Chief Operating Officer
UAE/Dubai
Listed on 2026-09-30
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Management
Operations Management, Project & Program Management
Business Umbrella is mandated to appoint a Chief Operating Officer (COO) for a leading integrated oil & gas and energy group operating in the United Arab Emirates. This is a remote role based in the UAE, with periodic travel to head office, plants and field operations.
ABOUTTHE ROLE
Reporting to the Group CEO and the Board, the COO owns end-to-end operational performance across upstream, midstream and downstream activities, including production, processing, trading, distribution, HSE, engineering, projects, supply chain and logistics.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIESTranslate group strategy into an annual operating plan with clear KPIs for production, uptime, cost and margin.
Lead day-to-day operations across all business units, assets, terminals and joint ventures in the UAE and wider GCC.
Drive a zero-harm HSE culture and ensure full compliance with UAE regulatory authorities, ISO and international energy standards.
Own operating and capital budgets; deliver cost optimisation, asset reliability, maintenance and turnaround programmes.
Oversee major capital and EPC projects, delivering on time, on budget and to specification.
Strengthen procurement, supply chain, logistics, trading and distribution operations, including vendor and contract governance.
Build, lead and mentor a high-performing multicultural leadership team; drive Emiratisation and succession planning.
Partner with the CEO, CFO and Board on growth, M&A, new markets, digitalisation and ESG commitments.
REQUIREMENTS18+ years in oil & gas, petrochemicals or energy, including 5+ years as COO, VP Operations, General Manager or equivalent.
Proven P&L ownership of a business, asset or region with substantial revenue and headcount responsibility.
Deep operational knowledge of upstream, midstream or downstream assets (field, refinery, plant or terminal operations).
GCC or Middle East experience strongly preferred; UAE market exposure is a distinct advantage.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Petroleum) or related discipline; MBA preferred.
Excellent HSE, governance, risk and regulatory track record with board-level communication skills.
Fluent English;
Arabic is an advantage.
Competitive executive package with performance bonus and benefits.
Remote working model within the UAE, with periodic travel to offices and operating sites.
The opportunity to shape operations and growth for a regional energy platform.
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