Manager, District Engineering

At H&P, our people are our strength.

At a Glance: 

The Offshore Engineering Manager provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for the Operations Engineering function supporting offshore drilling operations. This role manages Operations Engineers, sets technical and operational priorities, and partners with Operations, HSE, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Clients, and other engineering disciplines to deliver safe, reliable, compliant, and cost-effective rig performance. The manager uses independent judgment and discretion to resolve complex issues, allocate resources, develop team capability, and ensure engineering recommendations are converted into effective field execution.

What you will do:   

• Demonstrates and reinforces a workplace committed to the H&P Way, with visible leadership in HSE, accountability, and operational excellence.

• Leads, coaches, and develops Operations Engineers; establishes performance expectations, assigns work, provides feedback, supports succession planning, and builds technical and leadership capability.

• Sets priorities and allocates engineering resources across rigs and projects based on operational risk, client commitments, business value, and workforce capacity.

• Serves as the senior engineering liaison with Operator and Company leadership, translating operational requirements into clear technical plans, decisions, and accountabilities.

• Provides technical leadership and escalation support to H&P Rig Superintendents, Operations Engineers, and rig teams for complex equipment, structural, maintenance, and operational issues.

• Defines department and project objectives; approves operating plans, engineering deliverables, manpower requirements, schedules, budgets, and risk controls in alignment with senior management direction.

• Owns the quality and timeliness of customer performance reviews, ensuring the team uses accurate data to demonstrate value, identify improvement opportunities, and track commitments through closure.

• Reviews drilling performance, safety trends, downtime, reliability, and operational risks; directs root-cause analysis and approves corrective actions and procedural changes.

• Establishes and maintains engineering standards, operating procedures, technical assurance practices, and management-of-change discipline to improve safety, compliance, reliability, and efficiency.

• Oversees planning and follow-through for rig platform structural inspections, maintenance programs, and critical equipment certifications; reviews findings, assigns owners, and verifies timely closure.

• Monitors rig and equipment condition, preventive maintenance performance, and emerging technical risks; escalates material issues and ensures mitigation plans are implemented.

• Reviews and communicates reports for senior management and customers concerning drilling progress, operational risks, engineering workload, equipment requirements, budget performance, and improvement initiatives.

• Builds effective cross-functional relationships with HSE, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, and other engineering disciplines to remove barriers and deliver integrated solutions.

What you need: 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required.

• 10 years experience supporting drilling or offshore operations, including experience leading engineers or technical professionals and managing multiple concurrent priorities.

• Strong working knowledge of American Petroleum Institute specifications and recommended practices applicable to drilling rigs, structures, and critical equipment.

• Strong working knowledge of Federal Outer Continental Shelf regulatory requirements, including applicable provisions of Title 30 CFR Part 250 and Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) requirements.

• Comprehensive knowledge of drilling operations, rig systems, equipment reliability, structural integrity, inspection programs, and maintenance practices. To include legacy / SCR rig systems as well.

• Demonstrated ability to lead across multiple engineering disciplines and operational groups, make sound risk-based decisions, and drive action without direct authority.

• Strong understanding of H&P’s external customer base, operating objectives, service expectations, and technical specifications.

• Proven commitment to safety by design and visible safety leadership, with the judgment to stop or redirect work when risk is not adequately controlled.

• Demonstrated people-leadership capability, including coaching, performance management, conflict resolution, talent development, and succession planning.

• Ethical, self-motivated leader with strong business judgment, accountability, organization, and the ability to set measurable goals and deliver results.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to communicate technical risk and recommendations to executives, customers, and field personnel.

• Ability to review and interpret engineering drawings, calculations, inspection reports, and technical specifications and to challenge assumptions constructively.

• Ability to analyze complex rig platform problems and direct technical service and solutions for equipment, structural, maintenance, and operational issues.

• Strong proficiency with PC-based business and analytical applications, including Excel and Word; experience using operational performance, maintenance, or business-intelligence systems preferred.

Thank you for your interest in joining our team!