Overview

Senior Director, Project Management - Subsurface & Drilling — Worley, Manchester, England, United Kingdom

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Worley is a global professional services company of energy, chemicals and resources experts headquartered in Australia. Right now, we’re bridging two worlds as we accelerate to more sustainable energy sources, while helping our customers provide the energy, chemicals and resources that society needs now. We partner with our customers to deliver projects and create value over the life of their portfolio of assets. Join us and help drive innovation and sustainability in our projects.

Role Context

Provides direction and project management to ensure project completion in accordance with contractual obligations. Defines project goals and devises methods to accomplish them; develops in-depth knowledge of customer objectives, contract terms, and corporate policies. Plans, organizes, manages, and controls projects with the established policies, procedures, systems, and requirements approved by Worley. Supervises project personnel through subordinate leaders. Project managers will exhibit leadership skills necessary to achieve project goals. A successful candidate must have experience providing leadership and strategic oversight to deliver the execution strategy for oil and gas asset production projects (upstream projects that have included subsurface and well engineering teams) from concept through first oil.

Responsibilities

• Typically manage one of the most complex, highest risk projects or programs within Worley.
• Work directly with upstream operators (preferably independents).
• Visualize and design new concepts and ideas related to technical/functional projects.
• Frame projects with operators so that scope, schedule, and other requirements are known, understood, and realistic.
• Derive solutions from interpreted information and collaboration with others.
• Usually manage work directly through other project managers.

Decision Making

• Develop and own the overall project execution plan, including scope definition, schedule, budget, and resource allocation.
• Lead a multi-disciplinary project team (engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, HSE) to deliver first oil on time and within budget.
• Manage project risks and opportunities through systematic identification, assessment, and mitigation planning.
• Oversee proposals, negotiate operating agreements, and make technical decisions.
• Oversee contractor selection, contract negotiation, and performance monitoring to ensure alignment with project objectives and corporate standards.
• Maintain strict adherence to health, safety, environment, and quality (HSEQ) requirements and foster a culture of safety excellence.
• Interface with internal and external stakeholders, including host governments, joint venture partners, regulatory bodies, and community representatives.

Supervision Authority

• Assigns project work and provides technical guidance to personnel on large to mega-sized projects.
• May have direct and indirect reports and authority for performance evaluations affecting pay.
• May make recommendations concerning selection, training, rating, and discipline of personnel.
• Gives administrative direction to subordinate supervision with workforce contact typically through those levels.

Health & Safety

• Seen as a strong safety proponent/leader for life.
• Leads HSE conversations, participates in HSE site walks, assessments and incident investigations.
• Sets strong HSE example and develops project-specific HSE plans and initiatives.
• Thinks ahead and takes proactive action on safety issues.
• Applies safety principles to team and customer and drives safety culture at work and home.
• Oversees safety plans for multiple contractors involved in the project.

Leadership

• Leads large cross-functional internal and external project teams and may include subcontractors or other PMs.
• Collaborates effectively with the customer’s management team.
• Oversees, motivates, and monitors team performance, ensuring quality and timeliness, and addresses performance gaps.
• Creates a collaborative environment with a shared vision, clear expectations and accountability.
• Provides leadership to third-party team members.

Financial Acumen

• Understands business drivers, financial reporting standards, and customer contracts.
• Ensures proper change control processes are used by the project team.
• Understands project costs, including gross margin analysis.
• Manages lump sum and fixed-price contracts; applies core cost, scheduling, and estimating controls to mitigate risk.
• Manages cash flow requirements, including accounts receivable and work-in-progress to minimize DSO.

Technical/Industry Experience and Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience delivering greenfield or brownfield oil production projects on schedule and within budget (upstream onshore/offshore).
• Experience managing reservoir, drilling, subsurface interfaces, and upstream projects involving subsurface and well engineering teams.
• Ability to oversee large-scale complex projects with full responsibility for planning, directing, supervising, and controlling all technical, fiscal, and administrative functions.
• Experience with procurement strategy, subcontracting, and materials planning across multiple contracts.
• Capability to review, select, and manage mixed contracting strategies (Unit Price, Lump Sum, Reimbursable).
• Experience managing complex scope changes and communicating progress to senior management.
• Strong communication and presentation skills; ability to convey complex proposals and reports to senior management.
• Ability to persuade and influence, promoting participative management and teamwork.

Education – Qualifications, Accreditation, Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, or Civil Engineering (or equivalent).
• Several years’ experience in the oil and gas business across value-chain segments (exploration, production, processing, transportation, refining, marketing).
• Proven track record delivering complex upstream projects through first oil.
• Extensive experience in HSE management and regulatory compliance in oil and gas.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, or MBA.
• Experience managing reservoir interfaces, subsurface activities, drilling contracting, well engineering & execution, and exploration risk management.
• International exposure, cross-cultural teams, multiple jurisdictions.

Moving Forward

We want our people to be energized and empowered to drive sustainable impact. Our culture is values-inspired, unlocking brilliance through belonging, connection and innovation. We’re building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace and supporting the transition to low carbon energy infrastructure and technology. There’s a path for you here, with no barrier to your potential career success. Join us to broaden your horizons and contribute to delivering sustainable change.

Company Worley

Primary Location GBR-GL-London

Other Locations GBR-GC-Glasgow, GBR-NWE-Manchester, GBR-AC-Aberdeen, GBR-SOT-Stockton

Job Project Management

Schedule Full-time

Employment Type Employee

Management Level Senior Director

Job Posting Sep 25, 2025

Unposting Date Dec 24, 2025

Reporting Manager Title Senior Vice President - Portfolio Management

Seniority level

• Not Applicable

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Project Management and Information Technology
• Industries
• Professional Services

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