Lead Instrumentation & Control Engineer

What Vista Does

Vista Projects is an integrated engineering firm who has been solving complex challenges in the energy industry since 1985. We are innovators at our core. We continually find better, smarter ways to design and deliver oil and gas projects, and we are proud to be contributing on some of the most exciting low-carbon and synthetic fuel developments in the North America. For our people, that means meaningful, varied work and a real chance to shape how modern engineering gets done.

We are innovators in the energy industry. We actively find ways to improve how oil and gas projects are designed and delivered, and we are contributing to some remarkable low-carbon and synthetic fuel developments; including electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects. We are headquartered in Calgary and maintain a satellite office in Houston.

Why We Do It

The world needs energy, and better engineering makes the projects that deliver it safer, more efficient and more sustainable. Our multi-discipline teams have designed some of the most challenging and successful projects in the North American energy sector, from early-stage studies and pilots to large-scale commercial expansions. We take pride in doing that work well, and just as much pride in continuously improving how we do it.

What You Would Do in This Role

The Lead Instrumentation & Control Engineer oversees a team responsible for designing various aspects of energy industry projects from inception to completion. Key responsibilities include:

• Project Planning and Management:
  • Develop and manage scopes of work, man-hour estimates, schedules, and priorities for projects or proposals.
  • Plan, allocate, and review work programs, ensuring alignment with project demands and timely updates to Vista’s platforms (e.g., ForecastWeb).
  • Prepare weekly progress reports detailing completed work, upcoming tasks, and discipline-specific needs.
  • Update project schedules weekly, marking task statuses and identifying potential delays, in coordination with Project Management.
• Team Leadership and Supervision:
  • Supervise and mentor the engineering team throughout the design and development phases, providing expertise and direction on engineering solutions.
  • Assign and review the work of discipline engineering staff, ensuring adherence to quality standards and project requirements.
• Technical Expertise and Design Oversight:
  • Guide the design and delivery of complex engineering projects, ensuring compliance with applicable codes, Vista, and client specifications.
  • Review vendor or subcontractor quotations, drawings, and specifications for technical adequacy and conformance with project requirements.
  • Approve discipline deliverables and support the development, implementation, and maintenance of design standards, checklists, and procedures.
• Client and Stakeholder Coordination:
  • Attend status meetings with clients, project management, and suppliers to coordinate activities and address project needs.
  • Communicate changes to work plans or resourcing needs through change management processes to project stakeholders.
• Quality and Compliance Assurance:
  • Ensure adherence to Vista's Quality Management System (QMS) and maintain current knowledge of industry and regulatory standards.
  • Authenticate documentation with a professional engineering stamp as required.
• Instrumentation and Control Design:
  • Prepare P&ID inputs and instrument selection.
  • Develop and review instrument indexes, datasheets, and sizing for instruments, F&G, and analyzers.
  • Create and review I/O lists, instrument wiring drawings, loop diagrams, and UPS load requirements.
  • Design PLC and fiber optic panels, control system architecture, and prepare related specifications and design criteria.
  • Prepare and review shutdown keys, cause and effect diagrams, control narratives, and philosophies.
  • Develop engineering work packages and review instrument location and wiring drawings.
• Construction and Vendor Support:
  • Provide technical support to vendors for DCS/SIS/FG panel design and fabrication, as well as mechanical/electrical equipment.
  • Offer construction support and assist in the negotiation of critical engineering issues.

Requirements

• Ten-plus years of progressive experience in facilities engineering and design in the energy industry.
• Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in engineering or applied science.
• Ability to work and collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team of engineers and designers including process, mechanical, civil, structural & architectural, electrical, instrumentation & controls and piping.
• P.Eng. registration with APEGA.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, technical competence and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated and efficient with time management.
• Strong working knowledge and understanding of applicable codes and industry standards.
• Ability to meet safety requirements to attend site visits.

Preferred

• 12 years or more of experience as a fully qualified engineer, with five years’ experience in the energy industry.
• Three or more years of experience leading an engineering team in an EPC environment.

Why People Like Vista

We do not just say we're a great place to work, our people do. Vista has been recognized by Great Place to Work as one of the Best Workplaces in Canada, a Best Workplace for Mental Health, and a Best Workplace for Women. These awards are earned through confidential surveys completed by our own team, so they reflect how people here actually feel and not just how we choose to describe ourselves.

What our people value most is how we work together. You will join experienced leaders and mentors who are genuinely invested in your growth, in teams built around collaboration rather than silos. We hire capable people, trust them to do their best work, and treat them as people rather than employee numbers. We are proud of the culture this creates, and we work hard to protect it as we grow.

Vista is also a place for people who like to make this better. If you are energized by innovating, by questioning how things are done and by helping vista continuously improve, you will be in good company. We back that work with strong, modern project systems run by people who know how to get the most from them, but it is our people, not our tools, that make Vista what it is.

What We Offer

An opportunity with Vista is more than a job. It is the chance to do challenging meaningful work alongside talented and supportive colleagues who want to see you succeed.

Vista offers all employees

• A challenging and rewarding work environment where you will contribute to meaningful projects across the energy industry
• Talented, collaborative colleagues who are invested in one another's success
• The chance to work alongside some of the sharpest minds in the industry, where your ideas are heard and innovation is part of how we actually work, not just something we say.
• A strong value-based philosophy that provides an informal, close-knit team environment, where you and your family feel like a part of our organization, and not just an employee number
• Competitive compensation and benefits, including a performance-linked variable pay program
• Company-sponsored social events and team sports
• Half-day Fridays and free parking
• An organization that values and encourages diversity

How to Apply

Please complete the application form below and include a cover letter concisely demonstrating how your skills and experience align with our job posting. By submitting this application, you consent to our Privacy Policy, and you consent to receive transactional electronic messages from Vista and third parties acting on our behalf.
Note: As part of the interview process there will be a technical testing component that will take up to two hours and can be completed at home on your own timeline. Candidates may be required to complete a security clearance procedure prior to receiving an offer.