Operation Specialist

About the Role

Wood is seeking an Operation Specialist to support its projects business in Saudi Arabia. This full-time role involves contributing to the development of a new gold mine and processing facility at a remote site. The specialist will be accountable for profit and loss, ensuring project delivery, and maintaining high standards of safety and quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage P&L with associated commercial and financial accountability, including revenue, margin, overheads, budgeting, forecasting, risk/opportunity reviews, cost controls, and cash collection.
• Contribute to and review project proposals and plans to determine timelines, procedures, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Negotiate changes to project scope or specifications with customers and follow change management processes.
• Identify and develop opportunities for innovation, such as digitalization, technology use, and high-value engineering centers.
• Establish project procedures and lead the production of project execution plans, including scope of work, deliverables, master schedule, budget, and risk register.
• Report project progress regularly to senior management and customers.
• Promote and implement performance improvement initiatives across complex projects and their supply chains.
• Ensure the delivery of agreed schedules and financial performance, proactively addressing potential slippage.
• Lead ongoing risk identification and mitigation during project execution.
• Oversee project HSSE leadership, ensuring established initiatives, auditing schedules, and proactive management of HSSE and quality issues.
• Guide and direct multidisciplinary project teams, including external specialists and staff from multiple offices and sites.
• Ensure the competence of project team members for assigned work.
• Facilitate the setup of information management systems and applications relevant to project life phases.
• Participate in assurance activities and peer reviews.

Qualifications and Certifications

• University degree in a relevant discipline.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Associate in Project Management (APM), or equivalent certification is preferred.

Required Experience and Skills

• Over 10 years of pertinent experience, with more than 20 years typically required, including managing projects or project components.
• Proficiency in the related field, industry, and work locations.
• Proven project management experience and a strong understanding of business issues.
• Thorough understanding of project management techniques, practices, goals, drivers, and strategies.
• Experience in developing and implementing success metrics and benefits for multiple projects.
• Knowledge of stakeholder prioritization and management plan development.
• Experience interfacing with key stakeholders to obtain, create, and maintain requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Good knowledge of industry and company risk management processes, including qualitative assessment methods and some quantitative techniques.
• Ability to use common estimating techniques for standard projects.
• Good knowledge of contract models, conditions, types, and their suitability.
• Capable of delivering effective project initiation on multi-phase projects and producing execution plans.
• Well-versed in international and company quality assurance standards.
• Knowledge of commercial and contract conditions for procurement.
• In-depth knowledge of scheduling techniques, project monitoring, and forecasting.
• Ability to manage change control processes for projects with multiple sub-contractors and interfaces.
• In-depth knowledge of project information types and management.
• Good knowledge of handover and close-out activities for customers, the company, and suppliers.
• Understanding of cash flow management and cost projection/forecast at completion.

Personal Attributes

• Safety-focused with an uncompromising approach to risk management, prioritizing employee welfare.
• Committed to company values.
• Ability to motivate, engage, and influence diverse groups.
• Customer-focused, developing sincere relationships and striving to exceed expectations.
• Effective resource management skills (personnel, equipment, materials).
• Exceptional negotiation skills and ability to handle sensitive communications.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentational communication skills.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based at a remote site in Saudi Arabia, supporting the development of a new gold mine and processing facility.