Lead Production Engineer — Hybrid Oil & Gas Optimization

Placements24; Polokwane; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Career growth

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Production Engineer to join our client’s team in Polokwane, Limpopo, SA. The role focuses on optimizing oil and gas production, ensuring safe operations, and maximizing asset value.

You will lead production engineering efforts, with emphasis on artificial lift systems, forecasting, well interventions, and facility performance. The ideal candidate has 9+ years in production engineering within oil and gas, strong leadership, and a solid grasp of reservoir

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum or Chemical Engineering.
• 9+ years in production engineering in oil and gas.
• Expertise in artificial lift, production optimization, and well integrity.
• Strong reservoir engineering understanding and impact on production.
• Experience with production monitoring software.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and mentor juniors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement production optimization strategies to maximize hydrocarbon recovery and minimize downtime.
• Design, operate, and troubleshoot artificial lift systems (e.g., ESPs, rod pumps, gas lift).
• Perform production forecasting and reserves estimation, collaborating with reservoir engineers.
• Identify and recommend well intervention opportunities (e.g., workovers, stimulation, recompletions).
• Monitor and analyze production data, facility performance, and operational issues.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.
• Lead and mentor a team of production engineers, providing technical guidance and support.
• Collaborate with drilling, reservoir, and facilities engineers on field development and operational plans.
• Evaluate new production technologies and propose their implementation.
• Prepare technical reports and present findings to management.

Skills

Leadership

Production optimization

Artificial lift

Reservoir engineering

Team mentoring

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Petroleum/Chemical Eng

Tools

Production monitoring software

Reservoir simulation software

ERP/SCADA knowledge

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Production Engineer to join our client’s team in Polokwane, Limpopo, SA. The role focuses on optimizing oil and gas production, ensuring safe operations, and maximizing asset value.

You will lead production engineering efforts, with emphasis on artificial lift systems, forecasting, well interventions, and facility performance. The ideal candidate has 9+ years in production engineering within oil and gas, strong leadership, and a solid grasp of reservoir