Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upstream Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Upstream Coordinator is the operational backbone for upstream field activities — coordinating drilling, completions, production and logistics to ensure safe, compliant and cost-effective delivery of planned wells and production targets. This role requires strong operational knowledge of drilling and production workflows, vendor and contractor management, robust HSE discipline, and excellent stakeholder communication. The Upstream Coordinator links field execution to operations management, commercial teams, and technical specialists to reduce risk, optimize schedule, and ensure accurate production and cost reporting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Coordinator / Field Technician
Wellsite Supervisor / Rig Operator
Production Technician / Junior Operations Analyst

Advancement To:

Upstream Operations Supervisor / Senior Upstream Coordinator
Drilling & Completions Superintendent / Production Manager
Upstream Operations Manager / Field Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Reservoir or Production Engineer
HSE / Asset Integrity Coordinator
Supply Chain / Logistics Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate day-to-day upstream field operations including drilling, completions, workovers and routine production interventions to ensure activities meet schedule, budget and safety targets.
Serve as the central point of contact between field crews, rig teams, operations managers, engineering disciplines and external contractors to align on scope, resources and sequencing.
Plan and manage logistics for field campaigns: materials procurement, equipment mobilization/demobilization, transport, spare parts availability and temporary accommodation for crews.
Prepare, maintain and update operational schedules (Gantt/Primavera) and rolling forecasts; proactively re-sequence tasks to mitigate delays and reduce cost impact.
Monitor and manage daily operations cost and schedule performance; reconcile field cost tracking with SAP/ERP entries and escalate variances.
Coordinate well planning and execution activities with drilling engineers and geoscientists, including wellbore schematic verification, mud program, casing points and cementing requirements.
Review and ensure completion of permits, regulatory notifications, land access agreements and local authority approvals prior to mobilization.
Oversee vendor and contractor selection, issuance of purchase orders and service contracts; manage commercial performance and compliance to contract deliverables and SLAs.
Implement and enforce HSE, emergency response and site-specific safety plans; lead pre-job safety briefings, toolbox talks and permit-to-work processes.
Track and report production volumes, flare/gas lift usage, and key operational KPIs; prepare daily/weekly production and operational reports for stakeholders and management.
Coordinate well testing, flowback and well clean-up operations including test equipment, measurement, sample collection and reporting of results.
Maintain and update field asset registers and equipment inventories in CMMS/Maximo; coordinate preventive maintenance and repair activities to minimize downtime.
Manage field data capture processes: ensure accurate input to OpenWells/WellView/SCADA and data quality for engineering and reserves evaluations.
Act as incident liaison: investigate operational incidents, capture lessons learned, and implement corrective action plans to prevent recurrence.
Facilitate root cause analysis workshops for recurring reliability or operational issues and track implementation of corrective/preventive actions.
Manage interface between onshore operations and offshore/on-field crews to ensure continuity of operations, shift turnover handovers and accurate shift logs.
Execute change management for operational scope changes: update risk registers, rebaseline plans and secure approvals from relevant stakeholders.
Coordinate hydrant, nitrogen, coiled tubing, and other third-party service deployments; ensure service providers meet technical and safety standards.
Ensure compliance with regulatory reporting requirements (production, emissions, safety) and prepare documentation for audits and inspections.
Maintain emergency preparedness for field operations, including mobilization of contingency resources and communication plans during operational upsets or weather events.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives on-site: optimize logistics, reduce non-productive time (NPT), and implement small-capex efficiency measures.
Facilitate stakeholder engagement with landowners, local authorities and community relations teams to secure social license for upstream operations.
Support well abandonment and decommissioning planning, ensuring regulatory obligations, cost estimates and environmental protections are in place.
Coordinate HSE training and competency verification for contractors and field personnel (BOSIET, well control, permit-to-work).
Manage and validate operational documentation: method statements, risk assessments, SOPs and as-built records for wells and facilities.
Support multi-discipline planning meetings and pre-spud reviews; document action items and drive timely closure.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist commercial and reserves teams with operational inputs for forecasting and economic modelling.
Support procurement with technical specifications for long-lead items and critical spares.
Provide mentorship and on-the-job training to junior coordinators and field staff.
Assist in the preparation of well and operations close-out packages and lessons learned reports.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong knowledge of upstream drilling and production operations, well construction and completion practices.
Experience with scheduling and planning tools (Primavera P6, Microsoft Project) and ability to maintain and optimize project schedules.
Familiarity with ERP and procurement systems (SAP or equivalent) for PO tracking, invoicing and cost reconciliation.
Proficiency with field data and well management systems (OpenWells, WellView, Landmark, or equivalent).
Competence in SCADA basics, production data capture, and troubleshooting of production reporting discrepancies.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data modeling) for operational reporting and reconciliation.
Experience with CMMS platforms (Maximo, IBM, Infor) for asset integrity and maintenance planning.
Ability to use business intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau) to build dashboards and visualize operational KPIs.
Knowledge of HSE systems, incident investigation techniques (ROOT CAUSE analysis) and permit-to-work frameworks.
Understanding of regulatory reporting requirements for upstream operations, emissions and well abandonment.
Familiarity with well testing equipment and measurement standards (BTEX, custody transfer measurement knowledge advantageous).
Basic knowledge of geoscience and reservoir terminology to interface effectively with technical teams.
Experience with contract management and service level monitoring for drilling, wireline, coiled tubing and specialty services.
Comfortable working with GIS/mapping tools and understanding of surface access logistics.
Certifications: IWCF/Well Control, BOSIET, H2S, or local regulatory safety certifications where applicable.

Soft Skills

Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills — capable of aligning multiple internal and external parties.
Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to prioritize under pressure and manage competing deadlines.
Problem solving and critical thinking; able to make rapid operational decisions with incomplete information.
Leadership presence and the ability to influence contractors and multi-disciplinary teams without direct authority.
High attention to detail for compliance, reporting and contract administration.
Adaptability and resilience to operate in remote, high-pressure field environments and shift work.
Collaborative team player who fosters a culture of safety, continuous improvement and accountability.
Negotiation skills for resolving commercial disputes and securing favorable outcomes with vendors.
Cultural sensitivity and stakeholder diplomacy when working with local communities and regulatory bodies.
Time management and the capacity to manage multiple operational campaigns simultaneously.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Geoscience, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management or related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's in Petroleum Engineering or equivalent with coursework in drilling, production systems, and project management.
Post-graduate or professional certification in Project Management (PMP), HSE Management, or Operations Leadership is advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Geoscience (Geology / Geophysics)
Industrial or Operations Engineering
Project Management / Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 — 7 years of progressive upstream field operations or drilling/completions coordination experience.

Preferred:

5+ years in upstream operations with direct experience coordinating drilling, completions, and production activities.
Proven track record working with contractors on rigs and field campaigns, preferably with onshore and offshore exposure.
Experience using SAP, Primavera P6, OpenWells/WellView and Power BI (or similar BI tools).
Prior exposure to regulatory permitting, HSE systems and incident investigation processes.

Certifications such as IWCF/Well Control, BOSIET (for offshore roles), First Aid, and recognized HSE qualifications are strongly preferred.

If you’d like, I can tailor this job brief to a specific basin (onshore shale, offshore deepwater) or produce a short, ATS-friendly job posting based on this content.