Engineering Student - Relief Field Operator and Calgary Office - May Start - 16 Months

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL); Grande Prairie; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An industry-leading energy company in Canada is seeking a Field Operator for a student opportunity lasting 16 months. The role includes safety assessments, problem-solving in mechanical operations, and engineering tasks. Enrolled engineering students in relevant disciplines are encouraged to apply. This unique opportunity offers competitive pay and valuable hands-on experience in oil and gas field operations, alongside structured mentoring and development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Relocation assistance

Safety boot allowance

Safety training certifications

Volunteer opportunities

Qualifications

• Must possess a valid Class 5 Alberta driver's license.
• Comfortable driving a half-ton work truck safely.
• Motivated and able to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Complete hazard assessments and worksite safety observations.
• Utilize mechanical skills to solve daily production problems.
• Participate in Process Hazard Assessments.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Problem-solving

Team collaboration

Education

Currently enrolled in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of an engineering degree (Chemical, Mechanical, Energy, Petroleum)

Job description

The Opportunity

Are you a student looking for an exciting opportunity that is full of meaningful, diverse, and ambitious assignments working alongside industry leading professionals? Join Canadian Natural where we strive to provide opportunities based on your abilities, helping you to contribute in a meaningful way and apply your academic experience to challenging and rewarding projects!

Join a company culture that fosters a fun working environment, develops meaningful relationships, and continuous learning! Gain valuable hands‑on oil & gas field experience by working as a Field Operator at one of Canadian Natural’s field locations during the summer and then as a Student Engineer in the Calgary Office with either a Conventional, Thermal, or Facilities team.

This student opportunity is a 16-month term beginning in May. You will have the chance to contribute to challenging projects that will develop your expertise and prepare you for full‑time employment. You will develop skills and add value while also having the chance to meet other students and partake in initiatives such as the Intern Social Committee!

Job Locations

• Relief Operator: One of our various field locations throughout Alberta, Northern BC, or Saskatchewan
• Engineering portion: Calgary, AB -- Head Office

Shift Schedule

• Field Portion: various shift schedules depending on location assigned:
  • 8 days on, 6 days off, 10 hours per shift
  • 7 days on, 7 days off, 12 hours per shift, etc.
  • Must be prepared to remain on‑call during off‑hours (selected fields only)
• Calgary Portion: 5 days on, 2 days off, 8 hours per day (Monday - Friday)

Term Length

• Term length: 16 Months
• 4 Months as Relief Field Operator
• 12 Months (September 2026 – August 2027) as an Engineering Student in Calgary

Term Start

May 2026 (Mandatory Safety Training Week: May 4-8, 2026)

Safety Sensitive Position

Yes

Key Accountabilities

As a Relief Field Operator

• Be a part of front‑line driven safety culture by completing hazard assessments, worksite safety observations, and identifying and correcting hazards and opportunities
• Utilize your hands‑on mechanical aptitude and experience to solve daily problems to increase and maintain production volumes
• Be responsible for light oil, heavy oil, gas, gas plants, thermal facilities, and/or oil batteries
• Work with water floods, EOR, pump jacks, and PC pumps
• Perform well testing techniques and production reporting

As a Conventional/Thermal Engineering Student

• Participate in Process Hazard Assessments and other safety reviews to contribute to the safe and efficient operations of Canadian Natural’s assets
• Obtain baseline engineering experience and exposure in Production and Exploitation or Facilities engineering and apply engineering principles to develop solutions for the business
• Work on multi‑disciplinary teams to improve reliability and reduce operating cost through the application of Lean Six Sigma principles
• Participate in the Management of Change and Gate Processes utilized to execute safe and economic value add projects
• Execute small projects related to Production, Exploitation or Facilities Engineering

Please note, you will be placed in one of the following positions for the remaining 12 months in Calgary.

As a Production Or Exploitation Engineering Student

• Participate in inactive/active well file reviews to identify value adding opportunities
• Review completions, recompletions, well drilling, and historical information for understanding well performance
• Perform optimization research for increased production
• Provide technical support for data science projects by querying and working with large datasets and utilizing data analytics and business intelligence tools (Knime, Tableau, PowerBI)
• Research, evaluate and recommend completions/workovers to maximize the Company’s oil and natural gas production
• Conduct economics analysis for new drills, completions/workovers and other optimization projects

As Facilities Engineering Student

• Obtain experience in the design, construction, modification, operation, and optimization of oil and gas facilities
• Gain exposure to different types of equipment and process designs used in Canadian Natural’s Western Canada business
• Review drawings against field installation and update technical documentation to reflect actuals
• Create missing or new technical documentation to support operations and project execution

What You Bring To The Role

• Currently enrolled in your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of an engineering degree program (Chemical, Mechanical, Energy, and Petroleum/Oil & Gas disciplines preferred)
• Possess a valid Class 5 Alberta driver’s license or equivalent out of province license and feel comfortable driving a half ton work truck in a safe manner
• Strong mechanical aptitude is an asset
• Motivated, problem solver, takes initiative, collaborative, resourceful, and able to manage multiple priorities

What We Offer

• Competitive salary
• Students may be eligible for relocation assistance pursuant to Canadian Natural’s Student Relocation Policy (Students will be responsible for finding their own accommodations during the work term)
• Safety boot allowance
• Safety training certifications and PPE covered
• Multiple volunteer opportunities within the community

Check out our COMPENSATION & BENEFITS overview to see what we have to offer!

Note: This may be BC based position; the hourly range is estimated to be between $28.61 - $33.65.

If you are interested in this exciting student work term opportunity, please include your resume, cover letter and unofficial transcripts as part of your online application.

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. Students may be considered for permanent, full‑time positions upon graduation through our New Grad program! Our structured New Graduate Developmental Programs exemplify our mission to develop our people.

We are proud to share that Canadian Natural has been ranked as a Top Employer for 2023 & 2024 by Canada’s Future Workforce and also one of Forbes’s Canada’s Best Employers in 2025.

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 Student Testimonials !