Operations Director

Job description / Role

Our highly successful Oil & Gas business is looking to recruit an Operations Director for our Middle East operations based in the UAE.

Within the oil and gas division, our operations are primarily focused on the upstream, offshore industry. Our services encompass fixed, floating, subsea and production facilities and associated infrastructure. Additionally, we operate selectively in the onshore, mid-stream and downstream markets. We have some 750 experts located in our operations in Houston, Calgary, Trinidad, UK, Norway, Denmark, UAE, Singapore and Australia.

The role is an ideal opportunity for someone with proven business management experience to maintain and further develop our multi-discipline design and consultancy (process, integrity analysis / management, subsea, and safety & reliability) business in the Middle East and, selectively, African markets. Our Middle East (and India) business currently employs over 165 staff located in UAE, Qatar, Bangalore and Delhi.

Based initially out of our Sharjah office, the role will report to the Managing Director, Oil & Gas. Additionally, the candidate would be a member of the Oil & Gas board.

Key dimensions to this role will include;

•Leadership responsibility for ensuring the Middle East (and India) operations deliver against the O&G strategy and in-year targets as agreed by the board covering client, people, service, process and financial dimensions. Management of the profit and loss account.
•Being an active member of the Oil & Gas board providing input to, and executing, the strategy, driving operational excellence, delivering projects and ensuring technical excellence globally.
•Collaboration with other operations directors and business stream directors to deliver strategic targets. It should be noted that in addition to managing a Middle East market-facing business, the Middle East and Indian businesses support our other global operations in the delivery of projects.
•Exhibiting strong operational delivery capabilities. Managing business parameters such as productivity, headcount, resource planning and delivery of technical excellence. Responsibility for business planning to ensure current medium and longer term operational requirements are achieved.
•Identifying opportunities and developing the business, both internally and externally, to create a strong market presence and add value to the Atkins group. This will include targeted recruitment, preparation of strategic tenders for specific contracts and promotion of Atkins capability at client visits.
•Exhibiting a strong commercial acumen including engagement with key clients.
•Recruitment, development and training of staff.
•Coordinating project directors and project managers.
•Agreeing inter-unit trading arrangements with other businesses.

Requirements

Requirements:

The Oil & Gas business in the Middle East (& India) is looking to achieve sustainable growth and profitability and further develop our multi-discipline design capabilities and consultancy services. This role is key to achieving this. The successful candidate will need to provide strong leadership so that the business operates effectively across a range of dimensions. Therefore the successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate:

•Extensive experience of working within the Oil & Gas industry. It is highly desired that the candidate would have significant experience of working in the Middle East and within a major projects environment.
•Proven success in leading and enabling operational functions within a consultancy and/or engineering environment (with at least 50 personnel) to deliver against external and internal expectations. Stakeholder management skills.
•Have direct experience of managing and leading a number of engineering projects to time, cost and quality objectives.
•Proven success in leading and managing people by example.
•Strategic thinking skills to help develop and shape future business.
•Experience of managing remote teams.
•Excellent commercial and business development skills to assess opportunities and lead others in the relevant commercial and bidding processes to deliver growth.
•Ability to work collaboratively with the Oil & Gas Board, business directors and peers throughout Atkins.
•A high level of self management, commitment, trust, with an affinity with Atkins’ underlying values and the stature to operate effectively at a senior level are all essential.
•Good Degree (Honours or equivalent) in a relevant Engineering discipline and chartered.

Personal Skills
•Leadership
•A practical and pragmatic approach to engineering.
•Excellent communication and people skills including the specific ability to work with, and within, a multi-cultural organisation.
•An enthusiastic and resilient attitude

Candidates must have the following attributes:

•Management experience
•Self Starter
•Motivational
•Interpersonal skills
•Strong character
•Not afraid to challenge the status quo
•Ensure things are completed correctly whilst still being able to move things on
•Attention to detail
•Thorough
•Flexible
•Passionate
•Professional

Company Benefits

On joining Atkins, you will become a valued employee of one of the world’s leading global design consultancies. We recognise that to be where we are is a result of our people, who make us who we are. That’s why we look to employ the best in the field and offer packages that are both flexible and rewarding. Operating across such a diverse range of industries, throughout hundreds of locations, means we can truly offer you a career for life.

Please see our rewards and benefits pages on our website for full details.

Additional Information

•There may a requirement for you to occasionally travel to other company/client sites (both locally and internationally)
•Our Energy division supports the Nuclear, Power and Oil and Gas sectors and is a leading consultancy providing multidisciplinary support services to all project stages from concept through to completion. Opportunities exist to expand your career within Energy and / or the Atkins group.

About the Company

Atkins is one of the leading providers of professional, technology based consultancy and support services to the industry, commerce and governments in all of the worlds major economies. With over 17,000 staff operating in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas, Atkins has a broad range of skills and resources and provides Clients with a comprehensive service throughout the entire life cycle of the projects in the built environment.

We aim to be the international first choice supplier of technical and integrated services. Shaped by our customers' needs, our vision is to:

• focus on quality
• seek world class design and excellence
• strive to add value
• be flexible to the evolving needs of a changing society

Atkins first carried out design and supervision commissions in the Gulf area in 1967. From its regional head office in Dubai, U.A.E. Atkins Middle East now employs over 2000 staff located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman (Muscat ), Qatar (Doha) Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait City) and India (Bangalore).