Principal Engineer, Tailings

Closing Date: May 8, 2024

Are you an ambitious and proven Principal Tailings Engineer looking for a new challenge? Teck Coal is seeking an exceptional individual to join our team! This is a unique chance to create a significant impact in a forward-thinking company that is at the forefront of innovation.

Reporting to the Manager, Tailings, the Principal Engineer, Tailings is responsible for the tailings and geotechnical engineering Regulatory and Best Practice stewardship of tailings and water retaining structures (TWRSs) across Teck’s Coal Business Unit (BU) leading ultimately towards successful and sustainable closure. This position provides essential guidance and mentorship to Teck Coal’s team of Tailings Engineers, Tailings Qualified Professionals, and Responsible Tailings Facility Engineers, providing manager-level leadership by conducting technical reviews, offering regulatory guidance and implementation, and developing best-practice procedures for stewardship of the Coal BU TWRS portfolio. Additionally, this role represents Teck Coal's TWRS team to senior business leaders, industry groups, and stakeholder engagement. 

To be successful, we are looking for someone with advanced analytical, problem solving, risk analysis, and decision-making abilities. As this position requires strong leadership and supervisory skills, a motivated self-starter who thrives in multitasking team-based environments is essential. Exceptional communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, including experience in partner or community engagement are key in this role.

This role offers the flexibility of remote work, with periodic on-site visits to ensure operational alignment. You'll actively engage in both site-based and corporate office meetings, as well as conduct site visits as required. Working a compressed work week with alternating Fridays off, come experience what work life balance is all about! 
 

Responsibilities:

• Be a courageous safety leader, adhere to and sponsor safety and environmental rules and procedures
• Define and thoroughly communicate the Coal BU's expectations for the Tailings Management System (TMS), emphasizing continual improvement to TWRS engineering teams, site management, and senior executives
• Identify and assist with development of options for value optimization and reduction of risk and consider alignments across the full value chain. Assist site and BU teams in implementation of such initiatives
• Plan, organize, develop, and maintain a tailings guidance and procedures library, aligned with corporate and global best practices as appropriate
• Provide direct support to Qualified Persons/Responsible Tailings Facility Engineers on quality and timing of governance, stewardship and risk oversight of TSF’s and water retaining structures
• Provide review and endorsement support for annual and regulatory reports, submissions to senior leadership, communications with corporate, and TWRS-related public communications 
• Provide guidance and input on work scopes and performance expectations for Engineers of Record and Consultants
• Lead alignment to regulatory requirements, HSEC Standards, GISTM, ICMM guidelines, and other relevant standards across the TWRS portfolio
• Review analysis and recommendations of TMS data as requested by the operation
• Develop, introduce, and maintain education, awareness, and reporting system for TWRS procedures, guidance, regulatory, and best practice awareness and competency
• Develop and maintain current tailings Best Practice, industry and regulatory awareness. Ensure the information is available to help inform business decisions
• Assist with any required public consultations, information sharing and engagement
• Coordinate with various Coal BU teams(e.g. permitting, environmental, sustainable development, research and development) to integrate TWRS systems, guidance, regulatory requirements and best practices into business processes
• Lead a team of TWRS professionals

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Mining, Geological, Geotechnical, Environmental Engineering, or in a related field. A postgraduate qualification (Masters/Doctoral Degree or equivalent) in a relevant technical field is desirable
• Registered or eligible for registration as a Professional Engineer with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia
• Significant geotechnical engineering experience (15+ years) in design, monitoring, performance analysis, reporting, and stewardship of tailings and/or water dams and structures with extensive practical experience
• Excellent understanding of national and provincial regulations and legal requirements, permitting and legislative processes, and a broad knowledge of mining policy and best practice guidelines from the CDA, MAC, ICMM, and Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management 
• Advanced computer skills including proficiency in geotechnical modeling and design experience with TSF/dam inspections including DSR’s and DSI’s
• Preferably worked in a large matrix structured organization