Senior Engineer, Tailings and Closure

Location: Spokane
Employment Type: Regular Full Time
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Reporting to TAI’s Manager, Dormant Properties, the Senior Engineer, Tailings & Closure is responsible for acting as the Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer (RTFE) for facilities across the U.S. portfolio. This includes primary responsibility for both closed and actively transitioning tailings facilities at the Pend Oreille Mine, located in northeast Washington (WA).

The successful candidate will bring strong field and analytical skills, demonstrating the capacity to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams. Taking initiative, proactively anticipating needs, and handling challenging priorities effectively.

Based in Spokane, WA, this position requires periodic travel to sites, with an expectation of on-site presence at the Pend Oreille Mine.

• 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 for the Pend Oreille Mine, including closure‑aligned dam safety management approaches, surveillance evolution, water management considerations, and long‑term performance objectives.
• Provide geotechnical and geoenvironmental technical leadership for tailings and water‑retaining structures, including support for investigations, construction, instrumentation, monitoring programs, and other closure‑related field activities.
• Lead and participate in dam safety inspections, reviews, Independent Tailings Review Board engagements, and internal governance reviews, ensuring findings inform closure decisions, prioritization, and future programs.
• Evaluate and prioritize recommendations from inspections, reviews, and audits, driving implementation and integrating outcomes into closure planning, capital prioritization, and long‑term stewardship strategies.
• Ensure Operation, Maintenance, and Surveillance (OMS) documentation and training programs are suitable and appropriate for closure‑stage and closed tailings facilities.
• Support the management of closed tailings facilities across the U.S. dormant property portfolio, ensuring alignment with regulatory and corporate governance requirements.
• Prepare technical, regulatory, and internal reports and maintain clear, detailed communication with the Accountable Executive and relevant interested parties.
• Provide rigorous contractor and consultant management, including scope development, budgeting, execution oversight, safety compliance, quality control, and critical review of technical deliverables related to investigations, designs, reviews, and construction support.
• Lead the identification, assessment, and documentation of tailings and environmental risks across the U.S. dormant and closure portfolio, including maintenance of tailings‑specific risk registers in accordance with Teck’s risk management standards.
• 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.
• Remain current with industry best practices, evolving regulations, and new technologies related to tailings management, dam safety, closure engineering, and long‑term surveillance.

• 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…