Mine Tailings Engineer

Job Description

The Opportunity:

At Canadian Natural, we are proud to be a leader in Canada's energy industry. We are committed to safe, responsible, and efficient resource development through technical excellence, integrity, and long-term stewardship.

We are currently seeking a Mine Tailings Engineer with expertise in oil sands tailings and water modelling, and tailings closure planning to join our team. This role supports long-term mine planning and closure objectives through the development, stewardship, and integration of site-wide water balance and long-range tailings models that inform operational, regulatory, and strategic decision-making. In this position, you will work collaboratively with Tailings Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Operations, and Process teams to ensure alignment between forecasts, operational plans, and closure strategies. You will provide technically defensible analyses to identify risks and opportunities, support compliance with regulatory requirements, and optimize water and tailings system performance over the life of mine and closure period.

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to long-term operational planning, regulatory compliance, and responsible tailings closure, while applying advanced modelling tools in a complex mining environment.

• Job location: Calgary, Alberta
• Shift schedule: 5 days on, 2 days off (Monday to Friday)
• Safety sensitive position: Yes
• Application deadline: April 26, 2026

Key Accountabilities:

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support short- and long-term tailings facility closure planning, ensuring alignment with operational strategies and regulatory expectations
• Develop, maintain, and steward long-term, site-wide integrated water balance models for two mining operations, ensuring assumptions, inputs, and outputs are technically defensible
• Identify and assess risks, opportunities, and constraints related to water supply, storage, reclaim, discharge, and regulatory compliance
• Maintain and update long-range tailings models, incorporating deposition strategies, beach development, consolidation behavior, and storage capacity forecasts
• Coordinate with Tailings Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Operations to ensure consistency between operational plans, water balance forecasts, and tailings deposition strategies
• Develop and evaluate recommendations for water and tailings system optimization, including:
• Fluid transfer and reclaim strategies
• Storage configuration and modification options
• Operational controls and mitigation measures to manage identified risks
• Conduct scenario analyses and sensitivity assessments to support long-term planning, regulatory submissions, and management decision-making
• Review and provide technical input on external scientific literature related to oil sands mine water and tailings, and represent Canadian Natural at external organizations, conferences, and professional workshops as required

What You Bring to the Role:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Mining engineering preferred)
• Eligibility for registration, or registered, as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Alberta
• 5+ years of relevant experience in oil sands tailings and water management, including exposure to tailings operations and closure planning
• Demonstrated proficiency with water balance and tailings modelling tools, including development, calibration, and interpretation of long-range models
• Advanced Excel skills, including VBA/macros, scenario modelling, and data visualization, with the ability to clearly communicate results to technical and non-technical stakeholders

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, stock options, company matched stock savings plan, annual bonuses
• May be eligible for relocation pursuant to Canadian Natural's Relocation Policy
• 100% Employer paid extended Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
• Health & Wellness Spending Account
• Multiple volunteer opportunities within the community
• Employee & Family Assistance Program
• Access to online learning platforms for continuous learning and development
• Paid vacation and time off during Christmas week and summer Fridays

Check out our COMPENSATION & BENEFITS to learn more about what we have to offer!

About Us

We are proud to be ranked as one of Forbes' Canada's Best Employers in 2025 and 2026.

We invest in your career through offering a culture that focuses on developing people, working together and doing it right, with fun and integrity.

Industry Leader: We commenced business in 1989 with a handful of employees and modest production, but today we employ more than 10,000 people and produce over 1 million BOE/d.

Community Investment: Social responsibility is a critical element of our commitment to responsible operations and part of our success and pride as a Company. We are committed to investing in the communities where we live and work, creating shared value along the way.

Compensation and Benefits: We strive to share Company success with all employees through a comprehensive total compensation package.

Our People, Our Stories: Our stories demonstrate the strong culture that exists at Canadian Natural - one that focuses on developing people, working together and doing it right, with fun and integrity.

Check out some of our Employee Testimonials!

All candidates applying to Canadian Natural must have legal authorization to work in Canada with no restrictions.

While we appreciate all applications we receive, kindly note only candidates under consideration will be contacted.