Head of Production Department

CNOOC Uganda Limited is a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). As a new company in Uganda, CNOOC Uganda Limited is delighted to offer employment opportunities to local talent. Grow your career with CNOOC Uganda Limited and join an experienced team of professionals contributing to the development of the oil and gas sector in Uganda.

Location: Kampala, Uganda. Mobilized to Albert Lake, construction sites, or other cities if required.

Primary Function

Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Production Department, ensuring safe, reliable, compliant and cost-effective oil and gas production operations, field development execution, production optimization, asset integrity, national talent development, and readiness for the Company's transition into full operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, execution and continuous optimization of production operations, ensuring delivery of approved field development plans, production targets, reservoir management objectives and facility performance standards.
• Provide overall leadership of the Production Department, including departmental strategy, structure, manpower planning, performance management, resource allocation and cross-functional coordination with Subsurface, Drilling, Engineering, QHSE, Commercial, Procurement and Finance teams.
• Develop, defend and execute annual work programs, production plans and CAPEX/OPEX budgets, while monitoring cost performance, contract utilization, production efficiency and opportunities for cost optimization.
• Ensure all production, development and field operations comply with applicable laws, petroleum regulations, approved standards, permits, internal procedures, partner commitments and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Oversee production facilities readiness, commissioning support, start-up, operations reliability, maintenance coordination, asset integrity and emergency response preparedness to ensure safe and uninterrupted operations.
• Strengthen interfaces with Government authorities, regulators, Joint Venture partners, contractors and internal stakeholders to secure alignment on production plans, operational performance, approvals, reporting and issue resolution.
• Monitor daily production operations and key field events, escalate material issues to Management, lead incident/emergency response within the department and ensure timely implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Drive nationalization, knowledge transfer and capability development by implementing structured training, coaching, succession planning and career development programs for national engineers, supervisors and specialists.
• Promote continuous improvement, digitalization and adoption of fit-for-purpose technologies to enhance production efficiency, safety performance, data quality, environmental performance and long-term asset value.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Production Operations or other relevant Oil & Gas discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification is an added advantage.
• At least 15 years' experience in the Oil & Gas industry, including at least 5 years in field/on-site production operations and demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical or operations teams.

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of field development, production operations, reservoir management, production engineering, surface facilities, economic analysis, HSE management, petroleum laws/regulations and international oilfield practices.
• Strategic leadership and operational decision-making in complex field environments.
• Excellent planning, analytical, negotiation, stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong commitment to HSE leadership, compliance, ethics and operational discipline.
• Ability to lead multicultural teams, develop national talent and build high-performance work practices.
• High achievement orientation, resilience, accountability and sound judgment under pressure.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

How to Apply

Please apply through the Aldelia Global Manpower website via this link: www.aldelia.com/en/insights/cnooc-uganda.

Instructions: Your CV should include your contact information, qualifications (must include a bachelor’s degree or above), nationality, and 3 references.

Deadline for receiving applications is Wednesday, 17th June 2026 at 5:00 PM.

Women are encouraged to apply. CNOOC Uganda values diversity and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

CNOOC Uganda Limited does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants are advised to be cautious and disregard any requests for payment from individuals claiming to be part of the recruitment process.