Thermal Operator Jobs in Alberta (NOW HIRING)

The Opportunity:

Looking for an opportunity that combines hands-on field experience with real-world engineering projects? Join Canadian Natural and gain firsthand exposure to how our assets are operated, maintained, and optimized.

This 16-month student opportunity begins with a four-month placement at one of our Conventional operations, where you'll relocate to a field location and gain practical experience through relief operating and field engineering assignments. Working alongside Operations and Engineering teams, you'll develop an understanding of facility processes, equipment, production operations, and the day-to-day challenges of running safe and reliable assets.

Following the field term, you will transition to our Calgary office, where you will spend the remainder of your work term supporting either a Facilities Engineering team or a Production/Exploitation Engineering team within our Conventional or Thermal operations. Depending on your assignment, you will contribute to projects focused on facility performance and reliability, production optimization, asset development, reservoir management, and continuous improvement initiatives.

This unique combination of field and office experience provides valuable insight into the full lifecycle of our operations, allowing you to connect practical field knowledge with engineering principles. Whether supporting Facilities, Production, or Exploitation Engineering, you will gain exposure to the technical and operational decisions that drive safe, reliable, and efficient asset performance.

 If you are adaptable, eager to learn, and excited by the opportunity to gain both field and engineering experience, this role is for you.

• Job location: One of our various field locations throughout Alberta, Northern BC, or Saskatchewan followed by Calgary, AB - head office
• Shift schedule: TBD
• Term length: 16 months
• Term start: May 2027
• Safety sensitive position: Yes

Key Accountabilities:

As a Field Operations Student:

• Contribute to a strong safety culture by completing hazard assessments, conducting worksite safety observations, and identifying opportunities to improve safe operations.
• Gain hands-on experience supporting conventional oil and gas operations, including light oil, heavy oil, gas, gas plant, thermal, and battery facilities.
• Monitor, inspect, troubleshoot, and optimize equipment and production systems to support safe, reliable, and efficient operations.
• Develop practical knowledge of production equipment and recovery methods, including water floods, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), pump jacks, and progressive cavity (PC) pumps.
• Perform well testing, production reporting, and field data collection to support operational performance and engineering decision-making.
• Collaborate with Operations and Engineering teams to identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities that enhance production, reliability, and efficiency.

As a Facilities Engineering Student:

• Support Facilities Engineering teams in delivering safe, reliable, and efficient operations.
• Participate in Process Hazard Assessments (PHAs), risk assessments, and other safety reviews to help identify and mitigate operational risks.
• Assist with the planning and execution of operational and capital projects.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC) and project gate processes to support the safe and effective execution of engineering projects.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve facility performance, enhance reliability, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Apply engineering principles to analyze technical challenges and develop practical solutions that create business value.

As a Production/Exploitation Engineering Student:

• Support Production and Exploitation Engineering teams in delivering safe, reliable, and efficient operations.
• Analyze production, drilling, completion, geological, reservoir, and operational data to support asset evaluations and development opportunities.
• Monitor production performance, investigate operational issues, and identify opportunities to optimize recovery and maximize asset value.
• Assist with technical studies and engineering evaluations to support reservoir management, production optimization, and asset development activities.
• Develop and maintain engineering reports, dashboards, tools, and data analyses to support operational and business decision-making.
• Collaborate with Exploitation, Reservoir, Production, Operations, Geoscience, and other technical teams to support safe, reliable, and efficient production.

What You Bring to The Role:

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in Chemical, Mechanical or Petroleum engineering preferred, all other engineering disciplines will be considered
• Positive attitude and eagerness to learn.
• Previous field experience is considered an asset
• Experience operating a pickup truck and comfort traveling to field locations in varying road and weather conditions are considered assets.
• Required to be physically and mentally fit for work.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel; experience with Power BI, Spotfire, SQL, or Python is considered an asset.
• Responsible attitude towards safety, demonstrate leadership and enjoy problem solving
• Possess a valid Class 5 Alberta driver's license or an equivalent out of province license
• A pre-employment drug screening test must be successfully completed

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.

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!