Engineering Student – Oil Sands Plant

Canadian Natural; Fort McMurray; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Camp facilities

Fly-In/Fly-Out from Calgary/Edmonton

Relocation assistance

Volunteer opportunities

Job summary

Canadian Natural is seeking an engineering-inclined student for a hands-on role within our Plant Operations team at an Oil Sands facility. You will support reliability, facilities, and sustaining capital projects, collaborating with engineering, operations, and maintenance to improve equipment uptime and safety.

You will gain field exposure, mentorship, and experience across equipment, process plants, and project delivery, with opportunities for hands-on learning and professional growth in a

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering; other engineering disciplines considered.
• Strong understanding of rotating equipment, pumps, valves, and pressure vessels.
• Knowledge of PLC/SCADA systems is a plus; programming experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Support operations, maintenance, and construction activities for reliability and safety improvements.
• Assist in reviewing assets and data to improve maintenance frequency and uptime.
• Collaborate with engineers and operations to align with needs and requirements.
• Compute weekly and monthly reliability KPIs and support project execution.
• Participate in field measurements and data gathering for engineering analyses.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Programming (Python)

SQL

VBA

SCADA

PLC

Education

Bachelor's degree student in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLC

SCADA

Job description

Looking to apply your engineering knowledge in a real-world industrial setting? Join our Plant Operations team at one of our Oil Sands facilities and gain experience in Reliability Engineering, Facilities Engineering, or Sustaining Capital Projects.

In this role, you will work with engineers, operations, and maintenance teams to support critical equipment, plant infrastructure, and capital improvement projects. From investigating equipment failures and analyzing performance data to supporting facility modifications and project execution, you'll play a meaningful role in improving the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our operations.

Whether your interests lie in equipment reliability, facility systems, or project delivery, this opportunity will provide hands-on experience, field exposure, and professional mentorship to help build your engineering career.

If you're curious, motivated, and passionate about solving complex technical challenges, this opportunity is for you.

• Job location: Fort McMurray, AB – Albian or Horizon Oil Sands Site
• Shift schedule: 4 days on, 3 days off, 10-hour shifts (Monday – Thursday)
• Term lengths: 8 or 12 months
• Term starts: January or September 2027
• Safety sensitive position: Yes

Key Accountabilities:

• Collaborate with our Bitumen Production and Upgrading and Utilities Engineering Team in activities relating to operations, maintenance or construction support
• Understand process plant operation and equipment
• Collaborate with project and operations teams to ensure proper alignment with operations needs and requirements
• Review assets and data to see where we can improve the frequency of maintenance and be able to improve our uptime on equipment
• Participate in developing cost effective strategies for equipment that is problematic in the field
• Gather field measurements and data to assist engineers
• Focus on safety, cost reduction and reliability
• Assist engineers by calculating weekly and monthly reliability KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
• Maintain and troubleshoot Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems
• Ensure optimal performance of critical electrical components to drive efficient operations

What You Bring to The Role:

• Currently enrolled in bachelor's degree program in Mechanical, Electrical Engineering preferred, all other engineering disciplines will be considered
• Good understanding of rotating equipment components, pumps, pressure vessels, pressure piping and valves
• Good work ethic and positive attitude
• Strong mechanical aptitude
• Experience in computer programming or coding such as Python, VBA or SQL is considered an asset
• Possess a valid Class 5 Alberta driver's license or equivalent out of province license with a reasonably clean driver abstract
• A pre-employment drug screening test must be successfully completed

What We Offer:

• Quality camp facilities with multiple amenities available
• Company Sponsored Fly-In/Fly-Out from Calgary or Edmonton, Alberta
• May be eligible for relocation to Calgary, Edmonton or Fort McMurray pursuant to Canadian Natural’s Relocation Policy
• Multiple volunteer opportunities within the community

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

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for the position; however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. This posting will close once a successful candidate has been selected.

About Us

Canadian Natural operates one of the largest Campus Recruitment programs in the country, hiring over 400 students every year. Students hired on with us are made to feel a part of the team, gaining high level experience, knowledge, and training that introduces and prepares them for full-time employment.

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.

• Locations Horizon Operations Albian Operations