Lead Production Researcher (Drilling Technology)

Location: Westhill, United Kingdom

Company

hirify.global Europe supports hirify.global through energy and chemicals research, technology development, and operational services across Europe.

What you will do

• Lead applied research into drilling, production, completions, artificial lift, stimulation, flow assurance, well integrity, and intervention technologies.
• Design, test, and validate tools, materials, methodologies, digital solutions, and decision-support systems through laboratory studies, simulations, field trials, and pilots.
• Analyse drilling, operational, production, completions, integrity, and subsurface data using advanced analytics, predictive modelling, machine learning, and AI.
• Translate research findings into engineering solutions, operating procedures, technical standards, implementation plans, and practical deployment strategies.
• Lead research projects and technical workstreams, managing priorities, risks, dependencies, resources, and delivery objectives.
• Collaborate with universities, research institutes, technology providers, operators, service companies, and industry organisations while mentoring technical professionals.

Requirements

• Typically 12+ years of relevant experience in drilling technology, applied research, engineering, or a related upstream discipline.
• Advanced experience designing applied research programmes and resolving complex drilling problems using experimental, statistical, analytical, and modelling methods.
• Expertise in at least two drilling areas, such as drilling mechanics, hydraulics, wellbore stability, drill bits, directional drilling, drilling fluids, automation, sensing, or real-time optimisation.
• Experience progressing technologies from concept development through prototype validation, field trials, qualification, and operational deployment.
• Master’s degree or PhD in drilling, petroleum, mechanical, chemical, or related engineering, applied physics, or engineering data science; equivalent expertise may be accepted.
• Two to four years of technical leadership, mentoring, coaching, or strategic guidance experience.

Nice to have

• Chartered Engineer, European Engineer, PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP, or similar professional certification.
• Experience with patents, invention disclosures, technology commercialisation, large research programmes, or multidisciplinary technology portfolios.
• Recognised contributions to industry research, technical publications, conferences, or professional organisations.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on high-impact research and technology projects addressing complex energy-industry challenges.
• Collaborate with leading technical experts and multidisciplinary research partners.
• Contribute to technologies focused on operational performance, safety, reliability, and sustainability.
• Support knowledge transfer, professional development, technical publications, conferences, and innovation activities.