Lead Instrumentation Engineer

Job Title: Lead Instrumentation Engineer

The Lead Instrumentation Engineer provides high-quality instrumentation and control (I&C) engineering services across large, complex industrial projects in sectors such as energy, mining, chemicals, and infrastructure. This role leads the technical execution of I&C engineering work to meet scope, schedule, budget, and quality requirements, while actively mentoring and developing the instrumentation team. The position combines hands-on technical leadership, project delivery oversight, and close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams throughout the full project lifecycle, from design and procurement through construction and commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of instrumentation and control engineering activities on assigned projects or defined project scopes, ensuring delivery meets agreed scope, schedule, budget, and quality requirements.
• Deliver instrumentation engineering services that comply with client requirements, internal standards, and applicable statutory and regulatory codes.
• Support project planning and delivery by participating in project meetings, preparing progress reports, and ensuring adherence to checking and quality assurance procedures.
• Ensure project scope is clearly defined and manage scope changes in accordance with project change management processes.
• Provide technical input and support during procurement, including preparation and review of material requisitions, technical bid evaluations, and review of vendor documentation and purchase orders.
• Coordinate instrumentation engineering activities with multidisciplinary teams, including process, electrical, mechanical, piping, and automation, to achieve integrated project delivery.
• Lead and oversee the development of key I&C deliverables such as junction box and marshalling panel designs, P&IDs, loop diagrams, wiring diagrams, instrument location drawings, motor control and interconnection schematics, instrument installation details, instrument datasheets and specifications, I/O lists, bills of material, cable, conduit, and tray schedules, control narratives and philosophies, cause and effect diagrams, and construction and engineering work packages.
• Apply strong working knowledge of instrumentation selection and application, including flow, level, temperature, and pressure measurement, and ensure appropriate technologies are specified for project conditions.
• Participate in process safety and operability studies such as HAZOP and LOPA, and incorporate study outcomes into the instrumentation and control design.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies between internal standards and client standards or requirements, proposing practical and compliant solutions.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and technical support to intermediate and junior engineers and designers, fostering their development and ensuring consistent technical quality.
• Communicate effectively with internal teams, clients, and other project stakeholders to clarify requirements, resolve issues, and maintain alignment on project objectives.
• Proactively identify technical risks and issues related to instrumentation and control, develop appropriate mitigation strategies, and escalate concerns when necessary.
• Support construction and commissioning activities by responding to technical queries, reviewing field changes, and ensuring that installed systems align with the approved design.
• Contribute to workshare execution with global teams, ensuring effective collaboration and quality of deliverables from shared-service locations.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical, Chemical, Automation, or a closely related discipline.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng) designation with demonstrated experience in engineering review and stamping of deliverables.
• Approximately 15 to 30 years of experience in instrumentation and control engineering, with at least 10 years of experience working in an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) environment.
• Proven experience leading an instrumentation and control team of approximately 4 to 5 onshore engineers and designers.
• Demonstrated experience delivering instrumentation and control engineering work on industrial projects such as energy, mining, chemicals, or infrastructure.
• Strong working knowledge of engineering systems, workflows, and document management tools such as SAP, KMS, or equivalent project systems.
• Hands-on experience with controls systems, including DeltaV or Honeywell platforms.
• Practical experience participating in process safety and operability studies such as HAZOP and LOPA, and implementing resulting actions into engineering design.
• Deep understanding of core I&C deliverables, including P&IDs, loop diagrams, wiring diagrams, instrument location drawings, motor control and interconnection schematics, instrument installation details, instrument datasheets and specifications, I/O lists, bills of material, cable and tray schedules, control narratives and philosophies, cause and effect diagrams, and construction and engineering work packages.
• Solid knowledge of instrumentation selection and application for flow measurement (orifice, vortex, venturi, magnetic, ultrasonic), level measurement (radar, displacers, gauges), temperature measurement (including thermowell design and frequency wake calculations), and pressure measurement.
• Ability to interpret and apply project scope definition, workshare execution models, and the practical implications of TA/NTA execution approaches.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering teams and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage technical quality, schedule, and budget for instrumentation and control scopes of work.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working within large EPC project environments, particularly on multi-billion-dollar industrial projects.
• Familiarity with instrumentation and control design tools such as SPI or similar software platforms.
• Experience with Honeywell control systems in addition to DeltaV.
• Exposure to motor control centers (MCC) and associated instrumentation and control interfaces.
• Positive, collaborative mindset with demonstrated experience in workshare execution with teams based in regions such as India and Colombia.
• Experience supporting or leading workshare arrangements, including quality control of deliverables produced by remote teams.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in managing multiple projects or project phases concurrently.
• Ability to mentor and develop less experienced engineers and designers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Comfort working across various project phases, from early concept and front-end engineering through detailed design, construction, and commissioning.

Work Environment

The role operates within a dynamic instrumentation and control department that supports a large portfolio of major industrial projects in Western Canada and beyond. The Lead Instrumentation Engineer reports into the I&C department leadership and works closely with process, electrical, mechanical, piping, and automation teams. The project portfolio includes significant oil sands SAGD expansions, production increase projects, large-scale cogeneration and post-combustion carbon capture facilities, multiple mega pipeline projects with compressor stations, a large greenfield gas processing facility, and a gas plant relocation project, as well as ongoing portfolio work with oil and gas operators and midstream companies. The environment is project-driven, with exposure to multi-billion-dollar total installed cost programs over several years. Work is primarily office-based, using modern engineering systems, document management tools such as SAP and KMS, and specialized instrumentation design software, with regular virtual and in-person collaboration across disciplines and global workshare locations. The culture emphasizes technical excellence, safety, teamwork, and mentoring, offering opportunities to lead and grow a high-performing instrumentation and control team while contributing to complex, long-duration projects.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Calgary, AB.

The pay range for this position is $80.00 - $100.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Calgary, AB.

This is a hybrid position in Calgary,AB.

À propos d'Actalent

Actalent est un leader mondial dans les services dingénierie et de sciences ainsi que dans les solutions de talents. Nous aidons des entreprises visionnaires à faire progresser leurs initiatives dingénierie et de science grâce à laccès à des experts spécialisés qui favorisent léchelle, linnovation et la rapidité de mise sur le marché. Avec un réseau de près de 20 000 consultants et 5 000 clients à travers les États-Unis, le Canada, lAsie et lEurope, Actalent dessert de nombreuses entreprises du Fortune 500. Nous sommes fiers dêtre lune des 500 meilleures firmes de conception de lEngineering News-Record (ENR) pour nos services de conception en ingénierie et un lauréat du prix ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® tant pour le service client que pour les talents.

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Si vous souhaitez faire une demande daccommodement raisonnable, tel que la modification ou lajustement du processus de demande demploi ou dentrevue à cause dun handicap, veuillez envoyer un courriel à [email protected] pour connaître dautres options daccommodement.

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About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.