Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upstream Trainer

🎯 Role Definition

The Upstream Trainer is responsible for designing, delivering, and continuously improving competency-based training programs for upstream oil & gas personnel (drilling, completions, well services, production operations and field maintenance). This role ensures that operational teams, contractors, and supervisors achieve and maintain demonstrable competency in operational procedures, health, safety & environment (HSE) practices, and technical standards through a mix of classroom, simulator, on-the-job (OJT) and e‑learning modalities. The Upstream Trainer partners with subject matter experts (SMEs), operations leadership, and HSE to align training with SOPs, regulatory requirements, and business KPIs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Technician / Rig Operator with demonstrable field experience and basic training credentials
Drilling / Production Engineer transitioning into training or competency roles
Learning & Development Specialist with experience in technical training or industrial sectors

Advancement To:

Senior Upstream Trainer / Lead Trainer
Training Manager / Competency Manager
Learning & Organizational Development Partner for Operations
Operations Excellence Manager or HSE Manager (with additional operational experience)

Lateral Moves:

Operations Supervisor / Field Superintendent
Workforce Development / Talent Management Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, develop, and maintain competency-based training curricula for upstream disciplines (drilling, well intervention, completions, production operations), ensuring alignment with company SOPs, industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Deliver engaging classroom and field-based training sessions that combine theory and practical exercises, using adult learning principles and experiential learning techniques.
Plan and facilitate simulator-based training scenarios for drilling and well control to replicate real-world upstream operational challenges and emergency response events.
Develop, configure and manage learning management system (LMS) content, enrollments, competency matrices and training records to ensure accurate tracking of individual and team certifications.
Conduct comprehensive training needs analyses and skills gap assessments across upstream sites, using competency frameworks, incident trends, and stakeholder interviews to prioritize interventions.
Create detailed lesson plans, training guides, facilitator notes, multimedia presentations and practical assessment tools that are audit-ready and version-controlled.
Implement and run train‑the‑trainer programs to build internal instructional capacity, coach subject matter experts on adult facilitation skills and standardize assessment methods across regions.
Lead on-the-job training (OJT) programs and mentor new hires and apprentices to accelerate competence attainment and safe work performance in field environments.
Develop and administer objective assessment instruments (written exams, practical drills, checklists) and maintain a secure repository of assessment outcomes to support competency sign-off decisions.
Monitor and report key training performance indicators (KPIs) such as training completion rates, pass/fail trends, competency attainment timelines and correlation with operational performance metrics.
Partner with operations, maintenance and HSE teams to translate incident root-cause findings into targeted refresher modules, behavioral safety interventions and procedural updates.
Ensure all training materials comply with HSE policies, regulatory standards (local and national), and industry best practices, including well control certification requirements.
Coordinate and manage external vendor relationships for specialized technical courses, simulation services and certification programs, negotiating scopes, SLAs and budgets.
Maintain a prioritized training roadmap and annual budget plan for upstream competency development, forecasting resources, materials and travel required for site delivery.
Localize and adapt global training content to regional operational contexts, languages and site-specific equipment configurations while preserving the integrity of learning outcomes.
Deliver e‑learning modules and blended learning pathways; author SCORM-compliant content and manage platform analytics to optimize digital learning engagement.
Facilitate safety-critical drills and emergency response exercises (well control, blowout prevention, abandon-ship, emergency evacuation) and evaluate team readiness against predefined standards.
Conduct trainer observations, audits and quality assurance reviews of training delivery to ensure consistency, effectiveness and continuous improvement of instructional practices.
Collaborate with engineering and reliability teams to create competency-based maintenance and inspection training for rotating equipment, pressure systems and production facilities.
Lead competency recertification programs and calendarized refresher training to ensure continuous compliance with certification cycles, statutory requirements and client expectations.
Prepare and present training reports, executive summaries and recommendations to operational leadership, workforce planning and regional HR teams to inform strategic workforce development.
Maintain and continually update a library of technical references, SOPs, training aids, job-task analyses and multimedia resources for use across the global upstream training network.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives for training delivery by piloting new instructional technologies (AR/VR, simulation, mobile microlearning) and measuring their impact on skill transfer and retention.
Support personnel selection by contributing to interview panels, providing competency-based evaluation criteria and advising on fit-for-role training plans for new hires.

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.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

In-depth knowledge of upstream oil & gas operations: drilling, completions, well control, well testing and production operations.
Certified training qualifications or instructional design credentials (e.g., Train the Trainer, Instructional Systems Design, ADDIE model).
Competency mapping and assessment design experience, including development of job-task analyses and practical assessment rubrics.
Proficiency with Learning Management Systems (LMS) administration (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors, Cornerstone, Moodle) and e-learning authoring tools (Articulate, Captivate).
Experience developing SCORM-compliant e-learning content and using learning analytics to measure engagement and effectiveness.
Strong practical experience with well control and safety-critical training standards (e.g., IWCF, IADC WellSharp, BOSIET/FOET familiarity).
Familiarity with simulator platforms and scenario development for drilling and emergency response simulation.
Solid knowledge of HSE regulations, risk assessment methodologies, and incident investigation processes—ability to translate findings into training interventions.
Technical writing skills for creating SOP-aligned training materials, facilitator guides, and assessment documentation.
Experience managing training programs, budgets, vendor contracts and coordinating multi-site rollouts.
Ability to use data tools (Excel advanced, Power BI/Tableau) to analyze training metrics and produce management reports.
Experience with blended learning design, microlearning, AR/VR or mobile learning deployments is desirable.
Strong understanding of competency management systems and certification lifecycle processes.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication tailored to technical adult learners and senior leadership.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills with proven ability to engage diverse audiences in classroom and field settings.
Coaching and mentoring capability to develop internal trainers and junior staff.
Stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration across operations, HSE, engineering and HR.
Analytical mindset with attention to detail for assessment integrity and compliance documentation.
Adaptability to operate in high-pressure field environments and remote site locations.
Cultural sensitivity and ability to tailor content for different geographies and languages.
Problem-solving orientation and continuous improvement mindset focused on measurable performance outcomes.
Time management and organizational skills to balance program delivery, travel and administrative responsibilities.
Leadership presence and influence, able to drive change and secure buy-in for competency initiatives.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Petroleum, Mechanical), Technical Vocational Qualification, or equivalent field experience in upstream operations.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Occupational Safety, Education & Training, or a related technical discipline.
Certifications in instructional design, adult learning, or competency assessment (e.g., Train the Trainer, IWCF/IADC Well Control).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum Engineering
Mechanical Engineering / Industrial Technology
Occupational Health & Safety / HSE
Education, Instructional Design, or Human Resources Development

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10+ years relevant upstream oil & gas experience, including at least 2–4 years in a training, competency or L&D role supporting operations.

Preferred:

Proven track record designing and delivering upstream technical training programs.
Prior experience working on rigs, platforms or well-site operations with demonstrable operational credibility.
Experience administering LMS systems, competency frameworks and managing cross-regional training rollouts.
Demonstrated success in reducing incident rates or improving operational KPIs through targeted training interventions.