Chief Development, Wells & Exploration Officer

About the role

The Chief Development, Wells & Exploration Officer will define and lead the company's subsurface, wells and exploration strategy, aligning with corporate growth and reserves replacement targets. Reporting to the board, this senior executive drives integration across geoscience, reservoir engineering, drilling and production teams.

Key responsibilities

• Define and lead the subsurface, wells and exploration strategy and represent these matters at executive and board level.
• Oversee portfolio management, ranking and prioritisation of exploration prospects, appraisal opportunities and development assets.
• Direct exploration activities including basin screening, prospect generation, seismic acquisition and interpretation, and approval of well proposals.
• Manage static and dynamic reservoir modelling, reserves estimation (SPE‑PRMS compliant) and field development planning.
• Provide technical assurance for well engineering, drilling, completions and intervention programmes, ensuring safety, cost and performance targets.
• Own technical inputs into capital allocation, budgeting and investment proposals for exploration and development projects.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, geoscience, geophysics or related field (required); Master’s or PhD is a plus.
• Minimum 18–20+ years of progressive upstream oil and gas experience, including 8–10 years in senior leadership of multidisciplinary technical teams.

Required skills

• Proficiency with Petrel for geological modelling.
• Experience using Eclipse/Navigator for reservoir simulation.
• Familiarity with Landmark suite for drilling and well engineering.