Refinery Operations Head

About the role

An established opportunity is open for a senior refinery leader in Sharjah, UAE. The position sits within the oil and gas / petroleum refining / energy space and calls for a professional who can direct refinery or plant operations, improve process performance, and uphold strong safety and regulatory standards. The successful candidate will bring deep operational expertise across refinery, blending, terminal, or petroleum processing environments, with a strong focus on efficiency, profitability, and compliance.

Key responsibilities

• Take charge of daily refinery or plant activities to keep production safe, efficient, and consistently running.
• Create and execute operating plans that improve plant output and overall performance.
• Handle production scheduling, process improvement, quality assurance, and stock control.
• Maintain adherence to HSE, environmental, and all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Track refinery KPIs, operating efficiency, yield enhancements, and cost performance.
• Work closely with trading, procurement, logistics, maintenance, and finance functions to support wider business goals.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts that raise productivity and profitability.
• Oversee shutdowns, turnarounds, maintenance planning, and capital upgrade projects.
• Coach and develop teams across operations, technical, and maintenance areas.
• Ensure all products meet customer and industry quality specifications.
• Prepare operational dashboards, budgets, forecasts, and management-level presentations.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field is required.
• At least 10 years of experience in Oil & Gas, Petroleum Refining, Petrochemicals, Lubricants, Base Oils, Fuel Blending, or Terminal Operations is needed.
• A minimum of 5 years must be spent in a leadership role overseeing a refinery, blending plant, processing facility, or large-scale petroleum operation.
• Strong practical knowledge of refining processes, petroleum products, storage operations, and plant optimization is essential.
• Hands-on experience with HSE compliance, operational risk control, and regulatory obligations is necessary.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing sizeable operational budgets is required.
• Commercial understanding and the ability to align operations with business priorities are important.
• Prior GCC or Middle East experience is preferred.
• Ideal current backgrounds include petroleum refineries, base oil and lubricant plants, fuel blending facilities, tank terminal operations, oil storage and distribution companies, and petrochemical manufacturing facilities.
• Target titles include Refinery Manager, Refinery Operations Manager, Plant Manager, Operations Head, Manufacturing Head, Terminal Operations Manager, Production Head, Technical Manager, General Manager – Operations, and Head of Refinery Operations.

Additional information

This role is in the oil and gas / petroleum refining / energy sector in Sharjah, UAE. Salary is competitive and will depend on the candidate’s experience.

Core competencies

• Refinery operations leadership
• Process and productivity optimization
• Production planning
• HSE and regulatory adherence
• Plant performance improvement
• Budgeting and cost discipline
• Team leadership and development
• Operational excellence
• Risk management
• Strategic planning

Application note

Candidates with a proven track record in refinery or petroleum processing operations and a history of driving operational excellence are encouraged to apply.