Principal Consultant - Development Engineering/Investment screening

Principal Consultant - Development Engineering/Investment screening

Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
London, London, United Kingdom

Job Description

ROLE PURPOSE

The Principal Consultant is a strategic role aimed at supporting our client's International Gas and LNG Business Development and Asset Management teams.

To provide end‑to‑end leadership across business development, investment maturation, and non‑operated asset stewardship for a portfolio of gas and LNG investments to protect and enhance shareholder value. The role ensures that new opportunities are technically credible, commercially robust, and executable, and existing non‑operated assets are governed to protect and enhance long‑term shareholder value, HSE performance, and ESG outcomes.

The Principal Consultant will be reporting into the Business Development Function; however, they will be a shared resource supporting both the Business Development and Asset management organizations.

SCOPE OF ROLE

This position spans the full investment lifecycle:

• Pre‑investment / Business Development – opportunity screening, shaping, and project sanction support
• Post‑investment / Asset Management – non‑operated governance, value assurance, and optimisation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Business Development & Opportunity Shaping

• Lead or support technical evaluation of new investment opportunities, including corporate acquisitions, farm‑ins and infrastructure access.
• Assess development concepts, execution strategies, cost estimates, schedules, and risk profiles proposed by counterparties or operators.
• Provide credible challenges to ensure opportunities are investable, scalable, and resilient across commodity cycles.
• Support decision and internal investment committees through clear articulation of value drivers, risks, and mitigations.

Non‑Operated Asset Management & Governance

• Act as the investor’s senior representative across non‑operated joint ventures and partnerships.
• Review and influence operator work programmes, budgets, production forecasts, and capital projects.
• Ensure appropriate governance, assurance, and escalation of material technical, HSE, cost, or schedule risks.
• Maintain alignment between operator activity and shareholder value objectives.

Technical & Value Assurance (Across BD and Assets)

• Apply deep engineering and operational judgement across facilities, integrity, operations, and major projects.
• Challenge design basis, concept selection, and execution plans to avoid value erosion and over‑engineering.
• Ensure disciplined decision making at key investment and project stage gates (screening, FID, re‑sanction).
• Identify and assess key technical risks across asset lifecycle and define appropriate mitigation strategies to ensure investment robustness, protect value and support investment decision‑making.
• Identify opportunities for value uplift, cost reduction, emissions reduction, or asset life extension.
• Ensure operator performance aligns with investor HSE and ESG expectations.
• Monitor material operational, integrity, and project risks across the portfolio.
• Promote consistent standards and learning across assets and regions.

Stakeholder & Partner Engagement

• Build trusted relationships with operators, co‑investors, regulators, and host authorities.
• Represent the investor credibly in JV committees, technical reviews, and strategic forums.
• Navigate complex partner dynamics with authority, pragmatism, and diplomacy.

Candidate Profile

• Strong Developments / facilities / process / operations / asset integrity foundation. Extensive senior experience across upstream and/or midstream oil & gas, including operations and projects.
• Demonstrated experience in managing new deals and acquired assets with strong business mindset, understanding value creation from an international O&G Company perspective.
• Demonstrated ability to work as a high‑impact contributor, taking ownership of complex and high‑stakes deliverables with accountability and hands‑on approach. Strong capability in constructively challenging operators and partners without undermining relationships.
• Experience in complex, multicultural and multipartner JV environments‑partner JV environments.
• Experience spanning operator, investor, consultancy, and contractor environments.
• Strong commercial acumen.

Proven exposure to energy transition and decarbonisation initiatives

Personal Attributes

• Combines strategic commercial thinking with deep technical credibility.
• Comfortable operating from early opportunity framing through long‑term asset stewardship.
• Calm, authoritative, and values led with a strong HSE mindset.
• Trusted advisor at management, investment committee, and JV level.