Senior Water Resources Engineer

At Imperial, we work every day to responsibly develop Canada’s energy resources – applying technology and innovation to supply affordable, accessible and reliable energy while reducing emissions. Imperial recognizes the important role we can play by advancing climate solutions within our operations and by providing lower life-cycle emission products to our customers. This effort is powered by a unique and diverse workforce fueled by a pride in what we do and what we stand for. 

The success of our upstream, downstream and chemical, and corporate divisions is the result of the talent, curiosity and drive of our people. They bring solutions every day to optimize our strategy in energy, chemicals, lubricants and lower-emissions technologies. 

Imperial honours diverse backgrounds so we can be a place where people can bring their full selves to work, no matter their identity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or ability.

At Imperial, we want you to come for the position and stay for the career. As an integrated company, we are uniquely positioned to offer you a wide range of career prospects and growth opportunities through the course of your career with us. We invite you to bring your ideas and help create sustainable solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs. 

About Us

Come be part of the Kearl Technical department at Imperial. Imperial has more than 140 years of history in Canada and a workforce of 4,000+ total employees. Our offices are currently located in Calgary, Alberta and will be relocating to Edmonton, Alberta in approximately 2028.

The technical team supports the Kearl mine site which has been in operation since 2012, and is located roughly 70 km north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Oil sand ore is mined using electric and hydraulic shovels, hauled, crushed and mixed with water prior to sending the slurry through hydrotransport lines for processing to our plants. Kearl is a fly in fly out operation with transportation hubs located in Edmonton and Calgary.

Kearl is one of Canada’s highest quality oil sands deposits and represents the next generation of oil sands mining. Innovative technology is at the heart of Kearl. We’ve developed innovative approaches that enhance performance and reduce cost. The site is currently operating a fleet of fully autonomous 797 haul trucks using Caterpillar’s Minestar system and is one of the largest autonomous fleets in the world

What you will do

This role is responsible for the planning, assessment, and design of future surface water management infrastructure, ensuring effective integration with existing systems. The scope is primarily mid‑ to long‑range (1 to 15 year) planning, supporting the ongoing development and resilience of the site‑wide water management network.

Responsibilities span the full project lifecycle, from conceptual through detailed design, and include advising on project development, supporting regulatory applications, and providing technical troubleshooting guidance during construction and operations.

Key areas of accountability include:

• Planning how water will be moved, stored, and managed within current and future development areas
• Identifying required infrastructure (e.g., sumps, pumps, pipelines, discharge systems) and determining optimal routing, sizing, and phasing
• Defining when infrastructure is required to align with development sequencing
• Assessing existing infrastructure to determine what must be retained, modified, or upgraded to maintain system performance
• Ensuring water management infrastructure is fully integrated with other site infrastructure, including roads, pipelines, and utilities

Additional responsibilities may include:

• Completing water‑related desktop studies and technical assessments
• Maintaining and updating the site water balance
• Developing, reviewing, and updating engineering standards and guidelines
• Representing Imperial in industry working groups and external forums

This role will execute work both directly and through technical oversight of work performed by internal teams and external consultants. The position is dynamic and iterative, requiring strong problem‑solving skills, sound engineering judgment, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

A successful candidate will demonstrate strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills, and the ability to work effectively across disciplines to deliver integrated solutions. Experience and/or knowledge of mining operations and provincial and federal regulatory frameworks is considered an asset.

About You

Job Requirements

• Professional Engineer designation (with APEGA) with 10+ years of relevant experience in water resources, civil, or mining‑related engineering
• Strong understanding of surface water management and infrastructure planning and design, including experience with HEC-HMS or similar hydrologic/hydraulic modelling tools and working knowledge of AutoCAD and/or Deswik
• Demonstrated understanding of water balance modelling and system‑level water management
• Ability to lead technical scope for water resources components of multi‑disciplinary projects
• Ability to independently frame problems, evaluate alternatives, and make sound engineering recommendations
• Proven ability to communicate and collaborate across engineering, operations, planning, and regulatory functions
• Strong organizational, planning, and practical problem‑solving skills, supported by critical thinking and continuous improvement
• Self‑motivated, able to work with a high degree of autonomy while remaining aligned with broader team objectives
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across concurrent projects in a dynamic environment

Preferred Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of open pit mining operations and mine planning
• Knowledge and experience with provincial and federal regulatory frameworks
• Experience supporting regulatory submissions or interfacing with regulators
• Experience coordinating or providing technical oversight of consultant‑led engineering work
• Familiarity with risk‑based decision making and trade‑off analysis (cost, schedule, operability, environmental performance)
• Exposure to climate change, extreme event, or resiliency considerations in water management systems
• Interest in or experience with mentoring or standards development
• Experience contributing to continuous improvement initiatives, including digital tools or process enhancements
• Proven ability to thrive in a dynamic, evolving project environment with changing priorities and complex interfaces

Your Benefits

An Imperial career is one designed to last. Our commitment to you runs deep: our employees grow personally and professionally, with benefits built on our core categories of health, security, finance, and life. Imperial Oil has been recognized as one of Canada’s top employers for young people (2024), in addition to one of Canada’s and Alberta’s top employers (2024) as recognized by Mediacorp Canada Inc.’s 24th annual competition.

We offer you:

• Competitive salary
• Training and mentorship
• Relocation assistance as required
• Flexible work hours and work from home policy
• Employee resource groups (ERG’s) – opportunity to participate in volunteer groups that support furthering the company’s inclusion objectives

EEO Statement

Imperial is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Imperial is committed to providing equitable treatment and equal opportunity to all individuals and encourages all eligible applicants to apply.

Imperial conducts business in a manner that respects the land, environment, rights and cultures of Indigenous communities. In the areas where we explore, develop and operate, Imperial engages Indigenous communities in open and forthright consultation and strives to establish meaningful relationships built on mutual trust and respect. Please see here for more information on Imperial’s Indigenous Relations Guiding Principles and Guidelines.

Imperial is committed to supporting persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. We will work with qualified applicants to provide reasonable accommodation upon request at Recruiting.Services.12@exxonmobil.com.

Eligibility to work in Canada

All applicants who receive an offer of employment must be eligible to work in Canada on a regular full-time basis without restrictions on their start date.  Proof of eligibility shall be in the form of a Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport, Canadian citizenship certificate, Canadian certificate of permanent residence, Canadian open work permit or receipt from Immigration Canada of an application for a post-graduate work permit.

Proof of eligibility must be current and valid (not expired, cancelled or voided). Proof of eligibility will be required if an offer of employment is made. Failure to provide proof of eligibility at least six (6) weeks prior to the start date may result in the offer of employment being rescinded.

Alternate Location: Canada : Edmonton, AB 

Imperial is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Imperial is committed to providing equitable treatment and equal opportunity to all individuals and encourages all eligible applicants to apply.

Imperial conducts business in a manner that respects the land, environment, rights and cultures of Indigenous communities. In the areas where we explore, develop and operate, Imperial engages Indigenous communities in open and forthright consultation and strives to establish meaningful relationships built on mutual trust and respect. Please see here for more information on Imperial’s Indigenous Relations Guiding Principles and Guidelines.

Imperial is committed to supporting persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. We will work with qualified applicants to provide reasonable accommodation upon request at Recruit.Services.CA@exxonmobil.com.

Eligibility to work in Canada: All applicants who receive an offer of employment must be eligible to work in Canada on a regular full-time basis without restrictions on their start date.  Proof of eligibility shall be in the form of a Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport, Canadian citizenship certificate, Canadian certificate of permanent residence, Canadian open work permit or receipt from Immigration Canada of an application for a post-graduate work permit. 

Proof of eligibility must be current and valid (not expired, cancelled or voided). Proof of eligibility will be required if an offer of employment is made. Failure to provide proof of eligibility at least six (6) weeks prior to the start date may result in the offer of employment being rescinded.

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