Aramco Europe
Specialist Drilling Researcher Job
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Aramco Europe - Specialist Researcher
Aramco is one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.
Aramco Europe is headquartered in The Hague with offices across the continent. For over 60 years we have supported Aramco with a wide range of activities from facilitating safe and reliable delivery of energy to customers around the globe to pushing for breakthroughs in research and innovation.
Our services include in-depth technology advice and support in established and emerging sectors of oil, gas and energy, as well as finance, HR, legal, PR and communications.
We work with the very best industry suppliers to drive our operations to secure our position as a world leader in energy and chemicals.
About the Company
At Aramco Europe, we believe in the power of energy to transform lives, strengthen communities, and support human progress. We connect people, projects, and markets to help deliver reliable energy solutions around the world while advancing innovation and sustainability. Our European research centres play a key role in developing next-generation technologies that address some of the industry's most complex challenges. Through collaboration, scientific excellence, and a commitment to innovation, we support the development of technologies that improve operational performance, enhance safety, and contribute to a more sustainable energy future. As part of one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies, you will have the opportunity to work on high-impact projects, collaborate with leading experts, and contribute to technologies that can shape the future of the energy industry.
Job Purpose
We are seeking an experienced Specialist Researcher to join our research team in Aberdeen. This is a senior technical position for an individual with deep expertise in drilling technologies, applied research, and technology development. The successful candidate will serve as a recognised subject matter expert, leading advanced research into complex and emerging drilling challenges. You will help define research priorities, provide scientific leadership across significant areas of the drilling research programme, and develop innovative technologies that can be translated into practical engineering solutions. Working with considerable autonomy, you will tackle complex multidisciplinary challenges, apply advanced technical judgement, and influence both research strategy and operational outcomes. The role requires a balance of technical excellence, innovation, commercial awareness, and collaboration, as you work with stakeholders across Aramco and the wider industry to drive the development and deployment of new technologies. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable drilling operations while helping shape the future direction of drilling technology research.
Responsibilities
Drilling Research: Lead advanced applied research into drilling performance, wellbore stability, drilling fluids, hydraulics, drill-string dynamics, formation interaction, equipment reliability, and emerging drilling technologies.
Research Strategy: Identify high-value research opportunities, define priorities, and develop proposals, roadmaps, and portfolio recommendations aligned with operational and strategic objectives.
Technology Development: Develop, test, and validate drilling technologies, tools, materials, methodologies, and digital solutions through laboratory studies, simulations, field trials, and operational pilots.
R&D Methodologies: Enhance research methods, analytical models, processes, and technical approaches to improve quality, efficiency, repeatability, and practical application.
Technical Problem Solving: Provide expert advice on complex drilling challenges, integrating scientific evidence, operational data, and engineering expertise to identify root causes and recommend solutions.
Research Insights & Reporting: Analyse data, identify trends, and communicate findings and recommendations to technical, operational, and management stakeholders.
Data Analytics & Modelling: Apply advanced analytics, predictive modelling, machine learning, and data-driven techniques to improve drilling performance, risk management, technology evaluation, and operational decision-making.
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Funding & Value Realisation: Develop business cases and funding proposals, assess technical and commercial value, and support measurement of realised operational benefits.
Technology Assessment: Monitor and evaluate emerging technologies including AI, automation, robotics, advanced materials, digital solutions, and lower-carbon drilling technologies.
Research Implementation: Translate research outcomes into engineering solutions, operating practices, technical standards, methodologies, decision-support tools, and implementation plans.
Field Trials & Validation: Lead field trials, technology demonstrations, and pilot programmes, overseeing qualification, readiness assessments, deployment planning, and scale-up activities.
Technical Assurance & Compliance: Ensure research activities and proposed technologies comply with HSE, regulatory, technical assurance, ethical, and governance requirements.
Programme Delivery: Provide scientific leadership across multiple projects or major research programmes, managing priorities, risks, dependencies, resources, and delivery outcomes.
External Collaboration: Build and maintain relationships with universities, research institutes, technology providers, drilling contractors, service companies, and industry organisations.
IP & Research Governance: Protect confidential information and intellectual property, support patents and invention disclosures, and ensure compliance with research governance requirements.
Business Advice: Provide specialist guidance on policies, procedures, technical matters, and business processes.
Operational Compliance: Support adherence to organisational policies, regulatory requirements, and professional standards.
Performance Management: Deliver agreed objectives and maintain high standards of individual performance and accountability.
Capability Development: Act as a recognised subject matter expert, maintain professional accreditation where applicable, and support capability building through continuous professional development, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.
Tasks
Key responsibilities include:
- Designing and conducting advanced applied research into complex drilling challenges using experimental, analytical, modelling, and statistical techniques.
- Developing, testing, and validating innovative drilling technologies, tools, materials, and methodologies through laboratory studies, simulations, field trials, and operational pilots.
- Analysing drilling, operational, and subsurface data to identify root causes, evaluate performance trends, predict risks, and recommend effective technical solutions.
- Providing expert technical advice and guidance on complex, non-routine, and technically challenging drilling matters.
- Leading significant research projects and research workstreams while managing dependencies, technical risks, and project outcomes.
- Translating research findings into practical engineering solutions, operating practices, technical standards, and implementation strategies.
- Evaluating emerging technologies and identifying opportunities that can deliver long-term value to drilling operations.
- Supporting the progression of technologies from concept development through qualification, field validation, implementation, and scale-up.
- Developing technical reports, scientific publications, management presentations, invention disclosures, and other research outputs.
- Building strong partnerships with universities, research institutions, technology providers, operators, and industry organisations.Contributing to knowledge sharing, capability development, mentoring, and technical leadership activities across the organisation.
- The role also requires active engagement with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure that research outcomes deliver measurable operational value and support long-term business objectives.
Education
Candidates should possess a Master's degree or PhD in Drilling Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, Data Science applied to Engineering, or another closely related technical discipline. A Bachelor's degree combined with significant technology-development and field-deployment experience may also be considered. Equivalent professional experience may be accepted in place of formal academic qualifications where candidates can demonstrate exceptional technical expertise and achievement within the relevant field.
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Experience
We are seeking an accomplished engineering and research professional with typically 12+ years of relevant experience in drilling technology, applied research, engineering, or a related upstream discipline.
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Extensive experience designing and delivering advanced applied research programmes focused on complex drilling challenges.
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Proven success developing and validating drilling technologies, tools, materials, software applications, or technical methodologies.
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Experience applying experimental methods, advanced analytics, simulation, statistical techniques, and modelling approaches to solve operational challenges.
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A strong track record of resolving complex, non-routine drilling problems by combining scientific evidence, engineering judgement, and operational experience.
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Demonstrated experience leading significant research projects or technical workstreams and translating research outputs into practical operational solutions.
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Expertise in at least two of the following areas:
- Drilling mechanics, torque and drag, drill-string dynamics, vibration, and extended-reach drilling.
- Drilling hydraulics, hole cleaning, managed-pressure drilling, and lost-circulation mitigation.
- Wellbore stability, geomechanics, and formation interaction.
- Drill bits, bottom-hole assemblies, directional drilling, and downhole tool development.
- Drilling fluids, cementing technologies, and wellbore chemistry.
- Drilling automation, real-time optimisation, sensing technologies, and decision-support systems.
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Experience progressing technologies from concept development through prototype validation, field trials, qualification programmes, and operational deployment.
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Experience planning and executing drilling technology field trials, including development of objectives, success criteria, HSE requirements, performance evaluation methods, and implementation recommendations.
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Strong technical communication skills, including experience preparing technical reports, publications, management briefings, and presentations.
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Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and external research partners to deliver innovative technical solutions.
Candidates with experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital drilling technologies, advanced sensing systems, robotics, automation, or data-driven drilling optimisation will be particularly attractive.
Managerial/Mentoring Experience
The role typically requires between two and four years of experience providing technical leadership, mentoring, coaching, or strategic guidance to experienced engineers, researchers, and specialists. You will be expected to support the development of technical capability within the organisation, transfer critical knowledge, influence professional standards, and help prepare future technical leaders to address increasingly complex operational and research challenges.
Additional – Optional/Advantageous
The following qualifications and experience would be considered advantageous:
- Chartered Engineer (CEng) status through the Engineering Council UK or an equivalent professional accreditation.
- European Engineer (EUR ING) recognition through FEANI.
- PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP, or similar project management certification.
- A proven history of innovation through patents, invention disclosures, technology commercialisation, or field-deployed technologies.
- Experience managing large research programmes, technology portfolios, or multidisciplinary technical initiatives.
- Recognised contributions to industry research, technical publications, conferences, or professional organisations.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without
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