South Africa: Senior Petroleum/Production Engineer posted by Employ Africa Group

Senior Petroleum/Production Engineer (Nairobi, Kenya)

The Opportunity

This isn’t just another office-based advisory role. We are looking for a technically sharp, high-impact Senior Petroleum/Production Engineer to join a global energy technology company on a two-year assignment. Based in Nairobi, you will be the lead technical voice supporting the South Lokichar Basin, one of East Africas most significant upstream projects as it moves toward a major milestone: first oil in late 2026.

This is a role for someone who wants to “own” the results. Youll be the central link between drilling, facilities, and field operations, ensuring that the transition from a developing asset to a commercial producer is seamless, efficient, and technically sound.

What Youll Be Doing

Driving Performance & Strategy

• Own the Results: Youll be responsible for the daily production performance across all wells in the basin. This means monitoring, analyzing, and most importantly, acting on what the data tells you.

• Lead Artificial Lift: Youll take the lead on selection, monitoring, and lifecycle planning for ESP, gas lift, and rod pump systems.

• Solve Problems: From flow assurance issues to production bottlenecks, youll be the first line of defence in troubleshooting and resolving well performance deviations.

Bridging the Gap

• Integrated Operations: Youll work closely with facilities engineering to ensure that whats happening underground aligns perfectly with our surface infrastructure.

• Lifecycle Management: You will coordinate well pulls, workovers, and the critical handovers from completions to production.

• Modern Monitoring: You’ll support the rollout of SCADA and remote surveillance systems to keep a constant eye on the assets health.

Mentoring & Compliance

• Building a Legacy: A core part of this role is mentoring a talented team of junior Kenyan engineers, leading structured capacity-building initiatives to ensure the assets long-term success.

• Regulatory Liaison: You’ll work with local bodies to keep the project in compliance and handle all necessary reporting.

Who You Are

We are looking for someone with “field credibility”the kind of judgment that only comes from 15+ years of hands-on experience at an operating company.

The Essentials:

• Proven Expertise: You have a Bachelors in Petroleum Engineering and a deep track record in production optimization and artificial lift management.

• Technically Versatile: Youre comfortable navigating flow assurance, SCADA systems, and water injection strategies.

• A Natural Mentor: You genuinely enjoy coaching multi-disciplinary teams and helping others grow.

• Adaptable: While youll be based in Nairobi, youre comfortable traveling to remote field environments like Turkana when the job requires it.

Bonus Points if:

• Youve worked in East Africa or sub-Saharan Africa before.

• Youre familiar with the Kenyan regulatory landscape (EPRA, NOCK).

• Youve been through a project ramp-up or pre-FID phase.

The Benefits & Logistics

• Location: Full-time in Nairobi (regular office hours) with periodic field travel to Turkana.

• Assignment: 2-year contract.

• The Package: We provide a comprehensive monthly rate that covers your salary, housing, and transport.

• Travel & Health: Annual return flights to your home country, international medical insurance, and full coverage of work permit/visa costs.

• Living: Youll have a housing allowance or company accommodation in expat-standard areas of Nairobi like Westlands or Karen.

If you are a seasoned engineer ready to take ownership of a landmark project and help shape the future of the energy industry in Kenya, we want to hear from you.