POSITION DESCRIPTION – SENIOR PRODUCTION OPERATOR

Job Summary

Lead safe, reliable day-to-day field production operations at wellsites and surface facilities. Supervise production crew activities, ensure equipment integrity and routine maintenance, optimize well performance under operator procedures, and act as first-line escalation for operational issues in remote onshore environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and coach production operators and field crews during shift duties; allocate tasks and ensure safe execution of work.
• Operate and monitor production systems (surface wellheads, chokes, separators, test manifolds, flowlines, pumps, compressors, metering) to meet production targets and HSE standards.
• Perform start-up, shutdown, pigging, flowback and choke/slug control routines; manage primary isolation and safe handling of hydrocarbons.
• Conduct routine inspections, equipment checks, preventative maintenance, lubrication and basic troubleshooting; raise work orders for major repairs.
• Execute and verify daily production rounds, sampling, routine tests (pressure, temp, flow, composition) and accurate shift handover logs.
• Ensure compliance with operating procedures, permit-to-work, lockout/tagout and emergency response plans; lead on-site emergency actions until relieved.
• Oversee well testing and production bleed/flow tests, coordinate with field engineers and service providers to ensure correct execution and data capture.
• Implement process safety controls, report abnormal events, perform immediate corrective actions and participate in incident investigations.
• Maintain accurate operational records, logbooks, daily reports and meter reconciliations; ensure data integrity for production reporting.
• Manage chemical handling, storage and safe disposal per HSE and environmental requirements.
• Liaise with maintenance, supervision, engineering and contractors to plan and execute interventions, turnarounds and equipment mobilization/demobilization.
• Mentor junior operators, deliver on-the-job training and enforce good housekeeping and safety culture on site.

Qualifications

• Technical certificate/diploma in Mechanical, Petroleum, Process Technology, or equivalent; trade qualifications advantageous.
• Minimum 5+ years’ field production/operator experience with at least 2 years in a senior or lead operator role in onshore production operations.

Technical Skills & Knowledge

• Strong operational knowledge of surface production equipment, wellheads, chokes, separators, pumps, compressors and metering systems.
• Competence in routine mechanical troubleshooting, basic electrical/SCADA checks and preventive maintenance practices.
• Understanding of flow assurance issues, multiphase flow behaviour and principles of custody transfer/metering.
• Proficiency in production rounds, sampling procedures and basic analytical testing.
• Familiarity with permit-to-work systems, process safety management, LOTO and emergency shutdown systems.
• Basic computer literacy for reporting and work order management.

Behavioural & Interpersonal Skills

• Strong leadership, supervisory and team-management skills; capable of coaching and developing field staff.
• Clear communicator with good incident reporting and handover practices.
• Decisive, calm under pressure, with good situational awareness and operational judgement.
• Strong safety mindset and ability to enforce standards consistently.

Experience & Conditions

• Proven experience in onshore production operations, well testing and field supervision in remote environments.
• Willingness to work rotational shifts, camp living and extended hours during critical operations or incidents.
• Physically able to perform field tasks and work in harsh environmental conditions.

Performance Indicators

• Production uptime and achievement of shift production targets.
• Number and severity of safety incidents and adherence to HSE standards.
• Timeliness and quality of daily reports, meter reconciliations and data accuracy.
• Reduction in preventable equipment failures and effective execution of preventative maintenance.
• Effectiveness in crew supervision, training outcomes and contractor coordination.

Desirable

• Certifications: First Aid, H2S, Safe Working at Heights, Confined Space, Permit-to-Work.
• Experience with SCADA/PLC systems, CMMS (e.g., SAP/EAM) and basic instrumentation troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with well intervention support, artificial lift basics and production chemistry.

• Supervise and coach production operators and field crews during shift duties; allocate tasks and ensure safe execution of work.
• Operate and monitor production systems (surface wellheads, chokes, separators, test manifolds, flowlines, pumps, compressors, metering) to meet production targets and HSE standards.
• Perform start-up, shutdown, pigging, flowback and choke/slug control routines; manage primary isolation and safe handling of hydrocarbons.
• Conduct routine inspections, equipment checks, preventative maintenance, lubrication and basic troubleshooting; raise work orders for major repairs.
• Execute and verify daily production rounds, sampling, routine tests (pressure, temp, flow, composition) and accurate shift handover logs.
• Ensure compliance with operating procedures, permit-to-work, lockout/tagout and emergency response plans; lead on-site emergency actions until relieved.
• Oversee well testing and production bleed/flow tests, coordinate with field engineers and service providers to ensure correct execution and data capture.
• Implement process safety controls, report abnormal events, perform immediate corrective actions and participate in incident investigations.
• Maintain accurate operational records, logbooks, daily reports and meter reconciliations; ensure data integrity for production reporting.
• Manage chemical handling, storage and safe disposal per HSE and environmental requirements.
• Liaise with maintenance, supervision, engineering and contractors to plan and execute interventions, turnarounds and equipment mobilization/demobilization.
• Mentor junior operators, deliver on-the-job training and enforce good housekeeping and safety culture on site.

• Strong operational knowledge of surface production equipment, wellheads, chokes, separators, pumps, compressors and metering systems.
• Competence in routine mechanical troubleshooting, basic electrical/SCADA checks and preventive maintenance practices.
• Understanding of flow assurance issues, multiphase flow behaviour and principles of custody transfer/metering.
• Proficiency in production rounds, sampling procedures and basic analytical testing.
• Familiarity with permit-to-work systems, process safety management, LOTO and emergency shutdown systems.
• Basic computer literacy for reporting and work order management.
• Strong leadership, supervisory and team-management skills; capable of coaching and developing field staff.
• Clear communicator with good incident reporting and handover practices.
• Decisive, calm under pressure, with good situational awareness and operational judgement.
• Strong safety mindset and ability to enforce standards consistently.

• Technical certificate/diploma in Mechanical, Petroleum, Process Technology, or equivalent; trade qualifications advantageous.
• Minimum 5+ years’ field production/operator experience with at least 2 years in a senior or lead operator role in onshore production operations.
• Certifications: First Aid, H2S, Safe Working at Heights, Confined Space, Permit-to-Work.
• Experience with SCADA/PLC systems, CMMS (e.g., SAP/EAM) and basic instrumentation troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with well intervention support, artificial lift basics and production chemistry.