What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Engineer, Tailings& Mine Waste position at TECK?
Senior Engineer, Tailings& Mine Waste **Location:** Spokane, Arizona, Calgary, Kimberley, Montana, Pend Oreille, Toronto, Vancouver, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington **Employment Type:** Regular Full Time **Workplace Type:** Hybrid Teck American Incorporated (TAI) owns multiple legacy, dormant, and closure-stage mine properties across the United States (U.S.). These sites are stewarded within Teck’s Legacy Properties (TLP) Group which contains over 35 legacy/dormant properties in Canada, the U.S., and Australia. ## **Role Overview** Reporting to the Senior Lead Engineer, Tailings, the Senior Engineer, Tailings & Mine Waste is responsible for acting as the Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer (RTFE) for tailings facilities across the U.S. portfolio. The Pend Oreille Mine tailings facilities offer an outstanding opportunity to apply modern tailings governance, geotechnical engineering expertise, and closure best practices during a critical transition to closure. This role will support the development and implementation of closure strategies, including dam safety, surveillance, closure integration, and long-term performance objectives, while helping guide key technical, risk, and closure decisions through collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. The preferred location for this role is Spokane, WA; however, other locations may be considered, including Arizona, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, and Washington in the U.S., as well as British Columbia, Calgary, and Toronto in Canada. This is a full-time position requiring periodic site travel and regular presence at Pend Oreille Mine, averaging about one week per month and growing during active fieldwork, construction, investigations, and closure activities. ## **Key Responsibilities** * Be a courageous safety leader, adhere to and sponsor safety and environmental rules and procedures. * Act as the RTFE for tailings facilities across the U.S. portfolio, with primary responsibility for Pend Oreille Mine facilities, ensuring dam safety, structural integrity, and alignment with closure objectives. * Lead and influence the development, evaluation, and implementation of tailings closure design strategies, including closure-aligned dam safety management approaches, surveillance evolution, water management considerations, and long-term performance objectives. * Drive key technical and risk-based decisions during closure, providing technical leadership for geotechnical investigations, construction and earthworks, instrumentation installation, monitoring programs, and other field activities. * Understand and maintain knowledge of the design intent, operating constraints, current condition, and forecasted performance of all tailing’s facilities under stewardship, with particular focus on how conditions evolve during closure. * Provide geotechnical and geo-environmental technical mentorship related to tailings and water-retaining structures, applying engineering judgment to assess risks, evaluate alternatives, and recommend practical and effective solutions. * Bring up concerns related to facility integrity, credible failure modes, risk management effectiveness, or unsafe conditions through appropriate governance channels. * Lead and participate in dam safety inspections, dam safety reviews, Independent Tailings Review Board engagements, and corporate governance reviews. * Evaluate and drive the implementation of recommendations arising from inspections, reviews, and audits, ensuring integration with closure planning, capital prioritization, and long-term stewardship strategies. * Ensure Operation, Maintenance, and Surveillance (OMS) documentation and training programs are suitable, current, and appropriate for closure-stage and closed tailings facilities. * Prepare technical, regulatory, and internal reports and maintain clear, detailed communication with the Accountable Executive and relevant interested parties. * Provide contractor and consultant management, including scope development, budgeting, execution oversight, safety compliance, quality control, and review of technical work related to investigations, designs, reviews, and construction support. * Lead the identification, assessment, and documentation of tailings and environmental risks across the U.S. portfolio. * Collaborate closely with internal teams across environment, water management, closure planning, regulatory affairs, operations support, and corporate tailings governance to ensure integrated and effective closure outcomes. ## **Qualifications** * Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical, Environmental, Geological, or Mining Engineering, preferably with specialization in Geotechnical / Tailing Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Mine Closure. A master’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field is regarded as an advantage and may be credited toward experience. * Minimum of 10 years of experience in geotechnical, tailings, environmental, or mining engineering, gained through a combination of operational roles, closure-focused work, consulting, regulatory compliance, and/or technical leadership. * Registered, or eligible to be registered, as a Professional Engineer in Washington, Montana, Missouri or British Columbia. * Demonstrated experience supporting or leading tailings facilities transitioning from operation to closure, including involvement in closure design development, evaluation of alternatives, implementation planning, or execution-phase support. * Experience in geotechnical and geoenvironmental data analysis, surveillance and monitoring systems, dam safety inspections, geotechnical investigations (e.g. drilling and testing programs), and project management. * Experience working on complex or legacy tailings facilities where conditions, configurations, or historical data may be evolving or incomplete. * Demonstrated experience in leading external consultants and contractors. * Strong understanding of tailings governance principles, dam safety management practices, and the role of RTFE within regulated and corporate governance frameworks. * Understanding of applicable U.S. federal and state regulatory requirements relevant to mine closure and tailings management, including OSHA, CERCLA, RCRA, and state environmental programs. * OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER certification, or the ability to obtain certification. * Valid driver’s licence.