Principal Specialist, Exploration & Project Development & Engineering Data Domain

Maaden; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Maaden seeks a Principal Specialist to lead Exploration & PDE data governance and domain strategy. You will shape a scalable framework, align data initiatives with enterprise goals, and broaden the adoption of trusted data assets across technical and business teams.

You will provide expert guidance on subsurface data management and collaborate with stakeholders to improve data quality, risk management, and analytics capabilities in a complex energy environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in geoscience, petroleum engineering, CS, information systems, data management or related discipline.
• 10–15 years in exploration, subsurface, PDE data management or digital transformation environments.
• Experience leading cross-functional data initiatives and enterprise data management frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Shape and execute the exploration & PDE data domain strategy aligned with enterprise data objectives.
• Establish scalable data domain framework to improve accessibility, usability and value.
• Drive prioritization of data initiatives supporting exploration, evaluation and resource development.
• Strengthen governance to ensure data integrity, ownership and regulatory compliance.
• Lead development of data products enabling operational and strategic decision making.
• Provide expert guidance on exploration, geological, geophysical, drilling and subsurface data management.
• Build partnerships across business functions and external partners for aligned outcomes.
• Accelerate adoption of analytics, AI and digital capabilities through high-quality domain data.

Skills

Data governance

Domain stewardship

Data architecture

Data modeling

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Digital transformation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Geoscience, Petroleum Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Management, or a related discipline

Job description

Job Description

Why This Role Matters

The Principal Specialist, Exploration & PDE Data Domain shapes the strategic management, governance, and value realization of Exploration and Petroleum Development & Evaluation (PDE) data assets across the organization. The role ensures that critical subsurface, geological, geophysical, drilling, reservoir, and related technical data are trusted, accessible, secure, and aligned with business priorities.

The role creates business value by enabling data-driven decision making, improving data quality and consistency, accelerating digital initiatives, and maximizing the return on data investments. Through strong domain stewardship and collaboration with business and technology stakeholders, the role strengthens operational performance, supports innovation, and enhances organizational data maturity.

The position plays a key role in establishing data domain capabilities that drive exploration success, improve resource evaluation outcomes, reduce information risk, and enable advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation initiatives across the enterprise.

What You Will Deliver

Data Domain Strategy & Enablement

Shape and execute the Exploration & PDE data domain strategy aligned with enterprise data and digital objectives.

Establish a scalable data domain framework that improves data accessibility, usability, and business value.

Drive prioritization of data initiatives that support exploration, evaluation, and resource development objectives.

Data Governance & Quality

Strengthen governance practices that ensure data integrity, consistency, ownership, and regulatory compliance.

Deliver measurable improvements in data quality through standards, controls, and stewardship processes.

Govern critical data assets across their lifecycle to improve reliability and reduce operational risk.

Data Products & Value Realization

Lead the development and enhancement of data products that enable operational and strategic decision making.

Increase adoption of trusted data assets across technical and business functions.

Translate business requirements into scalable data solutions that generate measurable business outcomes.

Technical Leadership

Provide expert guidance on exploration, geological, geophysical, drilling, reservoir, and subsurface data management practices.

Influence enterprise data architecture decisions to improve interoperability and domain integration.

Promote industry-leading practices, technologies, and methodologies across the data ecosystem.

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

Build strong partnerships between business functions, digital teams, and external partners to align priorities and outcomes.

Facilitate effective decision making through clear data ownership, accountability, and governance structures.

Strengthen collaboration across domains to improve enterprise-wide data consistency and effectiveness.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

Accelerate the adoption of advanced analytics, automation, AI, and digital capabilities through high-quality domain data.

Identify opportunities to optimize processes, reduce manual effort, and improve data lifecycle efficiency.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven performance.

What Success Looks Like

Improved data quality, consistency, and trust across Exploration and PDE data assets.

Increased utilization of data products for operational and strategic decision making.

Enhanced compliance with data governance standards, policies, and regulatory requirements.

Reduced data-related risk and improved data lifecycle management effectiveness.

Faster delivery of digital, analytics, and AI initiatives enabled by trusted domain data.

Strong stakeholder satisfaction and clear ownership of critical business data assets.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Geoscience, Petroleum Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Management, or a related discipline.

Experience

• 10-15 years of relevant experience in exploration, subsurface, petroleum development, data management, or digital transformation environments.
• Demonstrated experience in data governance, data domains, master data, or enterprise data management frameworks.
• Experience leading cross-functional data initiatives and delivering business-focused data solutions.
• Experience working within large-scale energy, mining, natural resources, or industrial organizations.

Skills That Matter

• Functional Expertise
• Exploration and Subsurface Data Management
• Petroleum Development & Evaluation Data
• Data Governance and Stewardship
• Data Architecture and Data Modeling
• Data Quality Management
• Data Products and Data Lifecycle Management
• Business & Delivery
• Strategic Planning
• Digital Transformation
• Data Product Delivery
• Business Value Realization
• Risk Management
• Performance Improvement
• People & Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Influencing and Negotiation
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Communication and Presentation
• Change Management
• Collaboration and Relationship Building