s pitch is “one of the most modern camps” in WA — boasting multiple gyms with personal trainers, football fields, swimming pools and a “huge variety” of on-site activities.