Remote only

HKN Energy

Engineering Manager

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Erbil, Iraq Full-time

Job Title

Engineering Manager

Work Schedule

Equal Rotation

Department

Projects and Engineering

Work Location

HKN Operational Areas within KRI

Reports to

Projects & Engineering Manager

Start Date

To be confirmed

Subordinates

Discipline Engineers, Asset Engineers, Document Control and Assigned Contractors / Consultants

Application Deadline

October 22, 2026

Contract Type

Consultant

Other details

Three months’ probation

About Us:

HKN Energy Ltd. is a privately held, independent energy company with oil exploration and production operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

HKN Energy is focused on increasing production of its Sarsang Block, located in the prolific Zagros fold, and thrust belt of Northern Kurdistan. We have a highly experienced, diverse team with work experience in over 80 different countries. HKN Energy is committed to building a company culture that is guided by its Core Values of Integrity, Respect, Excellence, Commitment, and Teamwork.

Position Summary:

The Engineering Manager is accountable for the technical leadership, engineering assurance, asset integrity, process safety support, and brownfield project delivery required to safely and reliably operate an onshore upstream oil and gas production asset.

The role provides disciplined engineering governance across facilities, pipelines, wells surface facilities, utilities, civil works, electrical, instrumentation, control systems, and production support projects.

The position ensures that engineering decisions are practical, cost-effective, compliant with company standards, aligned with ALARP principles, and suitable for safe field execution in a remote operating environment.

Leads the engineering function for an onshore Operating Asset and organisation by converting operational needs, integrity threats, production constraints, and business priorities into safe, technically robust, executable, and cost-controlled engineering solutions.

Key Accountabilities:

Engineering Leadership and Technical Governance

Lead and manage the engineering function supporting producing facilities, gathering systems, pipelines, well pads, utilities, and associated infrastructure.
Establish and maintain fit-for-purpose engineering standards, specifications, design practices, technical registers, drawings, and document control requirements.
Provide technical assurance for concept selection, FEED, detailed design, construction support, commissioning, start-up, and handover operations.
Ensure engineering work is properly risk assessed, peer reviewed, constructible, operable, maintainable, and aligned with company technical authority requirements.

Operations and Production Support

Support Operations in resolving production constraints, plant reliability issues, equipment performance problems, debottlenecking opportunities, and recurring failures.
Provide engineering input to routine and non-routine field activities including shutdowns, tie-ins, repairs, modifications, and reinstatement of damaged or degraded equipment.
Ensure engineering solutions consider production impact, safety critical systems, isolation requirements, commissioning needs, and field execution constraints.

Asset Integrity, RBI and Process Safety

Own or support implementation of asset integrity management systems covering pressure equipment, pipelines, tanks, structures, rotating equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, fire and gas detection, and safety systems.
Lead risk-based inspection and integrity improvement initiatives, ensuring inspection findings are converted into prioritised repair, replacement, or mitigation plans.
Support MOC, HAZID, HAZOP, LOPA, SIMOPS, PSSR, root cause analysis, and incident investigation processes as required.
Ensure engineering decisions reduce risk to ALARP and do not compromise containment, process safety, environmental protection, or personnel safety.

Projects, CAPEX and Brownfield Modifications

Develop and manage engineering scopes, basis of design documents, schedules, cost estimates, procurement packages, technical evaluations, and execution plans for CAPEX and brownfield projects.
Provide engineering oversight of contractors, consultants, EPC providers, vendors, and fabrication / construction teams.
Control scope growth through disciplined change management, technical review, cost control, schedule follow-up, and clear decision records.
Ensure projects are handed over with complete as-built documentation, inspection records, commissioning dossiers, spare parts recommendations, and operating / maintenance requirements.

Commercial, Contractual and Contractor Management

Prepare or review technical content for tenders, requisitions, contracts, purchase orders, bid evaluations, variations, claims, and close-out documentation.
Work with Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, and Management to ensure engineering scopes are commercially realistic and technically complete.
Monitor contractor performance against safety, quality, schedule, cost, and deliverable requirements.
People Leadership and Capability Development
Lead, mentor, train, and develop national engineering staff and assigned project personnel.
Build practical field engineering capability through coaching, site involvement, technical reviews, lessons learned, and clear accountability.
Promote a collaborative engineering culture that supports Operations while maintaining technical integrity and independent engineering judgement.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Act as the senior engineering focal point for onshore production facilities and related infrastructure.
Review, approve, or endorse engineering deliverables within delegated authority, including scopes of work, technical specifications, drawings, calculations, MTOs, datasheets, and design reports.
Maintain engineering oversight of facility uptime, reliability initiatives, equipment replacement programmes, pipeline rehabilitation, well pad development, and station upgrades.
Ensure technical risks are captured in appropriate registers and converted into prioritised actions, budgets, and execution plans.
Lead development of annual and multi-year engineering, integrity, reliability, and CAPEX plans.
Provide technical support to procurement, vendor clarification, bid evaluation, contractor selection, and contract close-out.
Support development and stewardship of budgets, cost forecasts, cashflow profiles, cost reports, and management reporting.
Coordinate with Operations, HSE, Maintenance, Production, Drilling / Wells, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, and senior management as required.
Ensure changes to plant, equipment, operating envelopes, or control systems are managed through formal MOC and close-out processes.
Champion practical engineering solutions suitable for remote field conditions, local capability, spares availability, constructability, maintainability, and lifecycle cost.
Ensure fire and gas detection, safety critical equipment, emergency shutdown, pressure protection, and other safeguarding systems are not compromised by engineering modifications.
Visit field sites, construction locations, fabrication yards, vendor facilities, and contractor offices as required to verify progress, quality, safety, and technical compliance.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

Bachelor degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Process, Petroleum, Electrical, Instrumentation, Civil, or other relevant engineering discipline. Equivalent senior field engineering experience may be considered where appropriate.
Typically 15+ years of relevant oil and gas experience, including significant experience in onshore upstream production operations, facilities engineering, asset integrity, and brownfield project delivery.
Proven experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams and outsourced engineering / EPC / specialist contractor scopes.
Strong understanding of upstream production facilities, gathering systems, separation, produced water handling, oil storage / export, gas compression / treatment, fuel gas, utilities, well pads, flowlines, pipelines, and safety systems.
Working knowledge of relevant international codes, standards, and good oilfield engineering practice, including pressure equipment, pipelines, tanks, electrical / instrumentation, process safety, and inspection standards.
Demonstrated capability in cost estimating, budget stewardship, schedule control, technical reporting, contract technical management, and contractor performance management.

Chartered / Professional Engineer status is preferred but should not be mandatory where the candidate has demonstrable equivalent experience and technical authority capability.

Required Competencies:

Strong technical judgement with the ability to balance safety, reliability, production, cost, and schedule.
Practical understanding of remote field execution constraints and the need for lean, fit-for-purpose, ALARP engineering solutions.
Ability to challenge inappropriate scope, poor design assumptions, weak estimates, or unsafe technical proposals.
Strong leadership, mentoring, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Clear written reporting skills and the ability to produce management-ready technical and commercial summaries

High personal integrity and commitment to HSE, process safety, asset integrity, and operational reliability.

Key Interfaces:

Internal: Country Manager / Asset Manager, Operations, Production, Maintenance, HSE, Wells, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, senior management, and site leadership.

External: engineering consultants, EPC contractors, specialist inspection providers, OEMs, vendors, fabrication yards, construction contractors, partners, and relevant government or regulatory representatives when required by the company.

Key Performance Measures:

Safe delivery of engineering work with no compromise to process safety or asset integrity.
Engineering deliverables completed to required quality, schedule, and budget.
Improved facility reliability, reduced repeat failures, and effective closure of integrity threats.
Effective control of scope, cost, schedule, contractor performance, and change management.
Timely close-out of MOC, PSSR, inspection, audit, incident, and technical action items.
Demonstrated development of local engineering capability and succession strength.