Operations Advisor

Our client is currently seeking an Operations Advisor to support their operational facilities in Iraq, working on a 28/28 rotational basis.  The role would suit a candidate with previous experience as an Operations/Production Supervisor and also as an Area Authority (experienced with CoW, permits, isolations, etc).  The selected candidate will be excellent at communicating and building relationships, whilst also proactive, inclusive, a champion of safety and operations excellence, holds high standards and has a genuine interest in making positive change.

The Role:

The Operations Advisor will be responsible for managing safe, compliant and reliable operations activities and providing a clear direction with regards to priorities for the facility. Reporting directly to the Operations Team Leader, the Operations Advisor is the key interface between the Operations team and the Degassing Station. The Operations Advisor role is a coaching and advisory position. Deliverables are achieved through influence, and this is heavily reliant upon the relationship the OA develops with national staff at the field locations.  The role will work closely with the Operations Maintenance Advisor to deliver safe execution of the facility plan and timely resolution of operational issues. As a member of the operations team the Operations Advisor has a key role in ensuring compliance against all areas of Process Safety, Operating Discipline and Product Quality. The Operations Advisor may deputise for the OTL as required and will have direct interaction with sub-surface, production optimisation, inspection, engineering, mods / projects and well services.

Key Accountabilities:

Leadership

• Demonstrate strong safety leadership and exemplary safety behaviours at all times ensuring that safety expectations are communicated and reinforced.
• Carry out audits, participate in incident investigations and lead/assist teams on determining root cause and suitable preventative measures.
• Coaching and development of their direct reports to support the nationalisation agenda

Risk / Operating Discipline

• Ensure changes to plant and equipment is subject to the appropriate level of Management of Change before putting into service.
• Be visible on site to test and verify that Operating Discipline standards are being set and maintained by the site personnel.
• Responsible for ensuring full compliance with any Operational Risk Assessments (ORAs) that are in place covering defective plant or conditions
• Responsible for ensuring timely execution and accurate close out of all production related maintenance.
• Provide assurance on compliance at site with Control of Work procedure. Provide coaching on site to Site Controllers, Area Authority’s and Isolating Authority’s

People

• Lead by example and is accountable for their teams being fully compliant with code of conduct and Values and Behaviours expectations.
• Coach and support the facility team on their development
• Ensure that direct report work patterns and commitments are fulfilled per HR contractual obligations
• Motivate the team, celebrate their successes and ensure their views and problems are listened to and suggestions are considered
• Identify and intervene if a team member does not meet performance expectations, have a low tolerance for poor behaviour
• Responsible for ensuring direct reports have a robust development plan and are being actively managed
• Is a competent and active process isolation assessor.

Production Delivery, Optimisation & Excellent Performance

• Responsible for understanding the day to day plant optimisation and well inventory in order maximise daily production.
• Responsible for providing operational input to the optimisation team for managing well allocation and new oil delivery.
• Actively monitor product quality and manage interventions when quality issues arise.  Be proactive to make early interventions on indication of quality issues
• Responsible for ensuring robust plant watch keeping and monitoring routines are completed with all deviations acted on and ensuring system is fit for purpose.
• Manage plant availability to ensure that safety critical maintenance is completed and production requirements are met.
• Lead and support 5 Whys investigations for all production losses and product quality issues over defined limits
• Responsible for updating the plant vulnerability sheet on a weekly basis so it is an accurate reflection of plant status.
• Drive clear prioritisation of vulnerabilities so action is focused in the right areas
• Actively lead and ensure participation in Continuous Improvement projects on your sites and promote the benefit of the CI philosophy to engage the site teams in this process.
• Ensure plant operations are operated within the design envelope and that any deviations are risk assessed via operational risk assessments.
• Plant is prepared and reinstated in support of TAR execution schedule, ensuring SIMOPS are identified and managed early enough in the schedule.
• Provide project team support during design, construction and commissioning phases

Criteria/Qualifications:

• A significant number of years’ experience in hydrocarbon operations preferably in a culturally diverse working environment.
• Interpersonal communication skills are critically important to the OA position, and should be demonstrably excellent.
• Experience of supervisory roles in culturally and linguistically diverse working environments.
• Capable of working autonomously, and organising time and resource to achieve work deliverables to defined standards.
• Personal behaviours and work ethic that leads by example.
• Excellent broad range of relevant HSE knowledge.
• In depth knowledge of control of work systems, previous experience as AA required.
• Not essential but preferable Middle Eastern cultural awareness, and basics in the Arabic language

With over 90 years’ combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world’s leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.