Economic Modelling Specialist - Refinery Optimization

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

ADNOC Group in Abu Dhabi is seeking an experienced Economic Modelling Specialist to support refinery production optimization, commercial evaluations and economic performance analysis. The role develops and maintains LP models reflecting plant constraints and market pricing to assist feedstock purchases, product trading and margins.

You will work closely with refinery operations, planning and commercial teams, monitor performance, identify margin improvements and provide timely analyses to

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in economic model building and interpretation.
• Experience in oil, gas or petrochemical plants preferred.
• Practical experience developing and applying economic models to business decisions.
• Proficiency in economics, planning and refinery-margin analysis.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain LP and economic models for refinery planning and commercial evaluation.
• Monitor refinery performance and provide economic assessments to support decisions.
• Prepare monthly variance analyses and management reporting.

Skills

Economic modelling

Linear Programming

Refinery planning

Financial modelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Science/Economics

Tools

Excel

LP modelling

Job description

Economic Modelling Specialist - Refinery Optimization Job Snapshot - Role: Economic Modelling Specialist - Refinery Optimization - Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Industry: Oil and Energy - Function: Business Analysis-Research - Experience: Minimum 8 years in economic model building and interpretation - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site Position Overview ADNOC Group is seeking an experienced economic modelling professional to support refinery production optimization, commercial evaluations and economic performance analysis in Abu Dhabi. The role is responsible for developing, maintaining and improving fit-for-purpose economic and Linear Programming (LP) models that reflect actual refinery operating conditions, production constraints and market pricing. These models support feedstock procurement, product and intermediate trading decisions, refinery planning and margin optimization. Working closely with refinery operations, planning and commercial teams, the position monitors actual performance against planned outcomes, identifies margin improvement opportunities and provides timely economic assessments to support operational and commercial decision‑making.

Key Accountabilities

Economic Model Development and Maintenance

• Develop and maintain economic models that meet refinery planning, production optimization and commercial evaluation requirements.
• Coordinate within the SCMD team to ensure refinery operating constraints are accurately represented in Linear Programming models.
• Enhance existing LP and economic models to reflect changing business requirements and actual operating conditions.
• Update production constraints, pricing assumptions and relevant business parameters to maintain the accuracy of economic evaluations.
• Develop additional economic models for assessing intermediate products, product purchases and sales opportunities.
• Coordinate with refinery site teams to obtain actual yield patterns, material balances, process constraints and operating information.
• Ensure economic and planning models remain aligned with actual plant performance and current business conditions.

Feedstock and Commercial Economic Evaluations

• Conduct economic assessments of crude oil, condensate and other feedstock purchasing opportunities.
• Evaluate proposed sales and purchases of refined products and intermediate materials.
• Prepare economic analyses for additional commercial opportunities and business cases as required.
• Develop supporting calculations, documentation and economic justifications for commercial transactions.
• Prepare presentations and evaluation materials for OC and OSC to support commercial decision‑making.
• Maintain complete and auditable records of economic evaluations, assumptions and decisions.
• Organize and update evaluation databases to ensure relevant information remains accessible for review and reference.

Refinery Performance and Variance Analysis

• Support the Senior Specialist, Economic Model, in preparing monthly variance analyses comparing actual refinery performance with approved plans.
• Investigate deviations in production yields, product quality, material balances and operating performance.
• Identify quality giveaway, suboptimal operating conditions and potential margin improvement opportunities.
• Monitor product quality KPIs, process unit yield patterns and component quality variations.
• Recommend measures to reduce deviations between planned and actual refinery performance.
• Track economic losses associated with planned shutdowns, unplanned outages and process limitations.
• Coordinate with refinery site personnel to obtain actual unit yield patterns, hydrogen balances and relevant process data.
• Monitor implementation of refinery operating plans and highlight significant deviations.
• Review unit capacities and operating parameters against economic indicators and recommend revisions when necessary.

Margin Monitoring and Profit Improvement

• Prepare daily and weekly refinery margin reports and monthly gross margin performance reports.
• Analyse historical and current operating data to identify opportunities for improving refinery profitability.
• Support the management of site Profit Improvement Plan (PIP) programs.
• Maintain and update PIP tracking records and monitor progress against identified improvement opportunities.
• Assess the economic impact of refinery process constraints in consultation with the Senior Specialist, Economic Model.
• Conduct scenario analysis for planned and unplanned shutdowns, production slowdowns and operating restrictions.
• Evaluate potential production and margin impacts under different operating scenarios.
• Communicate crude oil and product market developments, refinery process economics and relevant commercial trends to site management.
• Prepare weekly economics presentations for refinery managers and operations teams.

Site Economics and Planning Support

• Act as a coordination point between economic modelling functions and refinery site teams.
• Maintain awareness of actual refinery operating conditions, process limitations and production performance.
• Provide economic analysis to support refinery planning and operational decisions.
• Identify operating conditions that may adversely affect margins and communicate findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Support timely commercial and operational evaluations using updated economic assumptions and refinery performance information.

Supervision and Staff Development

• Plan, supervise and coordinate assigned activities to achieve departmental and functional objectives.
• Provide guidance and relevant technical training to assigned employees.
• Support staff development to strengthen economic modelling, analytical and operational planning capabilities.
• Monitor assigned work activities to ensure effective delivery of section objectives.

Budgeting and Performance Management

• Contribute to the preparation of departmental and section budgets.
• Support implementation of approved budgets and work plans.
• Review significant budget variances and highlight issues affecting financial performance and cost control.
• Contribute to approved departmental performance objectives in accordance with the ADNOC performance management framework.
• Provide relevant performance information for management reporting and operational reviews.

Policies, Systems and Continuous Improvement

• Implement approved departmental policies, processes, systems, standards and procedures.
• Ensure assigned activities comply with applicable company requirements, international standards and legal regulations.
• Develop and apply tools and analytical techniques that improve the accuracy and efficiency of economic evaluations.
• Identify opportunities to improve internal processes using recognized industry practices and applicable ISO standards.
• Support improvements in economic modelling methods, reporting processes and refinery performance analysis.

HSE and Sustainability Compliance

• Comply with applicable Health, Safety and Environment policies, procedures and operational controls.
• Follow relevant legislation, sustainability requirements, international standards and ADNOC Codes of Practice.
• Incorporate applicable HSE and sustainability considerations into assigned activities.

Reporting and Management Information

• Prepare economic performance reports and supporting analytical information for refinery management.
• Provide inputs to section Management Information System (MIS) reports and progress updates.
• Present findings on refinery margins, production variances and improvement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate supporting records for economic assessments and management reporting.

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Education - Bachelor 's degree in Engineering, Science, Business, Economics or an equivalent qualification.

An additional business qualification is considered an advantage.

Professional Experience

Minimum 8 years of experience in economic model building and interpretation.

Experience in oil, gas or petrochemical plants is preferred.

Practical experience developing and applying economic models to business and operational decisions.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

Economic Modelling and Refinery Planning

• Strong business analysis capabilities.
• Experience working with Linear Programming planning models used in refinery operations.
• Ability to construct economic and financial spreadsheet models.
• Knowledge of optimization modelling using spreadsheets and Linear Programming techniques.
• Understanding of refinery production economics, feedstock valuation and product margin analysis.
• Ability to interpret production data, operating constraints and economic performance indicators.

Commercial and Performance Analysis

• Knowledge of the oil and gas industry and relevant market economics.
• Ability to evaluate commercial alternatives using economic modelling techniques.
• Understanding of refinery yield performance, product quality variations and operating margins.
• Analytical skills for comparing planned and actual operational performance.
• Ability to identify and communicate opportunities for cost efficiency and margin improvement.

Communication and Reporting

• Strong report writing and presentation skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of Arabic is preferred.
• Ability to communicate economic findings and technical recommendations to refinery management, planning teams and commercial stakeholders.

The position requires a combination of economic modelling expertise, refinery performance knowledge and commercial analytical capability. The successful candidate will support accurate economic evaluations, maintain reliable planning models and identify practical opportunities to improve refinery margins and production efficiency through effective coordination with operations and commercial teams.