Rebecca Colley

from working at a fast food restaurant to Engineering Manager

I manage an engineering team that delivers engineering projects across mine sites.

Industry

Energy, gas and oil

Company

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Sponsored by WISER

Job Level

Senior

Ask me about

What it's like working overseas
Working FIFO (fly in, fly out) in rural areas
Uncertainty about careers

About me

International Experience

When I was at school, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, and honestly, I’m still working it out. I went to university hoping it would buy me some time, so I enrolled in a science degree at UQ and sampled everything: engineering, psychology, technology, human movements… basically career window‑shopping. After my first year I still didn’t know what to do, but I eventually settled on engineering. When I had to pick a discipline straight away, I simply crossed out the ones I liked least until I landed on Chemical Engineering. Very scientific.

A holiday placement at BMA’s Saraji Mine showed me mining was really fun. After graduating, and a year working at Bundaberg Rum, I returned to mining. Twenty‑one years later, it’s taken me around the world where I’ve had the privilege pf living in places like Chile, New Caledonia, and Singapore. Proof that not knowing your path can still take you somewhere incredible.

About my role

Curious
Humorous
Reliable
Sociable
Understanding

As the Manager of the central, Brisbane‑based Engineering Projects team, Bec Colley is responsible for leading the delivery of engineering improvement initiatives across BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA's) coal mining operations in Queensland. She provides strategic direction to multidisciplinary project teams, ensuring that all work is planned, executed, and handed over safely, efficiently, and in alignment with organisational priorities to site owners. Bec oversees performance, governance, and risk management across her portfolio while fostering strong, transparent engagement with operational stakeholders to ensure projects are delivered successfully. Her team delivers projects spanning civil, structural, environmental, process, mechanical, technology, electrical, and control disciplines, managing the full life-cycle, from front‑end study development through to site execution. Bec’s role also encompasses project prioritisation, resource management, maintaining compliance to engineering standards, and disciplined project controls (cost and schedule controls) across all activities.

Chartered Professional Engineering (Chemical)
Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical)

Subjects

Chemistry
English
History
Languages
Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
Physical Education
Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Hobbies

Beach adventures
Dancing
Interior design
Seeing family and friends
Travel

Pets

1 Fish

15 year old me!!

“The journey, not the arrival matters - TS Elliot. A perfect way to emphasise that life and career paths are shaped through experiences, not a single decision.”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.

Graduated from UQ with a degree in Chemical Engineering
Moved to Bundaberg and worked at Bundaberg Rum
Lived in Chile, New Caledonia and Singapore
Started our family and moved back to Brisbane
Working as an Engineering Manager at BHP

My typical day

My employer

Through UNIQ You’s partnership with Women in Sustainable Energy and Resources (WISER) we have been excited to welcome Advisors from a diverse range of companies. Read more about this Advisors employer below. BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is Australia’s largest producer of seaborne metallurgical (steelmaking) coal and a cornerstone of Queensland’s resources sector. Operated as a joint venture between BHP and Mitsubishi Development, BMA’s operations are located primarily in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and include a portfolio of open‑cut and underground mines, as well as supporting infrastructure.