Description

We are seeking two Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to support an AI-assisted workflow for estimating downstream crude value from multivariate upstream and operational data. The selected experts will partner closely with the client and data science teams to build product plans and roadmaps for new AI tools and workflows in this space.

Expert 1: Crude Quality & Assay Prediction SME

Expertise in:

• Crude assay and crude-quality analysis

• PVT and fluid characterization

• Upstream production operations

• Production allocation and forecasting

• Flow assurance and operational data interpretation

• Crude blending and stream composition

• Understanding how production, operational, routing, and blending changes impact crude quality

• Ability to explain uncertainty, confidence, assumptions, and quality drivers behind predicted quality changes

Expert 2: Commercial Crude Valuation SME

Expertise in:

• Crude valuation and pricing

• Official Selling Price (OSP) processes

• Crude sales and trading

• Crude marketing

• Refinery economics

• Customer/refinery-fit analysis

• Scheduling, logistics, and integrated planning

• Evaluation of technical and commercial trade-offs across pricing, refinery value, customer fit, and market opportunities

• Ability to explain value drivers, uncertainty, assumptions, and commercial implications

Responsibilities 

The SMEs will translate value-chain expertise into structured workflows that connect upstream production, crude quality, refining, logistics, and commercial decisions, including uncertainty, trade-offs, and explainability. Responsibilities may include:

• Translating expert reasoning into structured workflows, decision points, validation criteria, and explainability requirements suitable for AI-assisted decision support.

• Validating workflows and outputs from an upstream crude-quality, assay prediction, crude valuation, refinery-fit, sales/trading, or value-chain optimization perspective.

• Identifying relevant data inputs, data-quality issues, missing context, weak assumptions, limitations, confidence indicators, and uncertainty drivers.

• Supporting the definition of prediction logic, commercial implications, decision options, and review criteria.

• Helping ensure outputs are technically credible, commercially relevant, explainable, and usable by operational and business stakeholders.

• Collaborating closely with engineers, data scientists, and product teams.

Duration

12 weeks, full-time, starting late July 2026. Potential for extension.

Compensation

Locally competitive remuneration.

What You’ll Bring

For Both Roles:

• 15+ years of experience in the oil and gas industry.

• Deep expertise in the relevant subject area.

• Strong understanding of how upstream production, crude quality, commercial value, and downstream outcomes are connected.

• Ability to explain assumptions, uncertainty, confidence levels, data limitations, and key decision drivers.

• Prior involvement in digital, analytics, forecasting, automation, or AI-enabled decision-support initiatives.

• Advanced degree in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geoscience, Economics, Business, or a closely related field.

• Strong understanding of industry software relevant to your area of expertise.

• Proven ability to translate technical requirements and stakeholder feedback into clear, actionable specifications for development teams.

• Excellent communication skills and comfort collaborating cross-functionally with engineers, data scientists, and product teams.

Nice to have

• Experience with AI-enabled workflow design, digital transformation, analytics, or decision-support systems.

• Exposure to both upstream and downstream portions of the crude value chain.

• Previous automation, analytics, or data science project experience.

• This role is remote, but candidates based in the UAE or willing to travel for major project milestones are strongly preferred. UAE client-site presence may be required for portions of the engagement.