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  2. Engineers
  3. Maintenance/Reliability Engineer

Maintenance/Reliability Engineer

NOC #21301, #70012

  • Environment Primarily indoor/office work
  • Education Post-secondary degree
  • Average salary $75,000 to $129,000

Career profile

Maintenance and reliability engineers ensure the seamless operation of critical equipment and machinery across the spectrum of the energy sector. They are responsible for everything from procuring the right equipment to overseeing its installation, operation, and maintenance.

Maintenance and reliability engineers are central to the safety and integrity of assets in the energy industry. Math, data analysis, performance assessment and process optimization skills are key to their ability to problem-solve and address operational and safety issues effectively. They often work in multi-disciplinary teams and can also lead maintenance and asset integrity departments in larger organizations. They may also specialize in maintenance turnarounds, pipelines or processing facilities.

Exploration and production, Oil and gas services, Pipelines, Offshore, Oil sands, Carbon capture, utilization and storage, Emissions reduction, Well site decommissioning, Geothermal, Wind

In this occupation activities may include:

  • Overview planning of scheduled maintenance programs.
  • Performing equipment reliability analysis to identify main drivers of equipment downtime and leading the process to determine cost effective solutions.
  • Researching, designing, evaluating, installing, operating or maintaining mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes.
  • Supervising technicians, technologists and other engineers by reviewing and approving designs, calculations and cost estimates.
  • Developing maintenance standards, schedules and programs and providing guidance to industrial maintenance crews.

Education

  • A bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or in a related engineering discipline is typically required.
  • A master’s degree or doctorate in a related engineering discipline may be required.

Licensing

  • Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
  • Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.

Additional Requirements

  • Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
  • Familiarity with API, ASME, NACE, CSA and other relevant codes and standards, as well as jurisdictional and legal requirements for pressure equipment
  • Experience with incident investigation and root cause failure analysis (RCA/RCFA)
  • Specific health and safety certifications may be required, determined by location of work and company requirements

  • Travel likely required
  • Primarily indoor/office work
  • Work not physically demanding
  • Work away from home/in camps

You know why problems arise in your facility and know how to properly solve them. When equipment isn’t working properly, you step in to investigate the cause, to diagnose faulty operations and recommend solutions. You also develop alternate designs or processing methods to find if there are better ways to operate existing machinery. You are key to keeping everything running smoothly.

  • Design Creation
  • Application of Engineering Design and Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Production and Processing
  • Preventative Maintenance
  • Operations Design Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation and Analysis
  • Technology Design
  • Professional Judgment and Decision Making
  • Mechanical Operation