Gas & Power Operations Manager
Natural Gas Asset Reactivation & Power Generation
Location: Calgary, Alberta, with regular travel to project sites across Alberta
Position Type: Full-time
Engagement: Employment or full-time contract, depending on the selected candidate and agreed arrangement
Reports to: Executive Management
Availability: Additional availability may be required during field activities, commissioning, startup, shutdowns and operational events
About Armada Nowlit Energy
Armada Nowlit Energy (“ANE”) is developing and operating energy infrastructure in Alberta, with a focus on natural-gas production, gas facilities and on-site power generation.
ANE is advancing a portfolio of assets at different stages of assessment, reactivation, development and operation. Our work requires coordinated management of regulatory obligations, field execution, asset integrity, commissioning and ongoing operations.
The Opportunity
ANE is seeking an experienced, hands-on Gas & Power Operations Manager to lead the assessment, regulatory readiness, reactivation, commissioning and ongoing operation of natural-gas wells, gas facilities, gathering systems and gas-fired power-generation assets.
The successful candidate will take assigned assets from inactive, suspended, transferred or development status through technical assessment, regulatory preparation, field execution, commissioning and stable operation.
This is not a purely administrative, engineering-design or regulatory-advisory position. The successful candidate must be comfortable inspecting field assets, reviewing technical and regulatory records, developing executable reactivation plans, coordinating qualified contractors and leading field activities through safe and documented completion.
The position requires strong Alberta upstream operating experience, practical field judgment and the ability to coordinate gas production and power-generation activities across multiple sites.
Key ResponsibilitiesAsset Assessment and Reactivation Planning
- Review the regulatory, physical and operating status of assigned wells, gas facilities, pipelines and power-generation assets.
- Review available well files, completion records, production history, pressure data, integrity information, inspection records, maintenance history, drawings and suspension documentation.
- Conduct or coordinate field inspections of wellheads, leases, access roads, pipelines, facilities, generation equipment and associated infrastructure.
- Identify integrity, safety, environmental, regulatory, access and operational-readiness deficiencies.
- Develop prioritized reactivation plans, budgets, schedules, contractor scopes and responsibility matrices.
- Clearly identify the conditions that must be satisfied before field work, startup or operation may proceed.
- Maintain a consolidated action register and drive deficiencies through documented resolution.
Well Reactivation and Production Operations
- Develop and coordinate programs to return inactive or suspended natural-gas wells to service.
- Coordinate pressure testing, well servicing, equipment repair, instrumentation installation and related field activities.
- Confirm that required inspections, testing, regulatory notifications, documentation and approvals are complete before returning wells to production.
- Coordinate qualified well-service, pressure-testing, instrumentation and maintenance contractors.
- Monitor initial and ongoing production and investigate integrity, deliverability, pressure or operating concerns.
- Establish appropriate well-inspection, surveillance, maintenance and production-recording practices.
- Maintain complete well files demonstrating regulatory and operational readiness.
Gas Facility Reactivation and Operation
- Assess the readiness of gas plants, compressor sites, dehydration equipment, separators, pressure-control systems, measurement equipment and associated utilities.
- Review P&IDs, process descriptions, equipment lists, inspection records, maintenance history and operating procedures.
- Identify incomplete, damaged, obsolete, missing or non-compliant equipment.
- Coordinate mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, controls, pressure-equipment and process-safety work.
- Coordinate inspection and servicing of pressure vessels, piping, safety devices, flare or vent systems and fuel-gas equipment.
- Confirm that measurement, sampling, production-accounting and reporting systems are ready before startup.
- Lead pre-startup safety reviews and operational-readiness reviews.
- Coordinate controlled startup, performance testing, deficiency correction and transition into routine operation.
- Establish operating limits, alarm-response requirements, shutdown procedures and escalation protocols.
Pipeline and Gathering-System Readiness
- Assess the operating status and integrity of licensed pipelines and field gathering systems.
- Review inspection, testing, repair, corrosion, crossing, isolation and operating records.
- Coordinate leak testing, integrity assessment, valve servicing, line locating and required corrective work.
- Confirm that pipeline status, operating conditions, isolation points and field configurations are accurately documented.
- Coordinate applicable regulatory submissions, notifications and records relating to pipeline reactivation or operation.
- Establish inspection, surveillance, maintenance and emergency-response practices.
- Ensure that equipment with unresolved integrity concerns remains appropriately isolated until assessed and cleared.
Power-Generation Commissioning and Operations
- Lead the readiness, commissioning, startup and operation of natural-gas reciprocating-engine generation facilities.
- Assess generators, auxiliary equipment, fuel-gas systems, controls, electrical systems and balance-of-plant infrastructure.
- Develop commissioning plans, startup procedures, test protocols and deficiency registers.
- Coordinate generator vendors, electricians, controls specialists, engineers, gas contractors and other service providers.
- Verify readiness for energization, fuel introduction, functional testing and load testing.
- Coordinate equipment startup, performance verification and transition into routine operation.
- Establish operating procedures, alarm-response practices, shutdown protocols and maintenance requirements.
- Coordinate warranty, service and equipment-performance matters with manufacturers and suppliers.
- Monitor availability, fuel consumption, equipment performance, downtime and recurring operating issues.
Regulatory and Environmental Compliance
- Establish and maintain a consolidated compliance register for wells, facilities, pipelines and generation assets.
- Review applicable AER licences, approvals, conditions, directives, reporting requirements and outstanding compliance matters.
- Coordinate regulatory submissions, notifications, responses and supporting documentation.
- Support licence-transfer and related processes, including information required under applicable AER liability-management requirements.
- Coordinate with the Orphan Well Association when an asset, transfer, reactivation, closure obligation or regulatory process involves the OWA.
- Track regulatory deadlines, approval conditions, inspection findings, commitments and corrective actions.
- Coordinate responses to regulator questions, inspections, non-compliance notices and requests for information.
- Work with regulatory, environmental, engineering, land, legal and other specialists where professional or specialized advice is required.
- Review historical spills, releases, contamination concerns and reclamation conditions associated with each site.
- Establish appropriate spill-prevention, waste-management, chemical-handling and environmental-inspection practices.
- Coordinate environmental assessments, sampling, remediation or specialist review when required.
- Ensure that field activities do not proceed without the required licence status, approvals, notifications, qualified personnel and supporting documentation.
Operating and Maintenance Systems
- Establish procedures for startup, shutdown, normal operations, abnormal conditions and emergency response.
- Develop daily, weekly and monthly inspection requirements.
- Establish operating logs, production records, maintenance records and management-reporting systems.
- Develop preventive and predictive maintenance schedules.
- Create equipment registers and maintain service, inspection and warranty histories.
- Establish critical-spare-parts, consumables, tools and contractor-support requirements.
- Coordinate planned maintenance, repairs and shutdowns.
- Monitor well production, gas quality, fuel availability, equipment reliability and overall asset performance.
- Recommend the staffing, callout and contractor-support model required for reliable operations.
Health and Safety
- Lead site hazard assessments, pre-job planning and contractor-safety coordination.
- Establish appropriate requirements for lockout/tagout, electrical safety, pressure systems, fuel gas, confined-space entry, ground disturbance and hot work.
- Confirm that personnel and contractors are trained, competent and authorized for their assigned work.
- Coordinate emergency-response plans covering wells, pipelines, gas facilities and generation equipment.
- Stop work when unsafe, unauthorized or non-compliant conditions exist.
- Coordinate incident, near-miss and corrective-action documentation.
- Ensure that regulated work is performed or approved by appropriately qualified professionals or trades.
- Maintain complete records of orientations, permits, inspections and corrective actions.
Contractor, Cost and Schedule Management
- Prepare clear scopes of work for well servicing, facility repairs, pipeline work, inspections, commissioning and maintenance.
- Obtain and technically evaluate contractor and vendor quotations.
- Recommend contractor selections based on competence, safety performance, cost, schedule and execution risk.
- Coordinate mobilization, site access, orientation and field execution.
- Monitor contractor safety, quality, cost and schedule performance.
- Verify completed work and supporting documentation before recommending invoice approval.
- Track deficiencies, warranties, commitments and outstanding deliverables.
- Maintain effective working relationships with service companies, equipment suppliers and technical specialists.
Documentation and Management Reporting
- Maintain organized and auditable records for each well, facility, pipeline and generation asset.
- Maintain current equipment lists, drawings, licences, approvals, inspection records, operating procedures and contractor documentation.
- Prepare concise weekly reports addressing safety, regulatory status, field progress, cost, schedule, operational performance, risks and required management decisions.
- Maintain an action register identifying each task, responsible party, deadline and current status.
- Prepare operating budgets and near-term expenditure forecasts.
- Escalate material safety, regulatory, integrity, environmental, schedule and cost risks promptly.
- Develop repeatable reactivation, commissioning and operating practices for future ANE projects.
Required Qualifications
- At least eight years of relevant experience in Alberta upstream oil and gas operations, gas-facility operations, production operations, asset reactivation or field operations.
- Direct experience reactivating, restarting, commissioning or returning natural-gas wells or gas facilities to service.
- Strong working knowledge of AER-regulated wells, facilities and pipelines.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating regulatory compliance activities, inspections, submissions and corrective actions.
- Practical understanding of wellheads, surface equipment, gathering systems, separators, compressors, dehydration, measurement and pressure-control systems.
- Experience coordinating well-service, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, pipeline and inspection contractors.
- Experience developing and implementing operating, maintenance, safety and emergency-response procedures.
- Experience with the commissioning, startup, operation or maintenance of power-generation equipment or comparable rotating equipment.
- Ability to interpret well files, P&IDs, equipment specifications, single-line diagrams, inspection records and regulatory documents.
- Strong field judgment, troubleshooting, documentation and contractor-management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple sites and drive deficiencies through documented closure.
- Ability to communicate clearly with management, regulators, contractors, technical professionals and field personnel.
- Legal ability to work in Canada, a valid driver’s licence and the ability to travel regularly to Alberta project sites.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ten to fifteen years of combined experience in gas operations, facility reactivation and power generation.
- Engineering degree, engineering technology diploma, Power Engineer certification or relevant trade qualification.
- P.Eng., C.E.T. or another applicable professional designation.
- Previous experience working directly with the AER or Orphan Well Association.
- Experience with AER licence transfers, liability-management requirements or reactivation of acquired assets.
- Experience with inactive, suspended, marginal or previously orphaned upstream assets.
- Experience with gas-fired reciprocating-engine generator packages.
- Familiarity with medium-voltage systems, generator protection, synchronization, SCADA and remote monitoring.
- Familiarity with Alberta environmental, occupational health and safety, electrical and pressure-equipment requirements.
- Experience establishing operating systems and field practices for a new or growing energy company.
Initial Six-Month Priorities
During the initial six months, the successful candidate will be expected to:
- Complete a documented assessment of the regulatory, physical and operating status of assigned wells, facilities, pipelines and generation equipment.
- Establish a consolidated compliance register covering licences, approval conditions, inspections, deadlines, commitments and outstanding actions.
- Prepare an integrated reactivation and commissioning plan for priority gas and power assets.
- Develop the scopes, budgets, schedules and contractor strategies required to return priority assets to service.
- Resolve or appropriately escalate material integrity, regulatory, environmental and operational-readiness deficiencies.
- Coordinate required inspections, testing, maintenance, repairs and commissioning activities.
- Establish core operating, maintenance, safety and emergency-response procedures.
- Implement appropriate equipment, production, operating, maintenance and regulatory recordkeeping systems.
- Lead at least one priority asset through agreed reactivation or commissioning milestones.
- Establish a repeatable reactivation and operational-readiness framework for future ANE assets.
- Recommend a sustainable long-term field staffing, contractor and technical-support model.
- Reduce the need for executive management to coordinate routine regulatory, contractor and field activities.
Specific priorities and milestones will be confirmed based on asset status, regulatory requirements and project schedules.
Performance Evaluation
Performance will be reviewed at approximately 30, 60 and 90 days and before completion of the initial six-month period.
Evaluation will consider:
- Safety leadership and field judgment;
- Quality of asset-condition and regulatory-status assessments;
- Accuracy and completeness of compliance and operating records;
- Achievement of agreed reactivation and commissioning milestones;
- Closure of integrity, regulatory, environmental and operating deficiencies;
- Contractor and vendor performance;
- Equipment availability and operating reliability;
- Cost and schedule management;
- Quality and timeliness of management reporting;
- Ability to anticipate and escalate material risks; and
- Development of practical, repeatable operating systems.
The Right Person
You are an experienced Alberta gas-operations professional who remains willing to work directly with field assets, contractors, regulators and equipment vendors.
You understand that asset reactivation involves much more than restarting equipment. It requires confirmation of regulatory status, asset integrity, environmental condition, operating readiness, qualified personnel and complete documentation.
You act with urgency without bypassing safety, regulatory or technical requirements. You identify what is missing, determine what must be completed before startup and drive each action through documented resolution.
You are comfortable operating in a growing organization where systems and procedures are still being developed. You can establish structure, coordinate multiple parties and make practical decisions without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
How to Apply
Please submit your résumé together with a concise description of one Alberta well, gas facility, pipeline system or related energy asset that you personally helped reactivate, commission or return to service.
Your project description should identify:
- The assets involved;
- Their initial regulatory and physical condition;
- Your individual responsibilities;
- The principal integrity, regulatory or operating challenges;
- Your involvement with regulators, contractors and asset owners;
- The actions you personally led;
- How operational readiness was verified; and
- The final project outcome.
Please submit your résumé and project description by email to [email protected].
Pay: $16.00-$120.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
