Senior Inspector, Oil & Gas Operations - Hybrid

Location: All AER office locations, Alberta will be considered.

Employment Type: Full Time – Permanent

Salary Range: T4, $130,050 – $153,000 per year. The final compensation for this position will be determined based on individual factors, including education, qualifications, experience, and internal equity. This position may be eligible to receive a Northern Living allowance. Northern Living allowances are provided based on the location of the position and where an employee primarily works and resides.

Senior Inspector, Oil & Gas Operations - Hybrid The Opportunity The Regulatory Compliance (RC) branch at the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is currently recruiting for the position of Senior Inspector (SI), Oil & Gas Operations to join our team in Field Operations. This position will provide technical guidance and support to numerous teams in the areas of oil and gas wells and facility operations.

This Senior Inspector will provide leadership in creating and managing field compliance verification programs and internal processes for handling conventional and unconventional oil and gas operations. Coordinating inspection programs and applying the AER’s Integrated Decision Approach to guide compliance verification work around the province, will be a rewarding component of the role.

Your knack for problem solving and strong understanding of well and facility operations will help you support related project work, maintain existing provincial inspection programs, and monitor outcomes to focus efforts on new and emerging issues.

The Senior Inspector will deliver provincial leadership and subject matter expertise to a team of experienced inspectors, offer guidance and support to AER leadership, and work collaboratively with various professionals to ensure efficient regulatory oversight of Alberta’s resources.

What your day-to-day will look like

• Manage and contribute to provincial verification programs that are within the area of expertise, including verification, enforcement, regulatory and technical issues associated with oil and gas operations. Contribute to operational planning, including risk-based decision making, reporting of provincial team activities, trends and emerging issues, identifying priorities within the program and aligning with Integrated Decision Approach (IDA).
• Identify where new verification programs are required and coordinate, support & facilitate effective management and integration of well and facility verification programs across the branch and developing a program for targeted compliance and enforcement intervention. Resolve technical matters identified in inspections, create necessary processes and clarify policy matters.
• Provide technical support and/or guidance as a subject matter expert to audit and inspection staff, compliance assurance staff, incident responders, and other internal stakeholders, including after-hours support.
• Identify issues, conduct environmental scans, review inspections provincially to identify inconsistencies and engage with the applicable provincial teams and leadership (Manager, Regional Coordinator and Senior Leadership Team) to discuss trends/findings.
• Set and develop standards for field processes and documentation within scope of expertise. Work with staff and peers across the branch to execute verification programs.
• Mentor and coach staff, including joining them on inspections, to share technical expertise and ensure accurate and consistent outcomes across the province. Conduct field inspections to support operational plan and to maintain skillset. At the discretion of leadership, participate in on-call rotation and incident response as required.
• Provide pre and post inspection assistance, guidance and support to staff within respective area of knowledge on individual compliance verification activities in collaboration with Regional Coordinators and other teams, as warranted.
• Communicate regulatory expectations and requirements to external stakeholders, including licensees and other governmental agencies.

What we’re looking for in you

• Diploma in engineering, environmental sciences or other related education.
• 8-12 years of experience directly related to regulatory, field operations including knowledge of well, facility and pipeline operations.
• Proficiency with internal data management systems (FIS, COM, Tableau, Power BI) is an asset.
• Applied experience with the AER’s Integrated Compliance and Assurance Framework is preferred.
• Applied experience in a dynamic work environment (e.g. Changing business processes, rules, regulations, etc.)
• Effective communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships with the various teams.