As a project manager, you analyze and coordinate the schedule, timeline, procurement, staffing and budget for a project. You may lead the work of technical staff and assign work as needed.
Project managers communicate with stakeholders to determine project requirements and objectives. They handle all parts of the project, including:
- Developing or updating project plans
- Identifying project needs
- Reviewing or selecting vendors and consultants
- Monitoring costs
- Identifying risks
- Monitoring project milestones and deliverables
- Working with the project team to identify and resolve problems.
I'm interested in a career in
- Sub-sector Exploration and production, Pipelines, Oil and gas services, Oil sands, Offshore
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary $60,000 to $120,000
- Education Post-secondary diploma
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Developing detailed project plans
- Managing information technology projects or system activities
- Participating in staffing decisions
- Assigning duties or work schedules to employees
- Collaborating with others to resolve information technology issues
- Coordinating resource procurement activities
- Developing operating strategies, plans, or procedures
- Discussing business strategies, practices, or policies with managers
- Gathering organizational performance information
- Managing construction activities
Education
- A post-secondary degree or diploma in business or public administration is usually required.
Certification
- Project management certification may be required by some employers.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Minimal or no travel required
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Clerical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Understanding Risk
- Transportation
- Data Entry
- Managing Material Resources
- Quality Control Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Attention to Detail
- Sub-sector Engineering, design and procurement, Construction
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A project manager in oil and natural gas may need to complete some minor upskilling to successfully transition to the engineering, design and procurement and construction project life cycle phases of industrial construction and maintenance in energy. The foundational project management skills are easily transferable but workers may need to learn about different suppliers and contractor organizations. Experience with major capital projects and a construction background may be needed.
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Developing detailed project plans
- Managing information technology projects or system activities
- Participating in staffing decisions
- Assigning duties or work schedules to employees
- Collaborating with others to resolve information technology issues
- Coordinating resource procurement activities
- Developing operating strategies, plans, or procedures
- Discussing business strategies, practices, or policies with managers
- Gathering organizational performance information
- Managing construction activities
Education
- A post-secondary degree or diploma in business or public administration is usually required.
Certification
- Project management certification may be required by some employers.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to industrial construction and maintenance include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Travel required (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Temporary/project-to-project work (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Safety-sensitive environment (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Transition to a similar level (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Career development fostered/supported (engineering, design and procurement | construction)
- Potentially unionized (construction)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Minimal or no travel required
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Clerical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Understanding Risk
- Transportation
- Data Entry
- Managing Material Resources
- Quality Control Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Attention to Detail
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A project manager in oil and natural gas may need to complete some minor upskilling to successfully transition to LNG facility operation. Experience with large and complex facilities and understanding of process manufacturing may be required.
In addition to the activities below, other activities in LNG facility operation may include:
- Managing large, complex projects associated with process and production optimization, asset management and energy efficiency.
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Developing detailed project plans
- Managing information technology projects or system activities
- Participating in staffing decisions
- Assigning duties or work schedules to employees
- Collaborating with others to resolve information technology issues
- Coordinating resource procurement activities
- Developing operating strategies, plans, or procedures
- Discussing business strategies, practices, or policies with managers
- Gathering organizational performance information
- Managing construction activities
Education
- A post-secondary degree or diploma in business or public administration is usually required.
Certification
- Project management certification may be required by some employers.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to LNG include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Potential for relocation
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
- Career development fostered/supported
- Rural location
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Minimal or no travel required
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Clerical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Understanding Risk
- Transportation
- Data Entry
- Managing Material Resources
- Quality Control Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Attention to Detail
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A project manager in oil and natural gas may need to complete some minor upskilling to successfully transition to petrochemicals and refining. Experience with large and complex facilities and understanding of process manufacturing may be required.
In addition to the activities below, other activities in petrochemicals and refining may include:
- Managing large, complex projects associated with process and production optimization, asset management and energy efficiency.
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Developing detailed project plans
- Managing information technology projects or system activities
- Participating in staffing decisions
- Assigning duties or work schedules to employees
- Collaborating with others to resolve information technology issues
- Coordinating resource procurement activities
- Developing operating strategies, plans, or procedures
- Discussing business strategies, practices, or policies with managers
- Gathering organizational performance information
- Managing construction activities
Education
- A post-secondary degree or diploma in business or public administration is usually required.
Certification
- Project management certification may be required by some employers.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to petrochemicals and refining include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Potential for relocation
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
- Career development fostered/supported
- Rural location
- Potentially unionized
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Minimal or no travel required
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Clerical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Understanding Risk
- Transportation
- Data Entry
- Managing Material Resources
- Quality Control Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Attention to Detail
- Sub-sector Geothermal, Solar, Wind
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A project manager in oil and natural gas may need to complete some minor upskilling to transition to the geothermal sub-sector of renewables. Oil and natural gas experience may be useful, but knowledge of the renewables sector will increase the likelihood of transferability. A worker planning a career change to the solar or wind sub-sectors of renewables may require more significant upskilling and will require experience in the renewables sector. The average salary range in geothermal is likely to be equal to the average oil and natural gas salary range but the average salary range in solar and wind is likely to be less than oil and natural gas.
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Developing detailed project plans
- Managing information technology projects or system activities
- Participating in staffing decisions
- Assigning duties or work schedules to employees
- Collaborating with others to resolve information technology issues
- Coordinating resource procurement activities
- Developing operating strategies, plans, or procedures
- Discussing business strategies, practices, or policies with managers
- Gathering organizational performance information
- Managing construction activities
Education
- A post-secondary degree or diploma in business or public administration is usually required.
Certification
- Project management certification may be required by some employers.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to renewables include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Travel required (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Primarily outdoor work (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Less formal organizational structure (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Temporary/project-to-project work (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Freelance/contract opportunities (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Safety-sensitive environment (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Transition to a similar level (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Rural location (geothermal | solar | wind)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Minimal or no travel required
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Clerical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Understanding Risk
- Transportation
- Data Entry
- Managing Material Resources
- Quality Control Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Attention to Detail
The renewables sector is further divided into sub-sectors:
Geothermal
- Transferability: Refocus
- Skills upgrade: Minor
- Average salary range: Equal to oil and gas
Solar
- Transferability: Reboot
- Skills upgrade: Major
- Average salary range: Less than oil and gas
Wind
- Transferability: Reboot
- Skills upgrade: Major
- Average salary range: Less than oil and gas
What does this mean for workers?
Workers will find that the ease of a career change from oil and natural gas into renewables may vary by sub-sector. There could be differences in the need to upskill, gain knowledge and experience, expected salary range and varying work environments. Further research on the sector or consultation with a career advisor may be required.
