Drilling Contract Engineer

Position Overview:

The C&P Drilling Lead is responsible for leading, organizing, and coordinating the Contracts & Procurement activities related to Drilling, Wells and Logistics.

The role ensures that all C&P activities are performed in accordance with the Company’s Code of Conduct, C&P rules and procedures, local requirements and applicable procurement strategies, while driving cost optimization, operational efficiency and continuous improvement.

The position requires strong contractual and procurement expertise combined with a good understanding of drilling and operational activities.

Main Responsibilities:

C&P Leadership & Governance

• Know, respect and ensure compliance with the Company’s Code of Conduct.
• Lead and organize the Drilling, Wells and Logistics Contracts & Procurement activities.
• Assist Partner entities with all Contracts & Procurement activities.
• Organize, coordinate and control the C&P function on a daily basis.
• Ensure that contracting and procurement strategies are appropriate, transparent and properly justified, particularly for matters presented to Contracts Committees.
• Lead Duet/Triplet meetings with Partner entities and Technical Managers.
• Coordinate workload across the Contracts & Procurement workforce.
• Manage the D&W Contracts & Procurement team in cooperation with Partner entities, in compliance with the C&P system of reference, local constraints and applicable synergy action plans defined by TEPMA1.
• Ensure appropriate involvement of CATMAN for all C&P activities where a category exists.
• Promote the communication of good practices and lessons learned on contractual matters.
• Define, implement and monitor appropriate contracting and procurement strategies by category.
• Ensure global reporting of D&W Contracts & Procurement activities to C&P Management.

Contracting & Procurement Management

• Anticipate the requirements of Partner entities through the preparation and maintenance of procurement plans.
• Supervise the establishment of technical contracts and directly participate in the most complex contracts and Purchase Orders.
• Manage contracting and procurement processes in accordance with TEPMA1 rules and procedures.
• Receive, control and ensure the proper allocation of Purchase Requisitions (PRs) for materials received from TEPMA1 entities.
• Validate, or ensure the validation of, contractual documents and formal correspondence issued by the C&P entity.
• Ensure effective use of C&P tools and systems to optimize productivity.
• Verify the proper operation, use and updating of the supplier database.
• Keep local contract templates, including General Conditions and Particular Conditions, up to date and adapt international versions to local requirements.

Cost Optimization & Supplier Management

• Drive cost optimization and cost reduction through the use of:
  • Market intelligence
  • Supplier qualification and evaluation
  • Cost models
  • Target prices
  • Other relevant sourcing and procurement methods
• Maintain a record of all savings generated by C&P activities within the assigned scope and obtain the appropriate validation.
• Conduct selective contractual audits to ensure proper application of contractual terms and conditions.
• Define and monitor KPIs to continuously improve efficiency and performance.

Contractual Risk & Dispute Management

• Support the settlement of contractual disputes and claims in coordination with Legal, Insurance and Finance.
• Propose appropriate strategies and actions for dispute resolution.
• Participate directly in contractual negotiations when required.
• Identify contractual risks, uncertainties and opportunities and ensure they are clearly reflected in decision-making dossiers.

Team & Competency Development

• Maintain the required level of competency within the Contracts & Procurement team.
• Contribute to the development of technical and contractual competencies.
• Participate in:
  • Job specification
  • Competency assessments
  • Recruitment processes
• Promote continuous improvement of C&P practices, procedures and reference documentation.
• Share good practices and lessons learned across the organization.

Drilling & Wells Responsibilities:

The C&P Drilling Lead is expected to combine strong Contracts & Procurement expertise with an understanding of the technical and operational environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Deliver high-quality dossiers enabling sound decision-making, with realistic evaluations and clear identification of risks, uncertainties and opportunities.
• Support the optimization of safety, performance and productivity in drilling operations.
• Provide technical advice and assistance in the selection of technological solutions, including vendors and equipment, to improve operational efficiency.
• Contribute to the development of technical competencies within the team.
• Ensure appropriate selection of the reservoir-wellbore interface, validated by the Service Manager and based on reservoir characteristics and production/injection objectives, as this determines the overall well architecture and associated cost.
• Influence and align internal and external stakeholders with the Company’s procurement strategies.
• Implement management directives by optimizing processes to achieve medium-term objectives of 1-3 years.

Scope & Accountability:

The position carries significant financial and operational responsibility:

• Study budget responsibility: USD 1-3 million for specific or recurring studies.
• Activity scope: USD 30-500 million related to CAPEX and Major Risk activities.
• Exposure to major drilling/well risks, including well blow-out risk.

Education

• Master’s degree or equivalent - Level 7

Professional Experience

• 10-15 years of relevant experience
• Excellent knowledge of Supply Chain / Contracts & Procurement
• International experience is required.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced Contracts & Procurement technical competencies.
• Advanced contractual expertise within the relevant domain.
• Good technical knowledge of the Drilling & Wells environment.
• Understanding of core operational activities, including:
  • Project Management
  • Exploration
  • Drilling
  • Engineering
  • Field Operations
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Basic to intermediate proficiency in other relevant technical competencies.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong team spirit.
• Effective communication skills.
• Ability to influence and convince internal and external stakeholders.
• Leadership and coordination capabilities.

Language

• Fluent English

Certification

• Advanced C&P tools certification required

Specific Knowledge

• Strong contractual expertise in the relevant domain.
• Sound technical understanding of the operational environment.