General Manager - Kuwait

The General Manager is responsible for business management, direction, and control of the Kuwait Entity in accordance with the procedures and policies set forth by Precision Drilling Corporation. This includes accountability for the overall business by developing strategies to achieve company goals, obtaining the resources to achieve goals, and managing ongoing processes in accordance with legislation and HSE directives. The General Manager is critical to maintaining the client relationship by ensuring both compliance with client requirements and company standards.  

The General Manager provides leadership and direction to the multi-disciplinary team of Finance, Supply Chain, HSE, Maintenance, Human Resources, and Government Relations ensuring the integration of strategic plans within all areas of Drilling Operations.  

Job Responsibilities include: 

Financial Management: 

• Responsible for maximizing financial results of the operation including profit & loss, fixed assets, inventory, and receivables 
• Establish forecast revenues and profits in accordance with prescribed guidelines and ensure effective teamwork to meet and exceed approved targets  

• Ensure adherence to corporate policies for purchase orders, work orders, and other financial SOX duties 

• Assist Finance with the preparation of the country budget and make recommendations to the Vice President. Verify costs by business cases and detailed cost and margin evaluation
• Assist in preparing annual capital and operating budgets including maintenance budgets and proposals for capital expenditure
• Manage operating expenses by controlling costs in all areas including salaries & and wages, employee performance and productivity, and communications

Safety Performance: 

• Set the standard of safety excellence 
• Ensure training compliance of crews based on appropriate standards
• Conduct incident investigations and participate in ARBs as required  
• Conduct effective safety meetings, communicate, and report safety concerns 
• Ensure that competent persons provide frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials, as well as equipment thus supporting safe and effective operations by identifying and then eliminating or controlling potential hazards 
• Involve employees in policy development and ongoing training and personal development that enable them to make a maximum contribution to the company’s HSE goals 
• Arrange for proper material handling, storage, movement, removal, and monitoring at company locations 
• Hold employees accountable for the safety responsibilities outlined in the HSE manual 
• Immediately, report all incidents including non-work related injuries to the HSE Department and further up the chain of command within the Operations Management 
• Participate in incident review sessions (injury, illness, equipment damage, environmental, near miss, and stop work authority) to measure participation, determine the quality of intervention and follow-up, trend common issues, identify opportunities for improvement, and facilitate sharing of learnings

People Leadership : 

• To take responsibility for overall staff management to ensure a motivated disciplined and productive workforce. This includes effective staff leadership and communication 
• Develop talent by identifying potential candidates for promotion to ensure organic growth and progression by identifying and providing appropriate development support  

• To agree and monitor key safety, financial, business process improvement, and personal objectives for each direct report   
• Provide supervision to management personnel to ensure a safe and professional level of performance and ensure that the management team stays current with changes in industry technology 

• Oversee the development and training of all field employees to help in retaining key operational positions 
• Promote and be in favor of Nationalization where possible and applicable 

• Communicate with Field Training and Development Managers of any changes in training requirements from Client and local regulatory bodies 
• Communicate with Field Training and Development Managers any rig-based employee’s training and development needs

 Customer/Government Relations: 

• Understand and manage existing customer contracts. 
• Manage the customer relationship by gauging expectations around downtime, communicating KPIs, dealing with service issues and dealing with customer issues, and resolving conflicts to ensure customer satisfaction 
• Maintain contact with existing and make contact with potential clients in an effort to develop new work 
• Maintain contact with competitors in Country to monitor business activities and performance levels 
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with customers, regulatory bodies, and industry forums in order to stabilize and grow company business 
• Maintain high-level relationships with key local government bodies and offices 
• Ensure compliance with Kuwaitization requirements at all times

• Stay current on changes in local laws or customs, which materially affect the company’s business. 

Other responsibilities: 

• Ensure proper maintenance and troubleshooting and all maintenance procedures are in compliance through the implementation of a preventative maintenance program 
• Ensure all equipment-tracking procedures are followed and accurate

• Manage and oversee the utilization of resources across the organization to minimize NPT 
• Ensure the Company’s PM program is utilized routinely and effectively 
• Liaise with OEMs to ensure up-to-date technologies, systems, and product bulletins are available and utilized to ensure optimized performance for our rigs 
• Ensure that full root cause analyses are carried out on major equipment events and that effective mitigating measures are shared across our fleet and ensure that all corrective measures are implemented  
• Propose and implement equipment/system modifications and improvements 
• Provides project management skills managing all aspects of support for maintenance and capital projects 
• Oversees and directs rig moves in collaboration with Operations Management 
• Manages all Country Supply Chain & Logistic functions compliant with Grey Wolf Operating procedures and processes in accordance with requirements  

Education and Experience:

• BS in Petroleum/Natural Gas/Mechanical or Chemical Engineering or a BA in business (preferred) 
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant international oilfield experience 
• A minimum of 3 years GCC experience within Senior Management 
• PMP Certified 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with support groups, including Finance, Legal, and Human Resources

Skills & Competencies:

• Native or Advanced language fluency in a second language (speak-read-write) 
• Must be highly motivated, possess excellent communication skills, and be able to lead by example
• Strong knowledge of fiscal management and responsibility, business finance, capital funding, contracts, and partnerships 
• A well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management skills 
• Excellent teamwork and team-building skills 

• Proven systematic and organized approach to multitasking 

• Sound leadership, staff management, and teambuilding skills 
• Computer literate, including effective working skills in MS Word, Excel, SAP, and e-mail 
• Ability to adapt to and learn new software 
• Able to work well under pressure and meet set deadlines 
• High degree of resourcefulness, flexibility, and adaptability