Director, Field Operations Oversight

AECL; Chalk River; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

AECL is seeking a Director, Field Operations Oversight to lead owner-side oversight of S&T and waste operations, coordinating field activities and site observations across Canadian locations.

You will build and implement documented oversight plans, challenge findings as needed, and ensure evidence informs governance and decision-making under the GoCo model.

Join a small, mission-driven team delivering public value through rigorous field intelligence and accountable, credible field oversight.

Responsibilities

• Provide owner-side oversight of S&T and waste operations and related facilities across Canada.
• Lead a team responsible for site-based evidence, field observations, and reporting.
• Develop and implement oversight plans and verify field conditions.
• Escalate issues and ensure evidence informs AECL governance and decision‑making.

Job description

AECL operates on land and territories that have, since time immemorial, been the traditional lands of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Together with our contractor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), AECL is committed to advancing reconciliation with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities through a renewed relationship based on recognition of rights, mutual understanding and respect, and meaningful engagement, collaboration, and partnership.

Small Team. Big Impact.

At AECL, your expertise makes a visible difference. As a small and agile organization, individual contributions matter, and your work is closely connected to real‑world outcomes that deliver lasting public value and contribute to outcomes that matter to Canada.

As a federal Crown corporation, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has a mandate to enable nuclear science and technology and manage the Government of Canada’s radioactive waste liabilities. Since 2015, AECL has been delivering its mandate through a Government‑owned, Contractor‑operated (GoCo) business model, whereby a private‑sector organization, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), is responsible for managing and operating AECL’s sites on its behalf. AECL’s objectives under the GoCo model include accelerating Environmental Remediation Management, managing the Federal Nuclear Science and Technology Work Plan, and building a world‑class nuclear laboratory that fulfils government priorities and grows commercial revenues.

Who This Role Is Great For

• want your field, facility, or operational experience to inform executive‑level decisions;
• are motivated by connecting site realities, credible evidence, risk, and public value;
• can provide constructive challenge while maintaining strong working relationships;
• understand AECL’s role in a Government‑owned, Contractor‑operated model, including the distinction between owner‑side oversight, contractor execution, and independent regulation; and
• thrive in a small, collaborative environment where collaboration, judgement, and accountability go hand in hand.

What You Will Do

In this role, you will contribute directly to work that supports AECL’s priorities and delivers outcomes that matter to Canada.

We're looking for a Director, Field Operations Oversight who is passionate about operational awareness, field‑based oversight, and informed decision‑making.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President, Integrated Mission Delivery, you will provide owner‑side oversight of S&T and waste operations and associated facilities operations, including field activities, site observations, and activities that may involve AECL property and land‑use considerations across multiple locations in Canada.

You will lead a team responsible for generating site‑based evidence and ensuring facility conditions, field observations, and operational realities are consistently reflected in AECL's oversight, governance, and decision‑making processes.

Within AECL’s Government‑owned, Contractor‑operated model, AECL provides owner‑side oversight while CNL manages and operates AECL’s sites on its behalf. In this role, you will support informed owner‑side decision‑making by helping develop and carry out documented oversight plans, observing and verifying field conditions, challenging where appropriate, escalating when needed, and ensuring evidence is clearly documented.

As AECL’s senior authority for field operations oversight of S&T and waste operations and, associated facilities within the GoCo model operations, you will ensure that field intelligence is gathered, assessed, documented, and integrated into programme and project oversight activities