Senior Engineer Supervisor, Tailings

Role Overview

Teck is a leading Canadian resource company focused on responsibly providing the metals essential for global development and the energy transition while caring for the people, communities and land that we love.

Embrace Courageous Safety Leadership (CSL): At Teck, safety is a core value, central to our work culture. Through programs like CSL, we empower every employee to be a safety leader, fostering a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks. As part of our team, you'll contribute to sustaining this safety-first environment, where speaking up and driving positive change are not just encouraged but expected.

Reporting to the Superintendent Geotechnical, the Senior Engineer Supervisor, Tailings Engineering is responsible for managing a team responsible for ensuring safe performance of the many dams on site, advancing the maturity of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) and technical studies, designs and mitigations to manage risk for tailings and water storage facilities at Highland Valley Copper (HVC), the largest Canadian open pit copper mine. The Highland TSF is undergoing a major expansion for the Mine Life Extension project, and this role will need to ensure that capacity is maintained to support the operation by ensuring that the dam performance is understood, predicted, and monitored to avoid interruptions. This key role will liaise closely with the Engineer of Record team, Dam Construction and Operations personnel and other key internal and external stakeholders, community members and consultants, to drive high performance and maintain the HVC dam safety group as a recognized center of excellence.

To be successful, we are looking for a motivated self-starter with excellent interpersonal skills and proven experience in overseeing and coordinating multiple internal resources and external consultants in high functioning, collaborative project teams. The candidate must have strong analytical and problem-solving skills and be able to develop and communicate practical recommendations and risk management actions to mine management, engineers and operations or construction personnel. Demonstrated experience with dam safety activities, geotechnical engineering and instrumentation, tailings governance systems and project management is required; exposure to mining or tailings operations with an owner will be considered an asset. The ability to work well in a team environment, manage consultants and the Tailings Review Board, and oversee project schedules and budgets is integral to the role. 

You will have the opportunity to contribute to a range of engineering design, management and projects in a world-class operation. There will be abundant opportunities to grow your knowledge base, apply your site-based technical skills and communicate with the Accountable Executive.  This is a site-based position on an earned day off schedule (every second Friday off); both field and office work will be required as part of the role.

Key Responsibilities

• Be a courageous safety leader, adhere to and sponsor safety and environmental rules and procedures, perform regular Visible Felt Leadership (VFL) field visits.
• Develop and maintain relationships with management, technical and operational staff. Align with the Teck Center to ensure communication, visibility to site and implementation of standards and guidance.
• Supervise and provide guidance to a team of engineers and technicians; mentor and develop capacity within the group.
• Function as the Deputy Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer or Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer, and BC TSF Qualified Person, dependent on experience.
• Accountable for the dam safety instrumentation program, ensuring completion of scheduled data and surveillance activities and reporting on program and instrumentation KPIs in weekly and monthly routines.
• Plan, manage risk and execute field investigation programs (bathymetry survey, geotechnical investigation programs, dam maintenance activities, etc.)
• Maintain HVC compliance with all regulatory requirements (e.g. BC Health, Safety and Reclamation Code, Water Sustainability Act Dam Safety Regulation).
• Maintain HVC conformance with external tailings management standards, inclusive of Mining Association of Canada Towards Sustainable Mining Level AAA rating and the GISTM.
• Manage, review and provide oversight of work completed by external engineering consultants.
• Develop and prepare annual and multi-year plans, budgets and forecasts aligned with mid and long-term dam safety objectives, ensuring accurate cost projections and alignment with operational and strategic initiatives.
• Provide geotechnical support and guidance to construction execution, and troubleshooting as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Civil, Geological/Geotechnical, Mining Engineering or equivalent.
• Registered, or eligible to register, with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) as a P. Eng.
• Previous geotechnical engineering and tailings management experience, minimum 8yrs. Operating experience is considered an asset.
• Experience reading and understanding technical engineering principles, documents and drawings.
• Understanding of planning and scheduling principles and procedures.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office, Maximo, AutoCAD, Muk3D and other geotechnical software.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Valid driver’s license