Doug joined the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), Environment Canada in 1981, and then served progressively in several weather centres. He eventually became Officer-in-Charge of the west coast Meteorology and Oceanography Centre. He then accepted a promotion to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in 2000 as a Senior Science Advisor. In 2003, and was promoted again to the position of the national DFO Director of Oceanography and Climate Science. Doug returned to MSC in 2006, as the Director of the Canadian Ice Service, and Co-Director of the Canada-United States North American Ice Service. Doug was promoted to Director General of the Canada Center for Remote Sensing with Natural Resources Canada in 2010. In 2013 Doug retired from the Public Service and transitioned to the Private Sector. Doug is currently the President of EO DVC LTD, an earth observation consulting company, serves on three Board of Directors, and is a Visiting Scientist at the School of Earth and Ocean Science, University of Victoria.

Doug was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility in March 2017.

In addition to his civil service career, Doug was a member of the Royal Canadian Navy (reserve) for thirty-eight years. He has commanded six HMC Ships for various periods at sea, Port Security Unit Four and HMCS CARLETON (Canada’s largest naval reserve division). His last active duty mobilisation was as one of three hand-picked senior naval officers standing 24/7 in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Theatre Command Centre.