Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upstream Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Upstream Manager is a key leadership position, acting as the strategic and operational steward for the company's exploration and production (E&P) assets. This individual directs the entire upstream lifecycle, from initial exploration and seismic interpretation through drilling, completion, and long-term production optimization. The role demands a blend of deep technical expertise, sharp commercial acumen, and strong leadership to safely and profitably develop hydrocarbon resources. Success in this position is measured by the ability to maximize asset value, ensure operational integrity, and lead high-performing, multidisciplinary teams in a dynamic and challenging global energy market.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Reservoir Engineer / Reservoir Engineering Manager
Exploration Manager / Lead Geoscientist
Production Operations Manager / Superintendent
Senior Asset or Business Development Manager

Advancement To:

Vice President (VP) of Upstream or E&P
Regional Director / Country Manager
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Head of Corporate Strategy & Planning

Lateral Moves:

Head of Business Development (Energy)
Director of Asset Management
Head of New Ventures

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Direct and oversee all technical and operational aspects of the company's upstream portfolio, including geology, geophysics, reservoir engineering, drilling, completions, and production operations.
Develop and implement comprehensive long-term and short-term strategic plans for asset development to maximize economic recovery and net present value (NPV).
Champion and enforce a world-class Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) culture across all operations, ensuring strict compliance with regulatory requirements and company standards.
Lead the annual reserves booking process, working closely with internal teams and third-party auditors to ensure accurate and compliant reporting (e.g., SEC/PRMS standards).
Manage and control multi-million dollar capital (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) budgets, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to specified quality standards.
Drive reservoir management strategies, including surveillance programs, pressure maintenance projects (water/gas injection), and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) initiatives to optimize production and recovery factors.
Lead multidisciplinary teams of engineers, geoscientists, and operations personnel, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment through mentorship and clear direction.
Evaluate the technical and commercial viability of new exploration prospects, farm-in opportunities, and potential asset acquisitions or divestitures.
Oversee all drilling, completion, and workover programs, from well design and planning through to execution, ensuring operational efficiency and well integrity.
Negotiate and manage key contracts, joint operating agreements (JOAs), and relationships with partners, government bodies, service companies, and other stakeholders.
Provide executive-level reporting and presentations on asset performance, project milestones, and strategic initiatives to senior leadership and the board of directors.
Steer the integration of new technologies and digital solutions (e.g., digital oilfield, data analytics, AI) to improve operational efficiency, subsurface understanding, and decision-making.
Conduct post-investment reviews and performance analysis of major projects to capture lessons learned and drive continuous improvement across the portfolio.
Manage subsurface risks and uncertainties by ensuring robust geological and dynamic modeling, probabilistic analysis, and a disciplined stage-gate project maturation process.
Act as the primary technical authority for asset development decisions, providing expert guidance on field development plans (FDPs) and major investment proposals.
Ensure the long-term integrity and reliability of all production facilities, pipelines, and associated infrastructure through robust maintenance and inspection programs.
Lead economic evaluations, including discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis and risk assessments, to support investment decisions and portfolio optimization.
Represent the company in technical committees, industry forums, and meetings with regulatory agencies to protect and advance the company's interests.
Guide the full-field development planning process for new discoveries, from appraisal and concept selection through to the final investment decision (FID).
Optimize the production system from the reservoir to the point of sale, identifying and resolving bottlenecks to maximize throughput and operational uptime.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to inform strategic decisions.
Contribute to the organization's digital transformation and data strategy, particularly within the context of the digital oilfield.
Collaborate with business units and corporate functions (Finance, Legal, HR) to translate operational needs into cohesive business requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies where they apply to upstream project management and technology deployment.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Reservoir Engineering & Management: Deep understanding of reservoir characterization, dynamic modeling, simulation (e.g., ECLIPSE, INTERSECT), and recovery mechanisms.
Production Optimization: Expertise in artificial lift systems, well performance analysis, flow assurance, and debottlenecking production systems.
Petroleum Economics & Risk Analysis: Mastery of economic evaluation software (e.g., PEEP), DCF modeling, decision tree analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation.
Well Engineering & Drilling Operations: Comprehensive knowledge of well design, drilling technologies, completion techniques, and workover operations management.
Geoscience Interpretation: Strong ability to integrate geological, geophysical, and petrophysical data to build robust subsurface models and identify opportunities.
Asset Valuation & A&D: Proven experience in valuing oil and gas assets for acquisition and divestiture, including due diligence and deal structuring.
HSE Management Systems: In-depth knowledge of process safety, environmental regulations, and implementing safety-centric operational cultures.
Project & Portfolio Management: Expertise in managing a portfolio of complex, high-value capital projects through disciplined stage-gate processes.

Soft Skills

Strategic Leadership: Ability to set a clear vision, inspire teams, and drive organizational performance towards long-term goals.
Commercial Acumen: A sharp understanding of market dynamics, contract negotiation, and the financial drivers of the E&P business.
Stakeholder Management: Exceptional skill in building and maintaining relationships with joint venture partners, government officials, investors, and internal teams.
Decision Making Under Uncertainty: The capacity to make sound, high-stakes decisions with incomplete data in a volatile environment.
Negotiation & Influence: A proven ability to negotiate favorable terms and influence outcomes with both internal and external parties.
Team Building & Mentorship: A passion for developing talent, coaching team members, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive culture.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's of Science (B.S.) in a relevant engineering or geoscience discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's of Science (M.S.) in a technical discipline or a Master's of Business Administration (MBA).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum Engineering
Geology or Geophysics
Chemical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

15-20+ years of progressive experience within the upstream oil and gas industry, with a significant portion spent in leadership or management roles.

Preferred:

Proven track record of managing a diverse portfolio of assets, including both conventional and unconventional resources, across different stages of the asset lifecycle (exploration, development, production).
Demonstrable experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing significant CAPEX and OPEX budgets.
Experience in both operator and non-operator environments is highly advantageous.