Concept Manager

Title:

Job Title: Concept Manager

Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Reports To: Deputy General Manager / Secondment to client organization
Direct Reports: Concept Engineers, Development Engineers, Study Managers, and Consultants (as required)

Position Purpose

The Concept Manager is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and maturing investment opportunities across Client's onshore and offshore oil and gas assets. The role leads concept development from opportunity identification through concept selection, ensuring projects are technically sound, economically attractive, and aligned with business objectives.

Working closely with operations, subsurface, engineering, commercial, and project teams, the Concept Manager develops robust business cases and prepares opportunities for progression into FEED and execution. The role also introduces industry best practices to maximize asset value, production, reliability, safety, and asset life. The candidate will have primary responsibility for the delivery of studies from concept through to Pre-Feed.

Opportunity Identification & Portfolio Development

• Identify opportunities to increase production, improve recovery, reduce operating costs, enhance safety, and extend asset life.
• Support long-term asset development and redevelopment planning.
• Facilitate opportunity framing, value improvement, and concept screening workshops.
• Develop and maintain a portfolio of investment opportunities aligned with business objectives.

Concept Development & Selection

• Lead multidisciplinary concept studies from opportunity identification through concept selection.
• Develop and evaluate technically and commercially viable alternatives.
• Facilitate concept selection and decision-quality reviews.
• Recommend preferred development solutions supported by technical, economic, and risk assessments.

Typical projects may include:

• Brownfield modifications and facility upgrades
• Production optimization and debottlenecking
• Compression and water handling projects
• Asset integrity and life extension programs
• Offshore platform redevelopment
• Infrastructure modernization and electrification initiatives

Economic Evaluation & Business Case Development

• Lead economic assessments and value analysis of development opportunities.
• Coordinate preparation of cost estimates, production forecasts, risk assessments, and investment evaluations.
• Develop recommendations for management and investment committee approval.
• Ensure opportunities deliver sustainable long-term value.

Technical Leadership & Governance

• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams across engineering, operations, maintenance, integrity, wells, HSE, and project functions.
• Ensure concepts are safe, operable, maintainable, and executable.
• Lead risk identification, value engineering, and technical assurance activities.
• Promote standardization, simplification, and application of industry best practices.

Stakeholder Management & Project Handover

• Build strong relationships with asset teams, management, project organizations, and external stakeholders.
• Present recommendations to executive leadership and investment committees.
• Ensure effective transition of selected opportunities into pre-FEED, FEED, and execution.
• Maintain alignment of project objectives and value drivers throughout project development.

Key Deliverables

The candidate should be experienced in developing and reviewing the following deliverables

• Opportunity Framing Documents
• Concept Selection Reports
• Development Studies and Screening Assessments
• Business Cases and Investment Proposals
• Asset Development Plans
• Cost, Risk, and Value Assessments
• Basis of Design Documentation
• Stage-Gate Approval Packages

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum 15–20 years of oil and gas industry experience.
• Significant experience in concept development, front-end planning, asset development, or project maturation.
• Proven track record developing investment opportunities for mature onshore and offshore assets.
• Strong understanding of project development processes from opportunity identification through FEED.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and studies.
• Strong commercial awareness and business acumen.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent English, Russian is a plus
• Positive & flexible attitude.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and good cultural awareness.
• Confidence to work at all levels of an organisation (Board to Technician).
• Flexible and willing to work extra hours as necessary to accommodate occasional work load peaks

Preferred

• Experience with both IOC and NOC environments.
• Experience in mature asset redevelopment, facility upgrades, production enhancement, and asset life extension.
• Familiarity with FEL, Value Engineering, Decision Quality, and stage-gate project development processes.
• Master's degree or MBA desirable.
• Oil & Gas operations experience and/or being on management roles within these industries would be advantageous;
• Must be able to travel on short notice.
• Work experience with an industry company, licensor or technical consultancy is a major plus

Leadership Competencies

Strategic

• Long-term asset value maximization
• Portfolio management and prioritization
• Investment decision-making

Technical

• Concept development and front-end planning
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Production optimization
• Risk and value management

Business

• Commercial acumen
• Stakeholder engagement
• Influencing and executive communication

Personal

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Sound judgement and decision-making
• Collaborative leadership style
• High integrity and credibility

Success Measures

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

• Development of a robust pipeline of high-value investment opportunities.
• Delivery of technically sound and economically attractive concepts.
• Improved project quality and readiness prior to execution.
• Effective capital allocation and investment decision support.
• Increased production, reliability, safety, and asset value across the portfolio.
• Adoption of international best practices in asset development and project maturation.