Construction Resident Engineer – Mechanical
Location: Northern Ontario – Remote Mining Site
Rotation: 8 days on / 6 days off
Employment Type: Independent Contractor
Contract: Initial 1-year term with potential extension
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Construction Resident Engineer – Mechanical to support a major capital project for a leading Canadian mining operator.
This is a field-focused role combining mechanical engineering, construction execution, contractor coordination, and project controls. Working closely with Construction, Engineering, Project Controls, Contract Administration, QA/QC, and contractor teams, the Resident Engineer will provide technical support in the field while contributing to the management and monitoring of construction progress, schedule, costs, manpower/resources, change management, and contractor performance.
The ideal candidate will bring strong hands-on mechanical construction experience together with an understanding of the commercial and project-controls aspects of field execution.
Key Responsibilities
Field Engineering & Construction Execution
- Maintain a strong daily presence in the field and conduct regular site walks and inspections.
- Monitor mechanical construction activities to ensure work is completed in accordance with IFC drawings, specifications, applicable codes, project standards, and design intent.
- Provide real-time technical support and resolve field engineering and constructability issues.
- Support the installation and construction of mechanical equipment, piping, and heavy-industrial infrastructure.
- Review drawings, specifications, and field conditions and provide technical clarification to contractors.
- Evaluate field deviations and proposed technical solutions and coordinate with the appropriate engineering disciplines when required.
- Act as a technical interface between Engineering and Construction.
Contractor Management & Coordination
- Maintain direct and frequent communication with contractors and subcontractors to support field execution.
- Monitor contractor performance, productivity, progress, and compliance with project requirements.
- Work closely with contractor supervision to identify execution issues and support timely resolution.
- Participate in daily planning and construction coordination activities.
- Coordinate construction priorities, available resources, and upcoming work fronts.
- Maintain effective and professional working relationships with contractors, field supervision, and project stakeholders.
Project Controls, Cost & Resource Coordination
- Verify physical construction progress, installed quantities, and percentage completion in the field.
- Support verification of contractor progress-payment claims by confirming that reported work has been physically completed and meets required quality standards.
- Support cost tracking, forecasting, and evaluation of construction-related costs.
- Provide technical and field justification for change orders and assess contractor change proposals.
- Monitor contractor manpower, man-hours, and resource deployment against planned construction activities.
- Support manpower and resource coordination based on upcoming construction requirements.
- Participate in the coordination of contractor work schedules and shift requirements as required by site execution.
- Identify cost, resource, productivity, or progress issues that could affect project performance.
Schedule & Progress Management
- Monitor construction progress against the project schedule and identify potential delays or constraints.
- Review contractor short-term and three-week look-ahead schedules.
- Assess whether drawings, materials, RFIs, inspections, and other prerequisites are available to support planned activities.
- Identify engineering and construction bottlenecks affecting schedule performance.
- Provide field and technical input into construction sequencing and recovery plans.
- Support schedule development and updates using actual field progress and execution information.
- Participate in construction progress meetings with contractors and project leadership.
Contract Administration & Change Management
- Review contractor RFIs and provide technical input or coordinate responses with the design team.
- Review contractor shop drawings, equipment data, material submittals, and method statements.
- Document field conditions supporting potential change orders.
- Evaluate the technical validity and scope of contractor change requests.
- Issue or support site instructions and ensure field decisions and changes are appropriately documented.
- Maintain accurate records to support contract administration and claims management.
Quality Assurance / Quality Control
- Work closely with site QA/QC personnel to ensure mechanical installations meet project specifications and applicable standards.
- Review Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) and participate in required hold and witness points.
- Review NCRs and provide or recommend appropriate technical dispositions.
- Verify materials, equipment, and supporting documentation against project requirements.
- Assess workmanship, equipment alignment, piping installation, and other mechanical construction activities.
- Support testing, inspection, commissioning, and turnover activities.
Health, Safety & Environment
- Promote and support project HSE requirements and a strong safety culture.
- Participate in pre-task planning and review contractor plans for higher-risk construction activities.
- Identify unsafe conditions and intervene or escalate when required.
- Ensure construction activities comply with site procedures, permits, and applicable environmental requirements.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- P.Eng. designation preferred.
- Approximately 8–10+ years of progressive engineering and construction experience, ideally within mining, mineral processing, heavy industrial, oil & gas, power, or comparable capital-project environments.
- Strong hands-on experience supporting mechanical construction in the field.
- Demonstrated experience working directly with construction contractors, supervisors, and field crews.
- Experience with mechanical equipment, piping, and heavy-industrial installations.
- Strong understanding of drawings, specifications, construction sequencing, and field engineering.
- Experience with RFIs, submittals, NCRs, field changes, and change orders.
- Experience verifying construction progress, quantities, and/or contractor progress-payment claims.
- Experience with construction schedules, look-ahead planning, and progress tracking.
- Exposure to construction cost/budget management, manpower planning, man-hours, and resource coordination is strongly preferred.
- Experience managing a mechanical construction package or acting as an owner's/site engineering representative is considered a strong asset.
- Mining or mineral-processing construction experience is strongly preferred.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across Engineering, Construction, Project Controls, and contractor teams.
- Comfortable working independently in an active construction environment and on a rotational schedule at a remote Northern Ontario site.
