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.