Lead Operator

Cenovus Energy; Drayton Valley; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Health & dental benefits

Mental health coverage

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Employee family assistance

Virtual healthcare coverage

Job summary

Cenovus Lead Operator position in the Alder Flats/Hussar area seeks a seasoned operations leader to direct field and plant activities, driving safe, efficient production and environmentally conscious practices. You will mentor teams, coordinate turnarounds, and communicate performance insights to leadership.

The role is field-based and full-time, with a 4-on/3-off schedule, 10-hour days, and a focus on continuous improvement and adherence to Cenovus standards.

Qualifications

• Legally authorized to work in Canada.
• 10+ years of oil and gas industry experience.
• 5+ years in conventional oil and gas field and facility operations.
• Previous leadership or team coordination experience.
• Strong coaching, mentoring, and employee development skills.
• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Journeyperson trade certification is an asset.
• Refrigeration plant experience is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the daily operations and maintenance of Alder Flats and Hussar fields to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient production.
• Troubleshoot equipment and operational issues and identify opportunities to optimize performance and meet targets.
• Coordinate field activities during routine operations, turnarounds, upsets, commissioning, and start-ups with Maintenance, Engineering and external service providers.
• Monitor daily production and operating conditions; manage sampling, testing, and records; ensure accurate reports and logs.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Mentoring

Team coordination

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Journeyperson trade certification (asset)

Refrigeration plant experience (asset)

Job description

About this opportunity

Reporting to the Operations Coordinator for Alder Flats/Hussar, the Lead Operator is accountable for providing the plant and field operations team with daily direction to operate in a safe, efficient, and environmentally conscious manner. The Lead Operator will provide leadership in identifying and implementing ideas which will improve productivity, efficiency and safe operations.

Work Environment

This is a full-time, permanent position working 4 days on, 3 days off, 10hrs. per day. This position is field based and currently assigned to the Alder Flats/Hussar areas.

What you’ll do

• Coordinate the daily operations and maintenance of the Alder Flats and Hussar fields, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production in accordance with Cenovus standards and guidelines.


• Troubleshoot area-specific equipment and operational issues, identifying opportunities to optimize equipment performance and achieve production targets.


• Coordinate field activities during routine operations, turnarounds, upsets, commissioning, and start-ups, working closely with Maintenance, Engineering, and external service providers.


• Monitor daily production and operating conditions, including sampling and testing, and ensure the accuracy of operational records, volume balances, log sheets, work permits, and required reports.


• Provide field production updates and reports to Leadership and authorized personnel, ensuring timely communication of operational performance, issues, and opportunities.


• Coach, support, and assess area employees, providing on-the-job training and ensuring team members have the knowledge and required training to perform their roles safely and effectively.

Who you are

• Legally authorized to work in Canada


• 10+ years of relevant oil and gas industry experience.


• 5+ years of experience in conventional oil and gas field and facility operations.


• Previous leadership or team coordination experience.


• Strong coaching, mentoring, and employee development skills.


• High School diploma or equivalent.


• Journeyperson trade certification is considered an asset.


• Refrigeration plant experience is considered an asset.

For this position you will be required to maintain a Class 5 driver's license, a satisfactory driving record, and adhere to the appropriate Company policies and guidelines. A driver's abstract will be one of the backgrond checks requested in the pre‑employment screening for the final candidate.

Note: The application deadline for this position is 11:59 PM MT October 2, 2026.

Cenovus was ranked one of Canada’s Best Employers in 2025. We’re committed to being an employer of choice in our industry by offering a competitive total rewards package and employee programs and rewarding career development opportunities.

Total rewards

• Paid vacation (including a flex day program for eligible staff)


• Health & dental benefits


• Substantial mental health coverage


• Life insurance


• Disability benefits


• Employee family assistance


• Virtual healthcare coverage

Our development philosophy

We foster a culture of continuous learning and development to support employees as they build meaningful careers.

• Internal course offerings


• Education assistance for additional development


• Opportunities to work on special projects


• Leadership development programs for emerging and established leaders

Our culture

Our purpose: We energize the world to make people’s lives better.

Our values: Protect what matters Do it right Make it better Do it together Cenovus Cares: We believe in the power of purpose-driven work. Our Employee Giving and Volunteering Program, Cenovus Cares, connects our people to our purpose, inspiring action and elevating impact year‑round. Support causes you care about with volunteer opportunities in and outside of work. Earn donation grants while volunteering (up to $1,000 per event). Receive donation matching up to $10,000 annually. Staff resource groups: We have various staff resource groups to help ensure our people feel a sense of belonging and can grow and do their best work. These voluntary groups are employee‑led and all groups are open to all staff in all locations.

Equal opportunity employer

We believe a workplace where everyone has merit‑based opportunities to grow, achieve career aspirations and feel a sense of belonging benefits our people, our company and the regions where we live and work. We embrace and encourage different perspectives and approaches, which help us make better business decisions. We believe that through this approach, we can solve challenges, seize opportunities and unlock innovative solutions. To achieve an unbiased and respectful workplace, individuals are evaluated based on qualifications, merit and abilities, and we encourage applications from all qualified candidates. We also acknowledge the value of transferrable skills and may consider equivalent combinations of experience and education should you not meet a specific requirement.

For more information about working at Cenovus, visit cenovus.com.

The requirements of this posting may be modified to support business needs. Title and compensation administration will be based on the skills and capabilities of the successful incumbent.

We’re a Canadian-based integrated energy company headquartered in Calgary. We’re committed to maximizing value by developing our assets in a safe, innovative and cost-efficient manner, integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into our business plans. We operate in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. Our operations include oil sands projects in northern Alberta, thermal and conventional crude oil and natural gas projects across Western Canada, crude oil production offshore Newfoundland and Labrador and natural gas and liquids production offshore China and Indonesia. Cenovus’s downstream operations include upgrading, refining and marketing operations in Canada and the United States. Our shares trade under the symbol CVE, and are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.