Head of Operations - Oil & Gas (Upstream

Engagement details:

• Job Title: Head of Operations
• Client: Prominent Regional Corporate Firm - Oil & Gas
• Employment type: Permanent role
• Location: Onsite in Dammam, KSA
• Experience level: 16+ years

The JV is being established to build an advanced manufacturing and remanufacturing platform serving the Oil & Gas upstream sector in Saudi Arabia. The facility will focus on high-precision CNC machining, remanufacturing, welding/fabrication, assembly, and special process-related capabilities for critical upstream applications.

The JV is aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, IKTVA localization objectives, and the growing demand for in-Kingdom manufacturing capability to support energy customers, OEMs, EPCs, and service companies.

The Head of Operations will be responsible for leading the end-to-end operational execution of the JV facility, including production, manufacturing engineering, maintenance, procurement, supply chain, stores, planning, and operational excellence.

This is a critical leadership role reporting to the General Manager / Plant Head. The role requires a hands-on, execution-driven leader with strong experience in API-certified manufacturing environments, large CNC machining operations, welding/fabrication, greenfield plant setup, and scale-up of complex manufacturing operations.

The Head of Operations will be responsible for converting the JV’s business plan into a high-performing, customer-qualified, cost-efficient, and scalable manufacturing operation.

• Lead complete plant operations covering production, manufacturing engineering, maintenance, procurement, stores, supply chain, production planning, and operational excellence.
• Translate the business plan into executable production, manpower, machine, capacity, and supply chain plans.
• Ensure the facility achieves planned output, cost, delivery, productivity, safety, and customer-readiness targets.
• Establish strong daily, weekly, and monthly operating review mechanisms.
• Drive accountability across all operational functions and build a performance-oriented manufacturing culture.

• Lead operational readiness for the greenfield facility, including plant layout, machine placement, material flow, utilities, stores, internal logistics, and production systems.
• Support installation, commissioning, trial runs, and stabilization of CNC machines, fabrication equipment, and supporting infrastructure.
• Build operating systems from the ground up, including SOPs, work instructions, maintenance systems, stores controls, production dashboards, and escalation processes.
• Ensure the plant is ready for API, ISO, customer audits, and industrial licensing requirements.
• Drive phased ramp-up from initial production to full-scale operations in line with the JV business plan.

• Own delivery of production plans across CNC machining, welding/fabrication, assembly, and remanufacturing operations.
• Ensure effective utilization of machines, manpower, tooling, fixtures, and materials.
• Drive improvements in cycle time, setup time, machine utilization, throughput, productivity, and cost per part.
• Establish strong shopfloor discipline, production control, shift planning, and output tracking.
• Ensure operational readiness for machining and remanufacturing of upstream oilfield components such as drilling tools, wellhead components, pressure control parts, valves, repair parts, and other high-integrity components.

• Lead manufacturing engineering activities including process planning, methoding, CNC programming governance, fixture development, tool selection, cycle time optimization, process validation.
• Support new product introduction, first article development, DFM reviews, routing definition, and manufacturing feasibility.
• Build robust process engineering systems for repeatability, productivity, and quality at source.
• Drive standardization of manufacturing processes across machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, and remanufacturing.
• Work closely with Quality to ensure process controls are aligned with API, ISO, and customer-specific requirements.
  5. Maintenance, Reliability & Asset Utilization
• Establish preventive, predictive, and breakdown maintenance systems for all plant assets.
• Drive high uptime and reliability of CNC machines, fabrication equipment, utilities, cranes, compressors, and supporting infrastructure.
• Implement TPM and structured maintenance KPIs.
• Own OEE improvement, machine availability, MTTR, MTBF, spare parts planning, and maintenance cost control.
• Ensure all critical assets are maintained in audit-ready condition.

• Lead end-to-end supply chain covering procurement, vendor development, import logistics, stores, inventory, subcontracting, and consumables planning.
• Develop local and global supplier base for raw materials, tools, fixtures, consumables, spares, subcontract…