Plant Operator IV

Airswift; Anzac; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Airswift is seeking a senior Plant Operator IV for the Athabasca Region in Northern Alberta. The role features FIFO with camp accommodation, a 14 days on/14 days off schedule, and 12-hour rotating shifts on a 1-year contract (extendable).

You will lead advanced control room and field operations, optimize complex process systems, and mentor operators while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance across heavy oil and gas processing facilities.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in industrial plant operations.
• Extensive experience in oil sands, SAGD, refining, upgrading, petrochemical, gas processing, or related heavy industrial facilities.
• Expert knowledge of control room operations, process optimization, and plant troubleshooting.
• Advanced understanding of DCS systems, process control philosophies, and production management.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex operational issues.
• Strong understanding of process safety, risk management, and operational excellence principles.
• Proven ability to coordinate work activities and provide technical leadership without direct supervisory responsibility.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and mentoring skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead safe and efficient plant operations through advanced control room and field-based decision making.
• Monitor and optimize complex process systems to maximize production, reliability, and environmental performance.
• Provide technical leadership and operational guidance to operations teams.
• Coordinate plant start-ups, shutdowns, commissioning activities, process transitions, and upset recovery efforts.
• Analyze operational data, identify performance gaps, and recommend corrective actions.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts involving process, equipment, instrumentation, and production challenges.
• Develop and improve operating procedures, standards, and best practices.
• Support reliability, integrity, and maintenance programs through technical expertise.
• Participate in hazard reviews, risk assessments, incident investigations, and root cause analyses.
• Act as a technical mentor and resource for operators across all experience levels.
• Collaborate with engineering, maintenance, reliability, and management teams to implement operational improvements.
• Champion health, safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance initiatives.

Job description

Plant Operator IV Location: Athabasca Region, Northern Alberta (FIFO + Camp Accommodation) Schedule: 14 Days On / 14 Days Off | 12-Hour Rotating Shifts Duration: 1-year contract (extendable)

Position Summary

We are seeking a senior-level Plant Operator IV who is recognized as a technical expert within plant operations. This position provides leadership, operational guidance, and technical expertise while supporting safe, reliable, and efficient facility performance. The successful candidate will possess extensive process operations experience and serve as a key resource for troubleshooting, operational strategy, process optimization, commissioning activities, and continuous improvement efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead safe and efficient plant operations through advanced control room and field-based decision making.
• Monitor and optimize complex process systems to maximize production, reliability, and environmental performance.
• Provide technical leadership and operational guidance to operations teams.
• Coordinate plant start-ups, shutdowns, commissioning activities, process transitions, and upset recovery efforts.
• Analyze operational data, identify performance gaps, and recommend corrective actions.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts involving process, equipment, instrumentation, and production challenges.
• Develop and improve operating procedures, standards, and best practices.
• Support reliability, integrity, and maintenance programs through technical expertise.
• Participate in hazard reviews, risk assessments, incident investigations, and root cause analyses.
• Act as a technical mentor and resource for operators across all experience levels.
• Collaborate with engineering, maintenance, reliability, and management teams to implement operational improvements.
• Champion health, safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance initiatives.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in industrial plant operations.
• Extensive experience in oil sands, SAGD, refining, upgrading, petrochemical, gas processing, or related heavy industrial facilities.
• Expert knowledge of control room operations, process optimization, and plant troubleshooting.
• Advanced understanding of DCS systems, process control philosophies, and production management.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex operational issues.
• Strong understanding of process safety, risk management, and operational excellence principles.
• Proven ability to coordinate work activities and provide technical leadership without direct supervisory responsibility.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and mentoring skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4th or 3rd Class Power Engineering certification.
• Oil Sands or SAGD operating experience.
• Experience supporting commissioning, debottlenecking, and operational improvement projects.
• Knowledge of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA).

Airswift

Airswift is an international workforce solutions provider within the energy, process and infrastructure industries. Airswift serves as a strategic partner to clients, offering a turnkey workforce solution to capture and deliver the top talent needed to complete successful projects by aligning with unique project needs. With over 1000 employees and 9,000 contractors operating in over 60 countries, Airswift's geographical reach and pool of talent available is unmatched in the industry.