Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upstream Project Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Upstream Project Director leads the delivery of complex upstream oil & gas capital projects (greenfield and brownfield) from conceptual studies and FEED through EPC, commissioning and start‑up. This senior leadership role is responsible for safe, on‑time and on‑budget delivery of large multi‑disciplinary projects (offshore platforms, FPSOs, subsea tiebacks, drilling campaigns and production facilities), managing client/stakeholder relationships, commercial and contract governance, risk management, and the project execution strategy across engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning phases.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Project Manager — Offshore/Onshore E&P capital projects
Program/Portfolio Manager — Multi‑project management in energy
Discipline Lead (Mechanical/Process/Subsea/Drilling) with project execution responsibility

Advancement To:

Vice President, Projects / Programs (Upstream)
Chief Operating Officer (COO) — Upstream business unit
Director of Asset Development / Field Development Director

Lateral Moves:

Brownfield Projects Director
Drilling & Completions Director
Asset Manager / Production Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end‑to‑end delivery of upstream projects (concept select, FEED, EPC/EPCI, installation, commissioning and start‑up), ensuring alignment with corporate objectives, shareholder value creation and the asset development plan.
Own and drive the project execution strategy and integrated master schedule for multi‑discipline teams and interfaces across engineering, procurement, fabrication, offshore installation and commissioning to achieve milestones and handover readiness.
Accountable for full project cost control and forecasting (CAPEX governance, cost‑to‑complete, value engineering and change control) including preparation, approval and management of project budgets and capital authorization requests.
Provide executive leadership for HSE and process safety across the project lifecycle; set and enforce safety performance targets, audit remediation, permit to work compliance, and ensure contractors meet corporate HSE standards and regulatory obligations.
Manage commercial and contractual arrangements with EPC/EPIC contractors, vendors and service providers including negotiation, contract formation, claims management, incentive schemes and subcontractor performance governance.
Establish and chair the project steering committee, maintain executive stakeholder engagement (board, JV partners, regulators and host governments), prepare board‑level status reports and ensure transparent governance of scope, schedule, cost and risks.
Lead risk management and assurance processes (quantitative risk analysis, opportunities register, mitigation plans), implement robust governance, and coordinate independent project reviews and stage gate approvals.
Define and implement quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) frameworks across FEED, procurement, fabrication and construction to ensure compliance with technical specifications, industry standards and regulatory codes.
Oversee procurement strategy and supply chain management for long‑lead equipment and materials (tenders, supplier evaluation, expediting and logistics) to minimize schedule risk and control cost exposure.
Coordinate discipline engineering leads (process, mechanical, rotating equipment, subsea, structural, electrical & instrumentation) to ensure integrated design, interface management and constructability reviews.
Drive commissioning, pre‑commissioning and start‑up planning and execution, including turnover procedures, readiness reviews, performance testing, commissioning protocols and acceptance criteria to achieve smooth handover to operations.
Ensure compliance with local content, regulatory approvals, permits and stakeholder commitments for host country operations, including community engagement, environmental impact mitigation and indigenous supplier development where applicable.
Manage change control and scope management processes, chair change review boards, assess technical and commercial impact of scope changes and secure approvals while protecting project schedule and budget.
Lead resourcing and competency plans for the project organization including recruitment, development, succession planning and deployment of subject matter experts to critical project phases.
Maintain technical assurance through technical review boards, independent engineering reviews and lessons learned capture to mitigate technical escalation and rework risk.
Champion digital project delivery tools (integrated project controls, Primavera/Primavera P6, SAP, EAM, digital twins, engineering data management) for schedule, cost, document and change management and decision support.
Manage interface between drilling & completions programs and facility/project execution to ensure wells, subsea tie‑ins and flow assurance plans are coordinated with project milestones and commissioning windows.
Lead the development and execution of decommissioning planning, abandonment or field life‑extension options where relevant, including cost estimation and regulatory coordination.
Drive stakeholder communications and reporting including weekly/monthly project performance packs, earned value management (EVM) metrics, KPI dashboards and transparent escalation of critical issues.
Oversee budgeting and financial reporting for multi‑project portfolios, prepare business cases, economic evaluations, NPV analyses and support investment committee approvals.
Ensure security, export controls and cyber‑security measures are embedded into project planning and vendor requirements for critical infrastructure components and control systems.
Negotiate and manage joint venture (JV) partner agreements and operator/non‑operator relations, ensuring alignment of objectives, reporting and allocation of costs and risks across partners.
Respond to operational contingencies and crisis management situations, lead incident investigations, coordinate corrective actions and implement structural improvements to prevent recurrence.
Drive sustainability, emissions reduction and methane leak detection objectives within project design and execution, ensuring projects align with corporate ESG commitments and climate risk assessments.
Maintain a culture of continuous improvement by embedding lessons learned, post‑project reviews and benchmarking to improve future project delivery performance and reduce variability.

Secondary Functions

Support cross‑functional project analytics and feasibility modeling to inform upstream field development decisions and optimize pipeline and tie‑in sequencing.
Contribute to corporate project delivery standards, playbooks and the project management framework to ensure consistent execution across the upstream portfolio.
Collaborate with asset operations and production teams to refine handover checklists, operability reviews and early life performance monitoring.
Participate in tender evaluations, vendor due diligence and prequalification activities for major contractors and suppliers.
Provide mentorship and coaching to senior project managers, discipline leads and contracting teams to build project delivery capability and leadership bench strength.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven expertise in upstream oil & gas capital project delivery, including FEED, EPC/EPCI, commissioning and start‑up for offshore platforms, FPSOs, subsea systems and onshore production facilities.
Strong command of project controls and scheduling tools (Primavera P6, Microsoft Project), earned value management (EVM), cost forecasting and SAP or equivalent ERP systems for CAPEX tracking.
Deep understanding of commercial contracting strategies (EPC, LSTK, reimbursable, cost‑plus, lump sum) and experience negotiating major contracts, claims and dispute resolution.
Technical background in petroleum engineering, process engineering or mechanical/structural engineering with applied knowledge of subsea systems, flow assurance, well completions and topsides design.
Experience with HSE management systems, process safety management (PSM), API/ISO/ASME codes and environmental permitting requirements in offshore and onshore jurisdictions.
Proficient in procurement and supply chain management for long‑lead equipment (turbo‑machinery, subsea trees, flexible risers, topsides modules) including tender processes and vendor management.
Competence with risk analysis tools (quantitative risk assessment, Monte Carlo, bow‑tie) and project assurance methodologies including independent technical reviews and gateways.
Knowledge of commissioning, pre‑commissioning and start‑up sequencing, mechanical completion, SAT, FAT, and turnover protocols to operations teams.
Familiarity with capital allocation, business case development, NPV/IRR modelling and cost/benefit analysis to support investment decisions.
Experience with digital engineering tools (3D modeling, engineering data management, digital twins) and project collaboration platforms to improve execution efficiency.

Soft Skills

Executive leadership with demonstrated ability to drive cross‑disciplinary teams, influence senior stakeholders and align diverse JV partners toward shared project objectives.
Strong negotiation and commercial acumen to manage contractors, suppliers and multi‑party agreements while protecting owner interests.
Excellent communication skills for board reporting, investor briefings, regulatory engagement and transparent stakeholder management.
Resilient decision‑making under pressure with the ability to prioritize critical issues and escalate appropriately during crises.
Coaching and people development capability to build high‑performance project teams and retain technical talent.
Strategic thinking with commercial orientation and ability to translate technical design choices into business outcomes.
Collaborative mindset to work across asset teams, supply chain, regulatory bodies and local stakeholders.
Cultural awareness and diplomacy for operating in complex international jurisdictions with local content and socio‑political considerations.
Problem solving and analytical mindset to interrogate data, identify root causes and drive practical mitigation plans.
Adaptability and change leadership to implement new project delivery models, digital tools and efficiency initiatives.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, Subsea, Structural) or equivalent technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MEng, MSc, MBA) or Chartered Professional status (PE, CEng) is preferred.
Project Management Professional (PMP), Prince2 Practitioner or equivalent certification is advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum Engineering
Mechanical / Process Engineering
Subsea / Marine Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Project Management / Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 15–25+ years in upstream oil & gas with progressive leadership roles in project delivery.

Preferred:

Minimum 10 years’ direct experience managing multi‑discipline CAPEX projects (>US$200M), with at least 5 years in a director or senior program leadership role.
Demonstrated track record delivering offshore FPSO, platform, subsea tie‑back, brownfield modification or onshore production facility projects through FEED to start‑up.
Experience working in joint venture environments, dealing with host government contracts, local content requirements and complex regulatory regimes.
Proven history of delivering projects within sponsor targets for safety, schedule and cost and a strong record of dispute resolution and claims management.