Principal Engineer

Ready to build a rewarding career in an industry that is transforming the future?

Who We Are

We are Vale Base Metals - a global supplier of the critical minerals transforming the future.

With industry-leading reserves of copper and nickel in Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia, and state-of-the-art infrastructure in the U.K., Canada, and Japan, VBM delivers a secure and responsible supply of high-quality products to customers across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Global demand for critical minerals is growing exponentially. From energy to aerospace, batteries to magnets, robotics to artificial intelligence, a secure and responsible supply of critical minerals is fundamental to power modern technologies. And at Vale Base Metals, we are transforming our business to provide a secure and responsible supply of these minerals.

Join our diverse team of 13,000 talented individuals committed to providing mineral security to a world in transition. We invite you to put your skills to work, driving meaningful and enduring change while enjoying a rewarding career.

The Opportunity

We are currently seeking a Principal Engineer Asset Management to join the Vale Base Metals team based in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

This is a permanent position. This posting is for an existing position vacancy.

As the Principal Engineer, Asset Management, you will serve as the global process owner for Operational Readiness and Asset Disposal processes. You will play a critical role in ensuring that new and existing assets are managed throughout their lifecycle to maximize value, improve reliability, reduce operational risk, and support sustainable business performance.

This position partners engineering, maintenance, operations, project teams, and business leaders across Vale Base Metals to establish standardized processes and governance aligned with ISO 55000 Asset Management principles

You will have an opportunity to influence approximately assets valued in the billions, support future capital investments of approximately USD $5 billion, and contribute to the management of annual maintenance expenditures exceeding USD $1.5 billion.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Readiness

• Lead and govern the Operational Readiness framework across Vale Base Metals.
• Develop, implement, standardize, and continuously improve processes supporting all phases of asset operational readiness.
• Define governance requirements to ensure assets are commissioned and handed over to operations with appropriate controls, documentation, and risk mitigation measures.
• Identify operational risks and establish preventive controls to ensure safe and reliable asset start-up.
• Define competency management and knowledge management requirements for operations and maintenance teams.
• Establish requirements for insurance considerations and critical spare parts strategies during asset start-up.
• Develop operational readiness strategies aligned with integrated reliability and asset management principles.
• Establish processes governing asset master data, asset taxonomy, and capitalization requirements.
• Ensure assets are delivered with complete maintenance, reliability, and bill of materials (BOM) information.
• Develop methodologies to assess asset health during early life-cycle operation.
• Drive process standardization across global operations while accommodating local operational requirements.
• Collaborate with capital project teams to embed asset management principles throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead development and application of reliability methodologies including:
• Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM)
• Life Data Analysis (LDA)
• Life Cycle Costing (LCC)
• Provide training, coaching, and knowledge sharing related to operational readiness and asset management best practices.

Asset Repurposing, Inactivation & Disposal

• Establish lifecycle and economic models to determine optimal asset replacement timing.
• Develop governance and control processes for temporary asset inactivation, repurposing, preservation, and disposal.
• Define performance measures and master data requirements supporting asset retirement decisions.
• Establish standardized asset retirement and disposal processes across the organization.
• Develop leading practices for preservation of temporarily inactive assets.
• Create governance frameworks and standards for disposal-yard management and surplus asset control.

Key Accountabilities:

• Global Process Owner for Operational Readiness.
• Global Process Owner for Asset Disposal and Retirement Processes.
• Governance, compliance, and continuous improvement of asset lifecycle processes.
• Support improvements in:
• Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)
• Return on Assets (ROA)
• EBITDA and operating margins
• Regulatory and operational risk reduction
• Asset utilization and availability
• Asset lifecycle performance and value realization
• Ensure alignment with ISO 55000 Asset Management standards and best practices.

About You

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Asset Management, Reliability Engineering, Maintenance Management, Business, or a related discipline.
• Must be either registered or eligible to register as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada.

Experience:

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in asset management, maintenance, reliability engineering, or related industrial disciplines.
• Specialized education or training in Asset Management and/or Reliability Engineering.
• Strong knowledge of:
• Asset Management principles
• Reliability Engineering methodologies
• Maintenance Management systems and practices
• Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
• Asset lifecycle management

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP).
• Experience in mining, metals, heavy industry, manufacturing, or large industrial operations.
• Experience developing enterprise-level governance frameworks and business processes.
• Experience working within large, global organizations and cross-functional teams.

Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to evaluate complex business and operational processes and implement practical improvements.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Strategic mindset with strong business acumen.
• Ability to work effectively across diverse cultures and geographic regions.
• Demonstrated leadership in driving organizational change and continuous improvement.
• Fluency in English required.
• Portuguese language skills are considered an asset.

What We Offer You

• Competitive compensation including a variable annual incentive plan
• Participation in a competitive Defined Contribution Pension package
• Comprehensive benefits package (company paid core coverage, health and dental coverage, flex accounts, disability plans and optional insurances)
• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation, personal, sick, parental)
• Work culture dedicated to safety, diversity & inclusion, and career growth
• Employee Family Assistance Program
• Virtual Healthcare online
• Online training and career development opportunities

Why Sudbury

Greater Sudbury is a vibrant city in northeastern Ontario, renowned for its rich mining history and significant role in Canada's mineral production. The city sits atop one of the world's largest and oldest meteorite impact sites, the Sudbury Basin, which is exceptionally rich in nickel, copper, and other critical minerals that are needed for the green economy. The mining sector is a cornerstone of Sudbury's economy, driving both employment and economic growth, and Vale Base Metals plays a pivotal role in this regard. Our commitment to the community is as deep as our mines.

Include to Transform

At Vale Base Metals, we are committed to ensuring an inclusive work environment where people can act like owners, being their authentic selves and empowering them to deliver results. Vale Base Metals encourages everyone to express their ideas and opinions and values the plurality of individual profiles. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome - they are critical to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or any other personal consideration that makes us different.

Vale is an equal opportunity employer seeking to increase diversity across our operations and improve equal opportunity at Vale and in the mining industry.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, accommodation is available throughout our recruitment process for applicants with disabilities.

Accommodation is available throughout our recruitment process for applicants with disabilities.

Vale uses artificial intelligence to screen, assess, and/or select applicants for this position.

Pay Grade: F1T

Minimum Salary: $140,000

Apply by: November 30, 2026

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