GZ DS Senior Drilling Engineer

Job Purpose   

The Senior Drilling Engineer (SDE) is the highest technical authority for all Drilling Engineering activities in the region. The role demands exceptional engineering discipline, uncompromising technical rigor, and the ability to govern complex directional drilling operations across multiple countries.

This position is accountable for ensuring that every well engineered and executed under Weatherford Drilling Services meets the strictest standards of technical integrity, operational performance, and risk management.
The SDE drives a zero-failure culture, enforces the Lost-in-Hole (LIH) Prevention Framework, and ensures flawless execution of RSS, LWD, DD, and FEED workflows.

The individual must operate as a strategic regional leader, a technical reference for customers, and the party responsible for engineering governance, performance optimization, and competency development across the regional DE organization.

Responsibilities

Technical Authority & Engineering Governance

• Act as the final engineering approver for all critical wells, BHA designs, RSS placements, complex trajectories, and high-risk applications.

• Enforce absolute compliance with global Weatherford SOPs, Anti-Collision standards, MOC requirements, and DS Engineering governance.

• Oversee all FEED deliverables with a zero-defect expectation, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and technical justification for each engineering decision.

• Ensure all RSS and Directional Drilling programs include robust T&D, Hydraulics, Vibration modelling, survey management plans, and hazard mitigation strategies.

• Lead region-wide engineering audits to identify deviations, non-conformances, and systemic weaknesses.

• Direct all technical actions for eliminating LIH risk, survey errors, BHA dysfunctions, and high-severity operational incidents.

Operational Control & Performance Enhancement

• Own regional performance indicators (ROP, DLS capability, NPT, tool failures, survey quality) with the mandate to improve them continuously.

• Lead structured offset-well analysis, drilling roadmaps, and engineering-based advisories to optimize execution for RSS and LWD operations.

• Direct root-cause investigations (RCAs) for all major incidents and ensure corrective actions are implemented with no delays or exceptions.

• Establish stringent engineering controls for high-risk operations (HPHT, ERD, sour service, severe vibrations, tight windows, multi-laterals).

• Drive aggressive performance improvement programs with measurable impacts across all operations.

Leadership, Discipline, and Engineering Culture

• Build and govern a high-performance Drilling Engineering team with clear expectations, strict accountability, and measurable competent progression.

• Set engineering standards for DE, and Jr DE roles, as well as well planners ensuring only competent personnel are assigned to critical wells.

• Implement a structured training curriculum for RSS & DD engineering excellence, survey management, and performance analytics.

• Enforce discipline in engineering documentation, on-time FEED delivery, and rigorous post-well reviews.

• Coach, challenge, and elevate the technical capabilities of the entire DE workforce.

Customer Engagement at a Strategic Level

• Function as the principal technical interface with operators’ well delivery teams.

• Lead high-level technical discussions, complex well reviews, and performance improvement meetings with ADNOC, KOC, PDO, PEMEX, PTTEP, and other clients.

• Provide clear, data-driven technical justification for all engineering decisions.

• Support tender strategy with authoritative BHA recommendations, tool configurations, and operational methodologies.

• Represent Weatherford DS in critical reviews, audits, and major incident investigations with operators.

Digital Transformation, Data Discipline, and Analytics

• Ensure regional adoption of WMS (Well Management System) as the sole source of truth for all engineering workflows.

• Mandate strict data quality for surveys, BHA parameters, FEED inputs, NPT logs, and operational KPIs.

• Lead deployment of digital solutions: automated offset-well analysis, FEED automation, engineering checklists, and performance dashboards.

• Drive engineering analytics in Power BI to monitor drilling performance, risk exposure, vibration levels, survey quality, and BHA trends.

• Promote AI-assisted DDR classification and data-driven engineering controls to eliminate recurring failures.

HSE Stewardship & High-Reliability Operations

• Ensure engineering rigor is directly aligned with HSE and operational risk management expectations.

• Lead technical risk assessments, DROPs analysis, anti-collision sessions, and operational readiness reviews (ORRs).

• Drive proactive hazard identification and enforce mandatory mitigation actions for all complex wells.

• Guaranteeing no engineering activity is approved without thorough risk evaluation and documentation.

• Full ownership of all technical aspects of well control readiness related to BHA and directional drilling equipment.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• 0 Lost-in-Hole events (non-negotiable)

• Reduction of DS-related NPT (target improvement YOY ≥ 30%)

• Improvement in RSS performance KPIs:

  • +10–15% ROP improvement

  • Stable DLS output and reduced tool dysfunctions

• Survey quality compliance ≥ 98%

• 100% FEED delivered on time and error-free

Organizational KPIs

• 100% competency matrix compliance (no DE deployed without validated competence)

• Zero overdue RCAs

• 100% adoption of WMS digital workflows

Customer & Commercial KPIs

• Customer technical satisfaction rating ≥ 95%

• Contract renewal rate ≥ 90%

• Technical contribution to tender win rate ≥ 80%

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or mechanical engineering (mandatory)
• Master’s degree or equivalent advanced certification (preferred)

Technical Experience

• Minimum 15 years in Drilling Services engineering (DD, LWD, RSS) with proven execution on complex directional wells.
• Minimum 5 years in engineering leadership or technical authority role including experience in Drilling Engineering positions with Operators or consultancy (preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to manage and collaborate on DS operations with high complexity including design, operations, optimization, analysis and delivery.
• Expert knowledge of RSS systems, directional drilling mechanics, BHA design, T&D, hydraulics, vibrations, and survey/magnetics.

Technical Proficiency Requirements

• Advanced expertise with:
  • RSS systems (Magnus or equivalent high-performance RSS)
  • HP/HT 
  • FEED engineering
  • Anti-collision and wellbore placement
  • BHA design for high DLS, ERD, and complex trajectories
  • Vibration mitigation strategies
  • Real-time surveillance, performance dashboards, Power BI WMS or similar digital engineering ecosystems

Skills

• Ability to resolve highly complex technical issues and conduct advanced research
• Ability to organize and plan projects
• Practical and results orientated to deliver a plan encompassing all inputs that can be safely executed.
• Mechanical aptitude and strong visualization capability required
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work with diverse professionals comprising clients, stakeholders, vendors, operations team, rig team and engineering peers
• Contribute to sustaining a positive, progressive, and supportive team environment.

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