Operations Maintenance Lead

Ontario, Canada Job Family Group:
Production and Manufacturing Downstream Worker Type:
Regular Posting

Start Date:

September 28, 2026 Business Unit:
Downstream and Renewables Experience Level: Experienced Professionals

The SMC Production team is seeking an Operations Maintenance Lead – Process #2 (Catalytic Reformers/ Hydrotreaters) to join their team at the Sarnia Refinery. This role serves as the primary liaison between Maintenance and Production for all maintenance scopes—Routine, Non-Routine, Pitstop, and Turnaround. The Operations Maintenance Lead (OML) acts as the Production Operations representative within the Maintenance organization. The OML’s primary focus is to ensure the efficient maintenance of operating equipment with minimal impact on the production plan.

The OML is responsible for overseeing the screening, prioritization, and scheduling of maintenance work orders within their production units, ensuring alignment with the Maintenance Execution work process. Additionally, the OML is accountable for training and developing new operators, mentoring them throughout their progression phases toward becoming Senior Operators.

• Execute the Maintenance Work Process in Production by:
  Ensure notification quality all pertinent data is clearly and correctly identified by the notification originator
• Prioritize risk ranking maintenance execution due dates based on equipment condition and operational impact
• Update Basic Finish Dates in the maintenance backlog as necessary based on evolving risk
• Collaborate with Planners, Scheduler, Production Specialists, and Maintenance Team Leads to assure realistic completion dates are met
• Share accountability for the annual maintenance budget. Approve all planned work orders ahead of scheduling, in part as a method of oversight for maintenance costs
• Collaborate with Production Specialists (PSs) to manage the available maintenance budget against cumulative risk in the maintenance backlog, providing visibility and escalation as necessary to ensure the acceptable overall level of risk is not exceeded
• Facilitate permitting to assure smooth communication of permit needs and requirements, ensuring that maintenance work is not delayed by operational readiness and that HSSE/safety requirements are fully integrated into work plans
• Drive effective interface and execution of the Maintenance Work Process within the Production department.
• Communicate maintenance work, scheduling, and priorities with Production teams, working closely with both Production Specialists and Maintenance Coordinators, as well as ME Planners and the Scheduler
• Communicate to site multi-disciplinary teams via Site Production Team Meetings the priority maintenance work items that require Technical/Plant Change support
• Conduct lookback and reports out on “E” & “1” Priority Work performance (e.g. missing WO details, wrong RAM scores, wrong priority) to help site meet Reactive Work KPIs
• Supervise and mentor all new operators (including Co-ops), ensuring quality training up to a defined training phase (dependent on unit complement)
• Continue providing coaching and mentoring after employees achieve a certain phase, ensuring that Phase progression is maintained until Senior Operator status is signed off
• Assess and sign off on phase progression for all employees in assigned area(s) up to Senior Operator status
• Ensure Competency Development and Assurance (CD&A) requirements for employees within the unit are properly mapped and assessed according to the agreed-upon timeframe.

• The candidate must have legal authorization to work in Canada on a full-time basis.
• Diploma or degree in production and technical engineering or related discipline.
• 10 or more years of…