Lead/Senior CSA Designer

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 Department Design Lead is responsible for the resource assignment of designers in CSA. This position requires communication and coordination between the discipline engineering leads as to the designer staffing requirements. The Department Discipline Lead contributes to their department’s performance evaluations and training plans. The department will develop discipline-specific work processes, as necessary to support the projects/programs. Duties include:

• Planning, allocating and reviewing work programs. This includes updating ForecastWeb on a weekly basis and ensuring it is suitably completed to align with the demand of the Project/Program Manager. The forecast should be updated to current project plans and changes to work plans/resourcing needs are communicated through change management to project stakeholders.
• Preparing weekly progress reports for each project including work completed, work planned for the following week and discipline needs
• Updating project schedule on a weekly basis including marking tasks which are completed, in progress, and any potential delays. In addition, ensure tasks are listed correctly in schedule. Project schedule along with tasks and deliverables are reviewed and maintained in conjunction with Project Management.
• Establishing scopes of work, man-hour estimates, schedules and priorities for projects and proposals
• Scheduling and expediting department work 
• Providing leadership and mentorship to project/program discipline design team
• Providing technical and quality guidance to department staff
• Ensuring the design and drafting team are completing high quality work within the required time and budget constraints
• Attending status meetings with clients, project management and suppliers
• Coordinating interfaces with other disciplines
• Maintaining current knowledge of industry and regulatory standards
• Assigning and reviewing work of discipline design and drafting staff
• Ensuring adherence to Vista Quality Management System (QMS) 
• Preparing layouts, calculations and designs related to the most complicated elements of projects
• Ensuring all drawings and materials are in accordance with Vista and client specifications and standards
• Approving completed drawings
• Supporting development, implementation and maintenance of discipline design standards, checklists and procedures
• Making general recommendations on the utilization of new drafting/design techniques, normally within an area of specialization 
• Analyzing design elements for potential trends, technical feasibility, client or contractual requirements
• Generating 3D modeling specs and standard details
• Reviewing 3D models and 2D drawings based on engineers’ design sketches for steel structures,  concrete structures and buildings 
• Reviewing 3D models and 2D drawings based on engineers’ design sketches for civil works
• Assisting in preparation of IFC drawings and compiling engineering work packages
• Preparing and reviewing the design and drafting of complex structural engineering including steel structures, concrete structures, steel buildings, piling and foundations, and related elements
• Preparing and reviewing the design and drafting of complex civil works
• Preparing or assisting in the preparation of the MTOs and cost estimates for Civil/Structural/Architectural bids and proposal work
• Supporting discipline man-hour estimates for proposals
• Providing construction support
• Performing other duties as requested

Requirements

• Eight years of progressive experience in facilities engineering and design in the energy industry
• Technical school certification/degree or equivalent experience
• 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
• Advanced computer skills and broad experience in major drafting and design software such as AutoCAD, CADWorx, SmartPlant, AutoPLANT, AVEVA and PDMS
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong organizational skills, technical competence and attention to detail
• Self-motivated and efficient with time management 
• Comprehensive knowledge of applicable government regulations and regulatory codes
• Ability to meet safety requirements to attend site visits

Preferred

• Ten years of experience in a designer capacity, ideally with a focus in the energy industry
• Three years of previous management or supervisory experience in a professional setting

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.