General Manager — Drilling Division (COO Level)

Company Description

The Golden Compass is an independent international Consulting, Drilling, and Services practice providing focused advice and solutions, and services contracting to the earth resource industry.For exploration and mining projects, we offer services from exploration to mine closure. The Golden Compass established in 2015, our employs more than 250 professionals internationally in over 3 offices on 3 continents

Role Description

The General Manager – Drilling Division (COO Level) is Golden Compass Mining Services’ senior operations leader responsible for the safe, efficient, and reliable execution of all drilling activities and supporting operations. The GM oversees day-to-day drilling operations, project planning and execution, maintenance, HSE, and logistics across the drilling business.

The GM leads multiple operational divisions, manages direct reports, sets operational standards and budgets, drives continuous improvement, and ensures compliance with regulatory and client requirements. This is a full-time position based at our Jeddah Head Office overseeing drilling operations across multiple project sites throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with domestic and international travel as required

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic and tactical leadership for drilling operations, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to specification.
• Develop, implement, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), best practices, and performance metrics.
• Coordinate resource allocation, including rigs, personnel, contractors, and equipment across multiple projects.
• Lead operational decision-making and drive execution of company objectives

Project Planning & Execution

• Oversee drilling project planning, scheduling, cost estimation, risk assessment, and execution.
• Monitor project progress and implement corrective actions where required.
• Ensure effective mobilization and demobilization of drilling operations

Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)

• Own HSE performance for the division; lead incident prevention, investigation, and corrective action processes
• Ensure compliance with company, client, and regulatory HSE requirements.
• Promote a safety-first culture through training, audits, toolbox talks, and HSE KPI tracking.

Maintenance & Reliability

• Oversee maintenance strategies for drilling rigs and critical equipment.
• Drive reliability and lifecycle management initiatives to reduce equipment failures and costs

Logistics & Supply Chain

Ensure timely and cost-effective logistics, warehousing, and materials management to support operations.

• Oversee contracting, procurement coordination, and vendor performance for operational needs.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Develop and manage operational budgets, forecasts, and cost controls.
• Drive operational efficiency while maintaining quality, safety, and profitability.
• Support commercial activities including client meetings, proposals, and contract performance.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure regulatory, contractual, and quality compliance across all operation
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and operational performance measurement.
• Prepare and present operational reports ,metrics and recommendation to the executive team

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Petroleum, Mechanical, Mining, or related discipline) or Operations Management or realated field Master's degree or MBA
• 12 + years of experience in drilling, mining, oil & gas, or resource-sector operations.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior operational leadership role, preferably as General Manager, COO,
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary teams and multiple drilling projects.
• Strong background in HSE leadership, maintenance strategy, logistics, and contractor management.
• Demonstrated track record in HSE leadership, incident reduction, and safety culture transformation
• HSE certifications (e.g., NEBOSH, IOSH or equivalent) preferred.
• Formal training in project management, reliability engineering, or operations leadership (PMP, Six Sigma) is beneficial.

Skills & Competencies

Technical & Leadership Competencies

• Strong operational and technical understanding of drilling practices, rig systems, maintenance, and logistics.
• Excellent leadership, people-management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong decision-making under pressure, problem-solving, and risk management capabilities.
• Commercial acumen with ability to manage budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), reporting, and executive presentation capability.
• Ability to travel frequently to field sites and work in remote/rig environments as required.

Behavioral Attributes

• Results-driven, pragmatic, and hands-on when operational demands require it.
• Collaborative leader who builds high-performing teams and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
• High integrity, resilient, and adaptable to changing operational demands.
• Safety-first mindset and strong personal accountability.