Senior Petroleum/Production Engineer (2-Year Assignment)

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Senior Petroleum/Production Engineer for a two-year assignment based full-time in Nairobi, Kenya. This is a unique chance to be at the heart of a developing asset as it ramps up toward first commercial oil.

You’ll serve as the central technical link between drilling, facilities, and field operations. With an asset of up to 50 wells utilizing ESP and PCP lift systems, your focus will be on owning production performance, troubleshooting bottlenecks, and mentoring a team of junior Kenyan engineers.

What the work involves

Production & Optimization

• You’ll stay on top of daily production performance, analyzing data to find ways to optimize the well stock.

• You’ll lead the strategy for artificial lift (ESP and PCP), from performance monitoring to long-term lifecycle planning.

• You’ll be the person the team turns to for troubleshooting flow assurance issues or well performance deviations.

Coordination & Technical Interface

• You’ll work closely with the facilities engineering team to make sure surface and subsurface requirements are aligned.

• You’ll coordinate well pulls, workovers, and the handover process from completions to production.

• You’ll help with SCADA implementation and oversee day-to-day remote surveillance.

• You'll contribute your expertise to water injection strategies and reservoir management.

Mentoring & Compliance

• A big part of this role is leadership. You’ll be mentoring junior engineers and leading initiatives to build local capacity as the project grows.

• You’ll also handle the regulatory side, liaising with local bodies and ensuring all compliance reporting is accurate and on time.

What you need to bring

The Must-Haves:

• 15+ years of experience: You’ve spent a significant portion of your career as a Production or Petroleum Engineer working directly for an operator.

• Artificial Lift Expertise: You have a deep, hands-on understanding of ESP and PCP systems.

• Broad Technical Knowledge: You’re comfortable with flow assurance, SCADA systems, and water injection strategies.

• Leadership Skills: You have a track record of mentoring multi-disciplinary teams and helping junior staff level up.

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering (or a very closely related field).

The "Nice-to-Haves":

• Experience working in East Africa or sub-Saharan Africa.

• Familiarity with the Kenyan regulatory environment (EPRA, National Oil Corporation of Kenya).

• Experience working on assets in the early stages of production or pre-FID.

The Details

• Location: Nairobi, Kenya (Full-time, office-based, regular hours).

• Duration: 2-year assignment.

If you’re a seasoned engineer who enjoys the technical challenge of a developing asset and the reward of mentoring the next generation of engineers, we’d like to hear from you.