Drilling Section Head

Title:

• Position Title: Drilling Section Head
• Department: Wells
• Location: Majnoon Oil Field – Basra, Iraq
• Reports to: Wells Manager
• Direct Reports: Drilling Engineering Team Lead, Drilling Operations Team Lead

Provide leadership and strategic oversight for all drilling activities in the Majnoon Field. Ensure safe, efficient and high-quality drilling of all wells.  Drive operational excellence, technical assurance, contractor performance, and regulatory compliance across all Drilling functions.

• Drive a strong safety culture within Drilling teams and contractors, complying with Zero Harm and Courage to Care.
• Ensure compliance with Life‑Saving Rules, PTW, SIMOPS, and company HSSE‑MS requirements.
• Lead high‑level incident investigations, ensuring quality root‑cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Provide visible leadership through regular rig site visits, audits, and engagements.

• Develop and implement drilling strategies aligned with field development and company objectives and targets.
• Establish standards, procedures and assurance processes for drilling activities.
• Provide technical authority and approval for well designs.
• Set annual Drilling performance KPIs and drive continuous improvement across engineering and operations.
• Champion adoption of new technologies, enhanced drilling techniques and methods.

• Ensure high‑quality engineering deliverables including drilling programs and procedures.
• Lead technical reviews, risk assessments, peer reviews, and engineering assurance processes.
• Approve drilling Basis of Design, well objectives, engineering calculations and drilling programs.
• Ensure consistent application of well integrity standards, barrier philosophies, and regulatory requirements.
• Review complex or high‑risk engineering designs and approve contingency plans.
• Ensure high‑quality and timely engineering reviews and end‑of‑well reports.

• Lead development of budgets, forecasts, and AFE inputs.
• Monitor job efficiency, performance, and operational KPIs.
• Identify cost‑saving opportunities without compromising safety or quality.

• Oversee execution of all drilling operations.
• Ensure safe delivery of drilling activities in compliance with HSSE and operational standards.
• Provide real‑time troubleshooting and operational support and decision making during complex operational activities, operational challenges, stuck pipe, lost circulation, equipment failures and well-control events.
• Coordinate with Construction, Production, Drilling, and Subsurface teams to ensure alignment of operational priorities.
• Ensure operational readiness, QA/QC of equipment, and verification of service company preparedness.

• Manage performance of all Drilling related contractors.
• Support contract strategy development, tendering, technical evaluations, and contractor audits.
• Ensure service delivery meets safety, quality, and performance expectations.

• Lead and develop Drilling Engineering and Operations teams to ensure technical competency and readiness.
• Ensure succession planning, talent development, and structured training programs.
• Foster collaboration between engineering, operations, HSE, and field teams.
• Promote a culture of performance, accountability, and continuous learning.

• Ensure high‑quality reporting including daily summaries, KPI dashboards, and operational lookbacks.
• Represent the Drilling function in senior management meetings, partner reviews, and regulatory discussions.
• Ensure documentation accuracy in systems such as SharePoint, OpenWells, and well integrity databases.
• Maintain strong alignment with Wells Manager, Production, and Subsurface stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline (MSc preferred).
• 15–25+ years of drilling experience including, including 10years in senior leadership roles.
• Valid IWCF Level 4 Well Control certification.
• Strong experience leading drilling engineering and operations teams in high‑activity onshore fields.
• Expertise in all aspects of well engineering and construction.
• Comprehensive understanding of well integrity standards (e.g., NORSOK D‑010), well control, and barrier management.
• Strong knowledge of international standards (API, ISO, IOGP) and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience in Iraq/Majnoon preferred.
• Fluency in English; Arabic an advantage.

• Drilling Engineering Technical Mastery
• Well Integrity & Risk Management
• Operational & HSSE Leadership
• Strategic & Organizational Management
• Performance Management & Continuous Improvement
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
• Contractor & Stakeholder Management
• Team Leadership & Talent Development
• Communication & Technical Reporting
• Decision Making Under Pressure