Senior Operations Advisor - Guyana 3PL

Senior Operations Advisor — Guyana (Warehousing)

Oil & Gas Warehousing, Materials Management and Supply Chain | Residential, Guyana

The mandate

Our client is a globally established logistics company, holding a warehousing contract supporting the offshore drilling, production, maintenance and FPSO programs of a major international energy operator and its lead contractors in Guyana. The operation has grown quickly, with additional material owners and scope being incorporated, requiring a strong focus on safety, performance and excellence in change management.

The role carries two linked objectives.

Immediate - Contract and Client support. Strengthen operational execution, leadership and supervision, systems discipline, contractual performance and client confidence across a complex multi-client warehouse operation. The central task is moving the operation from a client-led, fragmented way of working to a disciplined and increasingly self-sufficient, standardized, tech enabled service.

Longer term — the wider portfolio. Develop into a senior figure capable of taking responsibility for a portfolio of our client's market leading logistics, warehousing and related operations, including new contract mobilisation and general management and commercial functions. This is a genuine prospect based on demonstrated performance and business need.

The operation

This is not a conventional single-site warehouse. It spans several operating and storage areas including drilling warehouses, operations and MRO warehousing. This includes undercover storage, open yards, preservation areas and specialist materials storage. Materials include drilling consumables and equipment, OCTG-related items, production and maintenance spares, capital spares, chemicals, and specialist offshore equipment requiring inspection or preservation.

Services cover receipt and verification, goods receipt posting, storage, stock management, picking, issuing, material transfers, returns, inventory counting, preservation, equipment handling, shipping coordination and reporting. This service is delivered inside a shorebase environment shared with the operator, other material owners, the base operator, logistics contractors, equipment vendors and specialist preservation contractors.

What the role is responsible for

• Operational leadership and assurance. Review performance in the field, identify execution risk, improve delivery reliability, and advise management on staffing, supervision, equipment, facilities and operational controls.
• Management development. Coach and mentor Guyanese managers, supervisors and emerging leaders. Establish clear accountabilities, management routines and succession capability. Existing management accountability is to be strengthened, not displaced.
• HSSE and operational assurance. Provide visible senior oversight of material handling risk, lifting and MHE practice, operator competency, control of work, site interfaces and simultaneous operations, with emphasis on verified frontline execution rather than paperwork.
• Process and systems. Turn the Operations Procedure Manual and responsibility matrix into working management practice rather than better documentation. Improve warehouse execution systems, ERP interfaces, transaction ownership and data integrity across a fragmented systems environment.
• Inventory and preservation. Drive inventory accuracy and reconciliation across multiple ownership systems, and own the planning, scheduling, subcontractor supervision and records behind preservation of offshore capital and maintenance spares.
• Performance reporting. Define KPIs that measure service delivery rather than activity, challenge metrics that mislead, and make management information a tool for decisions rather than a reporting obligation.
• Contract and commercial discipline. Recognise workload and scope changes with commercial consequences, relate resourcing to actual demand, protect the boundary between contracted services and additional work, and supply operational evidence into commercial discussions.
• Capacity and infrastructure. Contribute to warehouse layout, storage density, yard operations, handling equipment deployment and capital investment decisions.
• Portfolio development. Establish operating standards, reporting practice and management approaches capable of being applied across other contracts.

Essential

• Substantial senior operational leadership experience in complex logistics or industrial operations.
• Hands-on third-party logistics warehousing, industrial materials management and logistics operating experience — accountability for running operations, not advising on them.
• Experience serving oil and gas, offshore, energy, mining, major projects or comparably demanding industrial clients.
• Demonstrated capability supervising managers and building teams, including developing national staff in an emerging market.
• Practical command of MHE, lifting, inventory control, heavy materials handling and operational HSSE.
• ERP or WMS experience sufficient to understand transaction workflows, system interfaces and how systems shape operational performance and accountability.
• Client-facing credibility at operational and commercial level, including service performance management.
• Commercial judgement — contract scope, SLAs, cost drivers, scope creep and their consequences.
• Track record of implementing improvement inside a live operation without disrupting customer service.
• Willingness to live and work in Guyana.

Desirable

• Background with a major energy operator's supply chain and warehousing processes and practices. Alternatively, suitable experience with an international contract logistics operator, an offshore drilling or production logistics contractor, or an oilfield shorebase or materials management organisation.
• Operations mobilisation or turnaround assignments in developing markets.
• Experience establishing operations in countries with local content requirements.
• Multi-country or regional portfolio leadership.
• Experience deploying a standardised operating model across distinct customer contracts.
• Preservation program experience for offshore capital and maintenance spares.

The person

Credible and willing to engage both on the warehouse floor and in a client review meeting. Decisive and practical rather than hierarchical. Able to coach local personnel without taking over from them.  Willing to challenge clients, colleagues and legacy practice constructively, and to tell a genuine operational risk from unnecessary bureaucracy. Someone who has actually run difficult operations, not consulted to them.

Location and basis

Residential in Guyana. Accommodation, transport, leave travel, family status and assignment structure may be negotiated.

Remuneration

To be confirmed. Candidate expectations are established during screening.

Note on candidate origin

An experienced international candidate may bring proven operating standards and independent senior judgement. This is not treated as evidence of competence in itself, and suitably qualified Guyanese and regional candidates will also be considered on equal terms. Any international appointment carries an explicit obligation to develop local capability.