Innovation Specialist/Senior Innovation Specialist

Innovation Specialist/Senior Innovation Specialist
Location: Calgary Head Office, Edmonton, Houston 
Job status: Full Time Permanent
Department:Engineering 

Is this position safety sensitive: No 

Apply today! Application Deadline is October 21, 2026 at 11:59pm

At Gibson, we believe our competitive advantage lies in the strength and talents of our employees. That means connecting our employees to rewarding careers, building a high-performance culture where collaboration and creativity are rewarded, and providing real growth opportunities for employees to take on new challenges.

The Role

The Innovation Specialists/Senior Innovation Specialist owns applied research and development that converts industrial problems into validated technology solutions and commercialization recommendations. Reporting to the Vice President (VP), Innovation & Commercial Engineering, this senior individual contributor role integrates scientific judgment with operating, delivery and economic considerations. The role also provides scientific guidance and support to commercial engineers deploying validated solutions at scale while retaining scientific ownership of the technology.

What You Will Do 

• Assesses developing technology including mechanical, chemical or process solutions offered by potential vendors and partners against technical credibility, economic potential and adoption barriers.
• Develops and owns applied research and development (R&D) programs including defining the industry problem to be solved, articulating the value hypotheses, setting decision criteria, and seeking approval of scope and resources to complete evaluation.
• Designs experiments using representative samples, controls, independent replication, measurement-quality checks and explicit technical, economic and stop criteria.
• Engages engineering and operations technical subject-matter experts (SMEs) on representative conditions, operating constraints, adverse effects, maintainability and acceptance evidence.
• Engages project execution and operations engineering teams on trial installation, industrial integration, scale-up, tie-ins, outages, commissioning and deployment cost and schedule.
• Conducts and coordinates laboratory, pilot and field investigations within competence and approved controls, securing required asset, safety and engineering authorizations.
• Interprets results, investigates adverse effects and discloses uncertainty, distinguishing laboratory observations from reproducible performance and defensible commercial claims.
• Recommends continue, pivot, validate, scale-up or stop decisions from evidence and economics; resolves material operating and delivery concerns before claiming readiness.
• Coordinates confidentiality, intellectual property, sample and data ownership, partnerships and external disclosure with Legal and authorized decision-makers.
• Demonstrates a personal commitment and proactive approach to Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) through participation in all applicable EH&S programs and ensures safe operation of the branch, team or unit and compliance with all Company EH&S policies and procedures.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

What You Bring To The Role

• Degree in chemistry, experimental or applied science, engineering or a related field, or a relevant technology diploma with equivalent demonstrated industrial R&D experience and capability. 
• Minimum 8 years of relevant laboratory, pilot, field or industrial technology experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrates hands-on ownership of experimental design, sample and data integrity, interpretation and evidence-based validation, scale-up, pivot or stop decisions.
• Demonstrates relevant industrial application experience, including hydrocarbons, chemical treatment, materials, or processing, and the ability to work with variable feedstocks and operating conditions.
• Demonstrates direct engagement with engineering and operations technical SMEs, and project execution teams to translate scientific evidence into feasible commercial solutions.
• Demonstrates ability to assess technology economics, adoption barriers, adverse effects and uncertainty and to coordinate external laboratories, vendors and qualified specialists.
• Works independently within approved programs, uses sound scientific judgment and recognizes the limits of personal competence and authorized engineering or asset work.
• Demonstrates clear written/verbal communication, strong analytical and organizational skills and proficiency with relevant laboratory/data-analysis tools, spreadsheets and Microsoft products.
  

Working Conditions 

• The proposed corporate location is Calgary, with office work and laboratory, pilot or field activity as required by assigned programs; final work location and work pattern require confirmation.
• Travel and laboratory or operating-site access may be required. Confirm exposure, handling, personal protective equipment (PPE), training and safety-sensitive requirements before issue or assignment
• This job is subject to background checks as outlined in Gibson Energy’s Background Checks policy. Background checks may include: employment history verification, reference checks, education and/or credentials verification, credit check and a criminal history check.

Why You’ll Love Working at Gibson 

For over 70 years, Gibson has been defined by our people — those who seize opportunities and make exceptional customer service a part of everything we do. Working at Gibson is an opportunity to be part of a place where employees feel valued, supported and motivated to do their best work. Here’s what sets us apart: 

• A competitive Total Rewards package that truly values your contributions. 
• Employer contributions to your DC Pension because we believe in your future. 
• Comprehensive health, dental & vision benefits, with industry leading coverage for mental health and family planning — ensuring you and your loved ones thrive. 
• Generous time off to rest, recharge and live life to the fullest.
• An incredible work environment and culture where your career development and advancement are prioritized every step of the way. 
  

Gibson Energy Inc. (“Gibson” or the “Company”) is a diversified North American energy infrastructure company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. They have significant terminal assets, including 25 million barrels of storage and over 300 miles (500 kilometres) of crude pipelines across North America. The company has been providing market access to the oil and gas industry for over 70 years and is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:GEI) with a market capitalization of approximately $4 billion. 

Gibson Energy operates through two main segments: 

1. Infrastructure: This includes terminals, marine loading, rail loading and unloading facilities, gathering pipelines, a diluent recovery unit, and a crude oil processing facility. Key facilities within this segment include the Hardisty, Edmonton, and Ingleside Terminals, as well as gathering pipelines in the United States and a crude oil processing facility in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. 
2. Marketing: This involves the purchasing, selling, storing, and optimizing of hydrocarbon products. 
   

Gibson Energy has a strong presence in the United States, due to the acquisition of the Gateway Terminal in Ingleside, Texas. This terminal is a world-class liquids terminal and export facility with very large crude carrier (VLCC) capabilities and direct pipeline connections to key basins like the Permian and Eagle Ford. The acquisition strengthens Gibson's cash flow with over 95% of the revenue under take-or-pay contracts with high-quality counterparties. 

Our Values, The Gibson Way 

The Gibson Way is how we succeed together. We believe in the power of both ‘We’ (collectively working together) and “I” (contributing individually) to achieve our shared goals. 

The ‘We & I’ play a very important role in our success!

• Contribute & Add Value Everyday 
• Keep Our Edge & Be Resilient
• Stay Focused & Open-Minded 
• Work it Out & Do it Together 
  

This is what we are all about and we encourage you to learn more! Click Here: The Gibson Way

Still Interested and Don’t Meet Every Single Requirement?
We are dedicated to build an authentic and motivating workforce composed of individuals with diverse identities, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every skill or education requirement described above, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

For more information, visit www.gibsonenergy.com.
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