Engineering Student – Oil Sands Plant
Canadian Natural ResourcesJobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
Canadian Natural Resources is offering an 8 or 12 month student work term for an engineering student to join the Plant Operations team in Fort McMurray (Albian or Horizon Oil Sands sites). The role covers Reliability, Facilities and Sustaining Capital projects with hands on exposure to equipment and operations. You will collaborate with operations, maintenance and project teams to improve safety and uptime, review assets and maintenance work packages, and assist with PLC and SCADA. Ideal candidates are enrolled in a bachelor’s program (Mechanical or Electrical preferred; others may be considered) with strong mechanical aptitude and rotating equipment knowledge; programming skills are a plus. Requirements include a valid Class 5 Alberta license, pre employment drug screen and legal authorization to work in Canada. Apply with resume, cover letter and unofficial transcripts and highlight mentorship interest and field readiness; apply early as this safety sensitive role is filled quickly.
The Opportunity:
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
- Assist engineers in producing maintenance work packages
- 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:
- Competitive salary
- 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
Check out our COMPENSATION & BENEFITS overview to see what we have to offer!
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.
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.
We are proud to share that Canadian Natural has been ranked as a Top Employer for 2023, 2024 and 2025 by Canada's Future Workforce and also one of Forbes' Canada's Best Employers in 2025 and 2026.
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!