Director, Permitting, Pacific Link

Trans Mountain Corporation operates Canada’s only pipeline system transporting oil products to the West Coast. We deliver approximately 890,000 barrels of petroleum products each day through a dual pipeline system of more than 1,150 kilometres of pipeline in Alberta, British Columbia and Washington state.

Trans Mountain also operates a state-of-the-art loading facility, Westridge Marine Terminal, with three berths providing tidewater access to global markets.

As a federal Crown corporation, Trans Mountain continues to build on more than 70 years of experience delivering operational and safety excellence through our crude oil pipeline system.

With our expanded pipeline system now in place, Trans Mountain provides enhanced direct access for Canadian crude oil to world markets. The expansion realizes a world-class system for oil transport, developed to Canada’s high standards within one of the most stringent regulatory regimes in the world, creating long-term economic benefits, enhanced marine protection, enhanced safety and emergency management capabilities, and enhanced skilled-worker capacity building in communities and Indigenous groups.

Our Core Values

Trans Mountain’s core values – Safety, Integrity, Respect and Excellence – guide our every step. Each obstacle we’ve overcome or success we’ve experienced has been the result of a shared commitment to living these values every day. Together, we’re focused on doing the right thing for each other and our communities. If you are looking for an opportunity to apply your strengths in an environment that encourages Safety, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence, we invite you to explore this opportunity with us!

Location: Calgary, AB

Department: Pacific Link

Reports to: VP, Regulatory, Land and Environment

Worker Type: Employee

Schedule Type: Full-Time

Work Setting: In-office

Trans Mountain is seeking a collaborative, motivated, and values driven individual to join our dynamic team as a Director, Permitting, Pacific Link. In this position, you will play a key role in the permitting strategy, governance and delivery required to advance Pacific Link through development, construction, commissioning and close-out. Reporting to the VP, Regulatory, Land and Environment, the Director leads the planning, preparation, submission and management of project permits, approvals, authorizations, amendments, renewals and related conditions across provincial, municipal and third-party jurisdictions.

The successful candidate will demonstrate establishes an integrated permitting roadmap aligned with design maturity, land access, Indigenous consultation, environmental requirements and construction sequencing. This position offers the opportunity to work across Regulatory, Land, Environment, Indigenous Relations, Engineering, Construction, Legal, Project Controls and liaising with external agencies, the role ensures non-federal permit requirements, dependencies, risks and commitments are visible, owned and resolved in time to support project milestones and execution readiness.

Key Responsibilities

Permitting Strategy, Governance and Leadership

• Lead the Pacific Link permitting strategy, roadmap and integrated execution plan across the project lifecycle.
• Establish governance, decision rights, standards, quality controls, readiness criteria and performance measures for permitting activities.
• Advise the VP and project governance bodies on permitting pathways, critical dependencies, approval risks, options, consequences and decisions required.
• Lead and develop the permitting team and external specialists, establishing clear accountabilities, priorities and escalation pathways.

Permit Portfolio Planning and Delivery

• Direct the identification, scoping, preparation, review, submission and tracking of permits, approvals, authorizations, amendments, renewals and close-out requirements.
• Maintain an integrated permit portfolio and schedule aligned with project milestones, design deliverables, land access, consultation activities and construction sequencing.
• Ensure application strategies and submission packages are complete, accurate, consistent and supported by appropriate technical, environmental, land and consultation evidence.
• Oversee transportation, access, utility, crossing, water, municipal, railway and other project-related permits and authorizations, including associated third-party interfaces.

Agency and Authority Relationships

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with provincial regulators, municipalities, transportation authorities, utilities, railways and other permitting bodies.
• Lead strategic engagement to clarify requirements, resolve issues, coordinate review timelines and support timely, defensible approval outcomes.
• Oversee responses to agency information requests, technical comments, permit conditions and follow-up requirements.
• Act as the senior escalation point for permitting constraints, disputed requirements and matters with material schedule, cost, legal or reputational implications.

Cross-Functional Integration and Execution Readiness

• Integrate permit requirements and approval dependencies into project schedules, stage-gate deliverables, procurement strategies and construction work packages.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary inputs from Engineering, Environment, Indigenous Relations, Land, Survey, Construction, Legal and other functions.
• Partner with the Director, Land to align permits with land access, crossing agreements, third-party consents and route requirements.
• Provide permitting assurance at design, readiness and work-front release reviews and escalate where approvals, conditions or evidence are insufficient for work to proceed.

Conditions, Compliance and Assurance

• Ensure permit conditions, commitments, reporting obligations, amendments, renewals and close-out requirements are communicated, assigned and tracked to completion.
• Establish traceability between permit requirements, responsible owners, supporting evidence, regulator correspondence and closure records.
• Oversee permitting risk assessments, assurance reviews and corrective actions for gaps, delays, non-compliances or changing requirements.
• Support inspections, audits, compliance-verification activities and formal information requests related to permits and authorizations.

Risk, Performance and Contractor Management

• Maintain a consolidated view of permitting risks, constraints and schedule impacts and lead coordinated mitigation and issue resolution.
• Develop scopes of work, contracting strategies, budgets and resource plans for permitting services in collaboration with Supply Chain Management and Project Controls.
• Oversee consultant and contractor performance against scope, quality, cost and schedule expectations.
• Provide clear dashboards, forecasts and executive reports on permit status, critical path approvals, conditions, risks and decisions required.
• Ensure complete, accurate, traceable and retrievable permitting records support regulatory, audit, construction and operational requirements.

Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Post-secondary education in Environmental Science, Engineering, Planning, Regulatory Affairs, Natural Resources, Public Policy or a related discipline; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
• 10 years of progressive experience; responsible permitting, regulatory or environmental approvals experience, including leadership of permitting programs for major pipeline, energy or linear infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated permitting strategies across provincial, municipal and third-party jurisdictions.
• Strong knowledge of permit applications, authorizations, amendments, renewals, conditions, commitments, evidence, compliance and close-out requirements.
• Experience integrating permitting with engineering, environmental assessment, Indigenous consultation, land access, construction sequencing and project controls.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and external consultants in complex, schedule-driven project environments.
• Strong executive judgment, agency relationship management, negotiation, communication, risk management and decision-making skills.

Working Conditions

• Willingness and ability to travel as required.
• Must have a valid Class 5 driver’s license.
• May need to provide support outside of regular business hours and/or on the weekend.

At Trans Mountain, we believe in an inclusive, accessible, and barrier free recruitment and selection process for all applicants. If you require an accommodation at any point in the process, please contact us at: [email protected] or the designated Talent Acquisition Advisor. Accommodation requests will not affect the assessment of your application or candidacy or the designated Talent Acquisition Advisor. Accommodation requests will not affect the assessment of your application or candidacy.

We Build Careers and Pipelines That Last

Our story is about determination, resourcefulness and resilience. It’s about charting our own course, finding innovative solutions to challenging problems and doing the right thing. It was true when Trans Mountain became a company in 1951 and it’s just as true today. We welcome new members to our team that embrace the qualities in our story, that thrive on the new path and directions we take. Our culture is one of care and taking our responsibilities seriously. If you would like to contribute to our culture, then join our journey.

A Rewarding Opportunity

We offer:

• Valuable experience providing opportunity for professional development and career advancement;
• An opportunity to engage with and learn from some of the most talented and experienced people in the business;
• Competitive compensation;
• Comprehensive benefits programs including flexible benefits, pension and savings plans;
• A place to share a sense of purpose and build relationships;
• Meaningful work that makes a difference;
• An opportunity within the Canadian energy industry.

We value:

• The health, safety and wellness of everyone working in our company;
• Meaningful participation from Indigenous and local communities;
• The commitment and resilience of our people;
• Collaboration and achieving success together.

In keeping with Trans Mountain’s commitment to maximize benefits for communities, priority will be given to qualified candidates from Indigenous, local and regional communities along the Trans Mountain pipeline corridor.

In Alberta, the pipeline system spans the traditional territories of Treaty 6, 7 and 8, and the Métis Nation of Alberta (Zone 4).

In British Columbia, the system crosses the traditional territories of numerous First Nations that are affiliated with the Secwepemc, Dakelh (Carrier), Nlaka'pamux, Syilx/Okanagan, Interior and Coast Salish, Stó:lo, as well as the Métis.

Trans Mountain also operates through 15 First Nation Reserves located within the region spanning the BC interior through Fraser Valley.

Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

Trans Mountain is committed to fostering inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. The diverse viewpoints and cultural knowledge that our employees bring to work enrich our organization’s collective cultural understanding, which is reflected in the work we do every day. We strive to create an environment that is free of barriers to promote full participation in the workplace. Trans Mountain welcomes new team members from traditionally underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.