Refinery Process Engineer

Position Title: Refinery Process Engineer
Location: Burnaby, BC
Contract Length: Full-time, Permanent
Relocation: Relocation package available for candidates relocating from outside the Vancouver/Burnaby area.
Work Eligibility: Candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada.



Position Summary:  As a member of the Technical Services team supporting the Burnaby Refinery, you will play a critical role in maintaining safe, reliable, and profitable operations. You will provide technical leadership on assigned process units, troubleshoot issues, support turnarounds, and develop innovative solutions to optimize performance. This role is ideal for a Process Engineer with refinery experience who is ready to take ownership of unit performance, influence business decisions, and mentor the next generation of Process Engineers.
Processes at the Burnaby refinery include crude distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrotreating, isomerization, catalytic reforming, alkylation, sulfur recovery, energy and utilities, wastewater treatment, and blending and shipping.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• 5 years of technical support for operating refinery units (unit / contact process engineer)
• Solid Chemical Engineering skills (hydraulics, heat/mass transfer, reactions, etc.)
• Experience with Catalysts and adsorbents related processes (selection, working with vendors, procurement, etc.)
• Strong PSM background: PHA/LOPA/HAZOP.
• Experience with Root Cause Analysis / Incident Investigations
• A thorough understanding of process unit KPIs, unit monitoring, optimization, revamps, etc.
• Economic thinking (project idea generation, economic analysis, etc.)
• Process modeling expertise (Aspen HYSYS)

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence:

• Monitor and optimize day-to-day performance of assigned process units
• Support high-profile troubleshooting efforts by applying strong engineering fundamentals and refinery experience to resolve complex operational challenges.
• Conduct plant test runs and structured trials with Operations to validate process assumptions, define best operating practices, and establish process guidelines.
• Perform audits of unit performance reports and calculations, ensuring technical accuracy and alignment with refinery KPIs.
• Provide technical support for turnarounds, including scope development and screening, preparation, execution and post-execution performance reviews.
• Actively contribute to process safety by participating in PHAs, LOPAs, MOCs, and incident investigations.

Innovation & Projects:

• Actively participate in the identification, evaluation and execution of opportunities for process improvements, debottlenecking, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction, supported by strong business cases and economic analyses.
• Develop and maintain process simulation and unit monitoring models (Aspen HYSYS or equivalent), updating or building models to reflect current operating conditions and support decision-making.
• Collaborate with catalyst and adsorbent vendors for procurement, lifecycle management, and performance monitoring to maximize unit efficiency and reliability.
• Develop or update technical toolkits and dashboards for monitoring key performance indicators, ensuring unit health and rapid troubleshooting.
• Provide support for benchmark studies, including Solomon studies, to maintain competitive performance standards.

Leadership & Mentorship:

• Lead troubleshooting efforts, process hazard analyses, and unit monitoring activities.
• Build and maintain a strong technical network within Parkland and the wider refining community, engaging with industry experts, catalyst suppliers, and technology providers.
• Actively participate in cross-functional teams, driving alignment between Operations, Maintenance, HSE, and Projects on technical initiatives.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering is required.
• Registered or eligible for immediate registration with EGBC as an EIT or P.Eng.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in an oil and gas industrial plant environment and/or petrochemical facility process engineering, with hands-on experience in process units.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience in a refinery setting, with a strong track record in Process Engineering.
• Proven experience as a Process Engineer or Project Engineer, successfully leading and implementing projects in an oil refinery.
• Expertise in process modeling simulation using tools like Aspen HYSYS.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively thrive in a cross-functional team environment, fostering collaboration and driving project success.

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.