Operations Director (Operations & Maintenance)

Petrofac; Sharjah; Hybrid; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international service provider to the energy industry is seeking an Operations Director to oversee operations and maintenance contracts across onshore and offshore facilities. This role demands at least 10 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, with a focus on leadership, compliance, and performance management. The ideal candidate will have a strong educational background in engineering and a proven track record in operations management.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry.
• Experience in delivering complex operations and maintenance contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to manage operations across multiple regions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of operations and maintenance contracts.
• Ensure compliance with HSE regulations and standards.
• Drive operational performance using measurable KPIs.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering

Petroleum Engineering

Operations Management

Project Management

Leadership

HSE Compliance

Stakeholder Management

Cross-Cultural Sensitivity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Petroleum, Chemical, or Electrical Engineering

Postgraduate qualification in Engineering Management or Business Administration

Job description

Petrofac is a leading international service provider to the energy industry, with a diverse client portfolio including many of the world’s leading energy companies.

We design, build, manage and maintain infrastructure for our clients. We recruit, reward, and develop our people based on merit regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status or disability. We value our people and treat everyone who works for or with Petrofac fairly and without discrimination.

The world is re-thinking its energy supply and energy security needs; planning for a phased transition to alternative energy sources. We are here to help our clients meet these evolving energy needs.

This is an exciting time to join us on this journey.

We support flexible working requests and have adopted a hybrid approach for most of our office-based roles. We ask employees to be present in the office at least three days per week.

Are you ready to bring the right energy to Petrofac and help us deliver a better future for everyone?

JOB TITLE: OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the execution of Petrofac’s operations and maintenance contracts across onshore and offshore facilities in multiple countries.
• Ensure all projects are delivered in accordance with Petrofac’s policies, HSE commitments, contract requirements, budgetary targets, and timeline expectations.
• Establish clear governance, reporting, and accountability frameworks for each contract.
• Maintain a visible leadership presence across the field, project, and client locations.
• Support contract start-ups, transitions, and close-outs, ensuring lessons learned and value delivery.
• Own and review annual operating plans, OPEX budgets, manpower plans, and technical risk registers.
• Champion a safety-first culture across all operations in line with Petrofac’s “Zero Harm” ambition.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable national, client, and Petrofac HSE regulations, standards, and procedures.
• Oversee the integrity, availability, and reliability of assets under Petrofac’s duty of care.
• Promote strong leadership in Process Safety, Occupational Safety, and Environmental Stewardship.
• Drive operational performance using measurable KPIs covering uptime, reliability, production efficiency, cost control, and safety.
• Implement performance dashboards and regular business reviews with contract managers and client stakeholders.
• Lead root cause investigations, failure analyses, and operational audits.
• Establish and track performance improvement initiatives across contracts — including digitalisation, workforce productivity, turnaround planning, and maintenance optimisation.
• Serve as the executive point of contact for major client accounts, building long-term relationships based on trust, transparency, and delivery excellence.
• Collaborate with client asset managers, operations directors, and project teams to anticipate needs, solve problems, and identify improvement opportunities.
• Ensure regular client satisfaction surveys and proactive feedback management.
• Lead a culturally diverse team of operations managers, project leaders, and offshore/onshore staff.
• Drive a high-performance, accountable, and safety-conscious culture across the function.
• Mentor and coach key talent, identify succession pipelines, and support development planning.
• Ensure effective workforce planning, mobilisation, and retention strategies.
• Promote internal collaboration, knowledge sharing, and career growth opportunities.
• Work closely with the Business Development, Proposals, and Commercial teams to shape, position, and pursue O&M opportunities in the UAE, GCC, and international markets.
• Contribute to the technical and commercial review of bids and tenders, offering operational strategies, risk insights, and delivery models.
• Provide operational leadership during due diligence, site visits, and client presentations.
• Identify upsell or contract extension opportunities within existing accounts through operational value demonstration.
  
  

Essential Qualifications And Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Petroleum, Chemical, or Electrical Engineering (mandatory).
• Postgraduate qualification in Engineering Management, Operations, or Business Administration (preferred).
• Minimum years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, with a maximum of years in executive or senior leadership roles.
• Proven track record in delivering complex O&M contracts across onshore and offshore environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing operations across multiple countries or regions.
• Deep knowledge of operations, maintenance, integrity management, production optimisation, and turnaround planning.
• Experience working in client-facing, contractually accountable roles within IOCs or NOCs.
• Sound understanding of HSE legislation, quality assurance, asset integrity standards, and operational risk management.
• Commercially aware, with experience supporting bids, JV negotiations, and cost/value optimisation.
• Strategic thinking and structured execution
• Inspirational leadership and people development
• Strong technical understanding and operational acumen
• Stakeholder management and communication skills
• Resilience, adaptability, and cross-cultural sensitivity
• High personal integrity and accountability
• Results-driven, hands-on, and performance-focused
  
  

Additional Information