Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) and Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (2025):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 14, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why Irving Oil was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) and Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (2025):
- Irving Oil supports families with maternity and parental leave top-up payments for new moms, dads and adoptive parents (to 100 per cent of salary for 17 weeks) -- and provides academic scholarships for children of employees who are pursuing post-secondary studies (to $2,000 per child per year)
- Irving Oil helps employees connect, hosting over 60 employee social events over the past year, including employee banquets and service awards, a family picnic, fall celebration with apples from the Irving family orchard, Christmas tree lighting (a 40-year tradition), a family fun day (with skating and tickets to a Saint John Sea Dogs hockey game), and much more
- Irving Oil helps employees prepare for life after work through retirement planning assistance services and a defined contribution pension plan -- the company also helps employees along the way through discounted auto and home insurance, auto lease rates, as well as discounts on home heating fuel costs
Irving Oil invests in its people and its communities
At every stage of her 20-year career at Irving Oil, Jennifer Pastorius has seized opportunities for growth. It’s no different today as she gets closer to fulfilling her long-standing professional dream of earning a bachelor’s degree.
“The company is there to support me in achieving my goals. As a woman in STEM, it is wonderful to experience this support in my career and to be a role model for others looking to pursue a similar path,” says Pastorius, the lead for automation technology with the process control team at Irving Oil’s refinery in Saint John, N.B. With STEM, of course, she’s referring to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, an area educators would like to see more women and girls involved in.
Pastorius is now in her third year of a technology degree she is earning online from Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is in addition to the ongoing training she receives at work. “In my role supporting control systems, we are navigating an ever-evolving landscape of technology, and we are always learning and ensuring we have the right tools for the job,” Pastorius says.
Based in Saint John, Irving Oil is one of New Brunswick’s largest employers. It operates Canada’s biggest oil refinery, with a network of distribution terminals and fuelling locations across Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland, providing safe and reliable energy to its customers while evolving its business for the future.
The family-owned company is recognizing its 100th year in business and continues to focus on the values promoted by its former president and chairman emeritus, Arthur Irving, who died last May at 93 years old – that people matter, and that it is vital to invest in your employees.
Irving Oil is focused on building its future talent by fostering career engagement in local high schools and providing career opportunities through its New Graduate Development program. In turn, those looking to start their careers see the potential for professional growth at Irving Oil, says Jennifer Beach, chief human resources and corporate administration officer.
“We recognize that supporting all our employees’ development is a key enabler to our shared success, and we remain focused on supporting our employees in achieving their personal career goals,” says Beach.
Investing in employees also means providing occasions to celebrate them and allow them to give back to the communities in which they work, live and raise their families. Last year, the company hosted more than 60 employee events where employees and senior leaders interacted and socialized.
“From employee service awards to special holiday celebrations, we strive to bring our employees together whenever possible,” Beach says.
Irving Oil gives back to the communities it serves by investing in initiatives to help people in need. Since 2002, its Fuel the Care program has provided fuel cards to more than 100,000 families in Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland who need to travel to receive medical care for a child.
Through the company’s Good Energy in Action program, employees also find ways to give back. They each receive one paid day annually to volunteer, as well as many company-led volunteer opportunities. Last year, employees supported 450 charities and volunteered 1,955 hours to local causes they care about, says Beach. Some of those volunteer hours went toward packing 100 bags of camp supplies for local children to attend a YMCA overnight camp – continuing an Irving tradition dating back 17 years.
“What makes our program special is it provides opportunities for employees to give in the ways that mean the most to them – through donations, individual actions or through activities organized by our team,” Beach says.
Irving Oil invests in its people and its communities
At every stage of her 20-year career at Irving Oil, Jennifer Pastorius has seized opportunities for growth. It’s no different today as she gets closer to fulfilling her long-standing professional dream of earning a bachelor’s degree.
“The company is there to support me in achieving my goals. As a woman in STEM, it is wonderful to experience this support in my career and to be a role model for others looking to pursue a similar path,” says Pastorius, the lead for automation technology with the process control team at Irving Oil’s refinery in Saint John, N.B. With STEM, of course, she’s referring to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, an area educators would like to see more women and girls involved in.
Pastorius is now in her third year of a technology degree she is earning online from Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is in addition to the ongoing training she receives at work. “In my role supporting control systems, we are navigating an ever-evolving landscape of technology, and we are always learning and ensuring we have the right tools for the job,” Pastorius says.
Based in Saint John, Irving Oil is one of New Brunswick’s largest employers. It operates Canada’s biggest oil refinery, with a network of distribution terminals and fuelling locations across Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland, providing safe and reliable energy to its customers while evolving its business for the future.
The family-owned company recently recognized its 100th year in business and continues to focus on the values promoted by its former president and chairman emeritus, Arthur Irving, who died last May at 93 years old – that people matter, and that it is vital to invest in your employees.
Irving Oil is focused on building its future talent by fostering career engagement in local high schools and providing career opportunities through its New Graduate Development program. In turn, those looking to start their careers see the potential for professional growth at Irving Oil, says Jennifer Beach, chief human resources and corporate administration officer.
“We recognize that supporting all our employees’ development is a key enabler to our shared success, and we remain focused on supporting our employees in achieving their personal career goals,” says Beach.
Investing in employees also means providing occasions to celebrate them and allow them to give back to the communities in which they work, live and raise their families. Last year, the company hosted more than 60 employee events where employees and senior leaders interacted and socialized.
“From employee service awards to special holiday celebrations, we strive to bring our employees together whenever possible,” Beach says.
Irving Oil gives back to the communities it serves by investing in initiatives to help people in need. Since 2002, its Fuel the Care program has provided fuel cards to more than 100,000 families in Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland who need to travel to receive medical care for a child.
Through the company’s Good Energy in Action program, employees also find ways to give back. They each receive one paid day annually to volunteer, as well as many company-led volunteer opportunities. Last year, employees supported 450 charities and volunteered 1,955 hours to local causes they care about, says Beach. Some of those volunteer hours went toward packing 100 bags of camp supplies for local children to attend a YMCA overnight camp – continuing an Irving tradition dating back 17 years.
“What makes our program special is it provides opportunities for employees to give in the ways that mean the most to them – through donations, individual actions or through activities organized by our team,” Beach says.
The Career Directory
Irving Oil has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
