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Lead Production Researcher Job

Aramco Westhill, United Kingdom
Posted 12 hours ago Permanent Competitive

Lead Production Researcher Job

Aramco Westhill, United Kingdom
Lead Production Researcher Job

Aramco is one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.



Aramco Europe is headquartered in The Hague with offices across the continent. For over 60 years we have supported Aramco with a wide range of activities from facilitating safe and reliable delivery of energy to customers around the globe to pushing for breakthroughs in research and innovation.



Our services include in-depth technology advice and support in established and emerging sectors of oil, gas and energy, as well as finance, HR, legal, PR and communications.



We work with the very best industry suppliers to drive our operations to secure our position as a world leader in energy and chemicals.




About the Company



At Aramco Europe, we believe in the power of energy to transform lives, strengthen communities, and support human progress. We connect people, projects, and markets to help deliver reliable energy solutions around the world while advancing innovation and sustainability.



Our European research centres play a key role in developing next-generation technologies that address some of the industry's most complex challenges. Through collaboration, scientific excellence, and a commitment to innovation, we support the development of technologies that improve operational performance, enhance safety, and contribute to a more sustainable energy future.



As part of one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies, you will have the opportunity to work on high-impact projects, collaborate with leading experts, and contribute to technologies that can shape the future of the energy industry.




Job Purpose



We are seeking an experienced Specialist Researcher to join our Aberdeen research team and lead advanced research across production and completions technologies.



This senior technical role is responsible for defining and conducting research into complex production and completions challenges, shaping research priorities, and developing innovative technologies, tools, materials, methodologies, and digital solutions.



Working with substantial autonomy, the successful candidate will provide scientific direction across significant research programmes and translate research findings into practical engineering solutions, operating practices, technical standards, and decision-support tools.



The role works closely with production, completions, reservoir, well-integrity, intervention, facilities, operations, and data specialists, as well as external research organisations and technology partners, to improve reliability, safety, efficiency, and operational value.



The successful candidate will apply deep technical judgement to ambiguous or unprecedented problems, influence senior stakeholders, mentor technical professionals, and contribute to research governance, functional standards, and longer-term technology strategy.




Responsibilities





  • Production & Completions Research: Lead advanced research across completion design, production optimisation, artificial lift, stimulation, flow assurance, well integrity, production chemistry, intervention, equipment reliability, and emerging technologies.

  • Research Strategy: Identify research opportunities, define priorities, and develop proposals, roadmaps, and portfolio recommendations aligned with business and operational objectives.

  • Technology Development: Develop, test, and validate technologies, tools, materials, methodologies, and digital solutions through laboratory studies, simulations, field trials, and pilots.

  • R&D Methodologies: Improve research methods, analytical models, and technical processes to enhance quality, efficiency, and practical application.

  • Technical Problem Solving: Provide expert advice on complex production and completions challenges using scientific evidence, operational data, and engineering expertise.

  • Research Insights & Reporting: Analyse data, identify trends, and communicate findings and recommendations to technical and management stakeholders.

  • Data Analytics & Modelling: Apply advanced analytics, predictive modelling, and data-driven techniques to improve decision-making and operational performance.

  • Funding & Value Realisation: Develop business cases and funding proposals, establish success measures, and quantify realised operational value.

  • Technology Assessment: Evaluate emerging technologies including AI, automation, robotics, advanced materials, sensing technologies, and lower-carbon solutions.

  • Research Implementation: Translate research outcomes into engineering solutions, technical standards, methodologies, operating practices, and implementation plans.

  • Field Trials & Validation: Lead field trials and technology demonstrations, evaluate outcomes, and recommend further development, deployment, or discontinuation.

  • Technical Assurance & Compliance: Ensure compliance with HSE, regulatory, ethical, technical assurance, and research governance requirements.

  • Programme Delivery: Provide technical leadership across multiple projects, managing priorities, resources, risks, and delivery outcomes.

  • External Collaboration: Build and maintain relationships with research institutions, universities, technology providers, operators, service companies, and industry bodies.

  • IP & Research Governance: Protect confidential information and intellectual property, supporting patents, invention disclosures, and research governance activities.

  • Business & Operational Advice: Provide specialist guidance on policies, processes, and technical matters.

  • Performance & Capability: Deliver performance objectives while supporting capability development through mentoring, coaching, and knowledge transfer.




Tasks





  • Design and conduct advanced applied research into complex production and completions challenges using experimental, analytical, statistical, physics-based, and modelling techniques.

  • Analyse completion, production, intervention, well-integrity, operational, facility, and subsurface data to determine root causes, diagnose constraints, identify trends, predict risks, and recommend solutions.

  • Develop and validate completion, stimulation, artificial-lift, production-optimisation, flow-assurance, sand-management, production-chemistry, surveillance, well-integrity, intervention, and digital-production technologies.

  • Provide expert scientific and technical advice to production, completions, reservoir, well-integrity, intervention, facilities, operations, and asset stakeholders.

  • Direct research projects and related workstreams, maintaining the quality of technical outputs while managing priorities, resources, schedules, risks, and dependencies.

  • Translate research findings into engineering solutions, technical standards, operating practices, qualification protocols, decision-support tools, and implementation recommendations.

  • Progress technologies from concept and prototype development through qualification, field validation, deployment planning, operational adoption, scale-up, or discontinuation.

  • Evaluate emerging technologies and prepare research proposals and investment cases covering feasibility, readiness, cost, risk, operational value, and expected benefits.

  • Define baseline performance and measurable success criteria, then work with relevant parties to quantify realised value following implementation.

  • Prepare technical reports, scientific publications, management briefings, presentations, invention disclosures, and other research outputs while protecting confidential information and intellectual property.

  • Lead collaboration with Aramco research centres and external research, academic, operational, and technology partners.

  • Provide clear progress updates through reports, presentations, and line-management discussions and contribute to continuous improvement and future research roadmaps.

  • Mentor technical professionals, transfer specialist knowledge, and support the development of future technical capability.




Experience



We are seeking an accomplished production and completions research professional with typically 15 plus years of relevant experience. The successful candidate will demonstrate:



  • Extensive experience designing and delivering advanced applied research programmes focused on complex production or completions challenges.

  • Proven success developing and validating technologies, tools, materials, digital solutions, or methodologies through laboratory studies, simulations, prototypes, qualification programmes, field trials, or operational pilots.

  • Experience applying experimental methods, advanced analytics, statistical techniques, physics-based modelling, predictive modelling, or data-driven approaches to operational challenges.

  • A strong record of resolving complex, non-routine problems by integrating scientific evidence, subsurface information, well and production data, facility data, and operational experience.

  • Demonstrated experience progressing at least one technology from concept or research through prototype development, qualification, field validation, deployment, or scale-up.

  • Experience leading significant research projects or technical workstreams and translating research outputs into practical engineering solutions, standards, operating practices, protocols, or decision-support tools.

  • Deep expertise in at least one production or completions technology domain, with the ability to integrate solutions across the broader well-delivery and production system.

  • Experience defining baseline performance, measurable success criteria, and realised operational value following implementation.

  • A strong record of technical reports, research outputs, management briefings, invention disclosures, patents, publications, standards, or equivalent professional deliverables.

  • Experience collaborating across multidisciplinary internal teams and managing external technical partnerships with research centres, universities, institutes, technology providers, operators, service companies, and specialist laboratories.

  • Experience evaluating emerging technologies and preparing proposals or investment cases covering feasibility, technology readiness, operational value, costs, risks, and benefits.

  • Experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced analytics, automation, robotics, digital production technologies, advanced sensing, or predictive optimisation would be particularly advantageous.




Education



Candidates should possess a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in Petroleum Engineering, Production Engineering, Completion Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, or another closely related engineering or scientific discipline.



Substantial and progressively responsible professional experience may be considered in place of formal academic qualifications where the candidate can demonstrate the required level of technical expertise and achievement.




Managerial/Mentoring Experience



The role typically requires two to four years of experience providing advanced or strategic mentoring to senior professionals or specialists. The successful candidate will be expected to transfer critical expertise, shape professional standards and ways of working, and support the development and readiness of specialists for complex, high-risk, or business-critical challenges.




Additional - Optional/Advantageous

The following qualifications and experience would be considered advantageous:



  • Chartered Engineer (CEng) status through the Engineering Council UK or equivalent professional accreditation.

  • European Engineer (EUR ING) recognition through FEANI.

  • PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP, or an equivalent project or programme management certification.

  • Evidence of patents, invention disclosures, technology licensing, field-deployed technologies, or other innovation outcomes.

  • Recognised contributions to industry research, technical publications, conferences, technical standards, or professional organisations.



All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.



Requisition ID: 1151

Job ID  1151
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