HSE Supervisor - Drilling & Completions

Job Description

Job Description

The HSE Supervisor – Drilling and Completions provides HSE-focused Servant Leadership for drilling and completions operations and is accountable for improving safe, reliable execution through the application of Human Performance principles. This position leads human performance focused incident investigations and partners directly with operations personnel to design and implement sustainable corrective actions that strengthen the system around the worker rather than relying on retraining or discipline alone. The Supervisor is responsible for verifying process safety and well control critical safeguards, maintaining emergency response readiness, and driving contractor HSE performance across drilling and completions activities.

This position supervises and develops a team of HSE professionals, builds relationships of trust and respect with contractors and peers, and uses influence without authority to move operations leaders and crews toward better outcomes, with a primary focus on work tasks that could result in life-altering injury. The Supervisor will lead early adoption of AI technology and HSE data analytics, and will actively lead and support company initiatives/changes while prioritizing competing individual and team responsibilities. In addition to supervisor responsibilities, this position may also encompass technical responsibilities of an HSE Specialist Level IV.

Essential Roles & Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise, develop, and provide performance management for a team of HSE professionals; organize, inspire, and motivate the team, and drive ownership and accountability for results.
• Provide field support, coaching, feedback, and constructive challenge to HSE staff, operations leaders, and contractor crews. Recognize and reward team members who model desired behaviors, speak up, and stop work, to sustain a high-performing culture.
• Exercise influence without authority to align operations, engineering, and contractor leadership on HSE priorities and corrective actions.
• Lead and/or participate in department or cross-functional projects, and actively lead and support company initiatives and changes, including implementation of the company safety management system within the Drilling and Completions function.
• Take extreme ownership of outcomes from initial response through closure.

Human Performance

• Teach and reinforce Human Performance concepts across the operation. Coach operations leaders, supervisors, and contractor crews to recognize error traps and gaps between work-as-imagined and work-as-done.
• Lead human performance focused incident and near-miss investigations, including serious injury/fatality (SIF) and potential SIF (PSIF) events, using credible root cause and learning-team methods to identify the organizational and system conditions behind individual actions. Prepare factual investigation reports and present findings.
• Partner with operations personnel to craft and implement sustainable, human performance focused corrective actions, favoring stronger controls (e.g., engineering, planning, and workflow changes) over retraining, procedure rewrites, or discipline. Verify that actions are effective and track them to satisfactory conclusion in Novara.
• Promote operational learning, including learning teams, lessons learned, and sharing of what works well, and communicate significant trends up the line and to the field.
• Identify HSE policies and processes that conflict with Human Performance principles or the company safety management system, and lead their revision or retirement. Lead change and build buy-in across diverse field teams.

Drilling & Completions Operations, Process Safety & Emergency Response

• Provide visible field HSE leadership across drilling and completions activities, and attend D&C operations and planning meetings in person.
• Verify implementation and ongoing integrity of process safety and well control critical safeguards, including barrier verification, well control equipment readiness, and crew well control competence and drills.
• Lead and support emergency preparedness and response, including drills and exercises, and take an active role in case management during incident response.
• Ensure hazards are identified, risks are suitably evaluated, and controls are implemented and maintained, including pre-job planning, simultaneous operations (SIMOPS), work management, and management of change. 
• Identify, recommend, and implement best practices, including Company safe work practices, Life Saving Rules, and improvements to HSE processes within the functional area.

Contractor Safety Performance

• Build relationships of trust and respect with contractor leadership and crews. Lead the development, implementation, and administration of the contractor safety management program, and review contractor HSE performance to ensure work is performed in line with company HSE expectations.
• Regularly review contractor performance reviews (CPRs) entered in Novara, visit with vendors in the field, and periodically attend vendor safety meetings to bridge communication gaps across the operation.
• Review and approve New Contractor Requests for the assigned business unit.

Data, AI & Technology

• Lead early adoption of AI technology and HSE data analytics: pilot, evaluate, and scale tools that trend observations and incidents, surface leading indicators, and identify emerging risk sooner. Partner with IT and data teams, and follow company standards for data quality, validation of AI outputs, and information security.
• Monitor industry trends and initiatives and demonstrate innovation by implementing new technologies that make work safer and easier to do.
• Prepare and deliver meaningful HSE information, performance metrics, analysis, and reports within the functional area. Review data analysis and advise on continuous improvement of HSE programs and regulatory HSE reports as necessary.

Computer/Software Applications

• Proficient computer literacy. 
• Is an expert in the application of common business tools (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite). 
• Must possess an above-average working knowledge of Novara (formerly KPA) for incident reporting, observations, corrective action tracking, and contractor performance reviews, and of ISNetworld for contractor prequalification. 
• Working knowledge of HSE data analytics and visualization tools, and the ability to evaluate and apply emerging AI tools to HSE work. 
• Ability to learn and lead adoption of new and changing systems and applications..

Typical Education

• BS degree preferred or equivalent work experience and training which included positions in Drilling/Completions operations or safety leadership. 
• Formal Human Performance training and a current IADC WellSharp Supervisor-level well control certification (e.g., Drilling, Drilling/Completion/Workover, or Oil & Gas Operator Representative [OGOR]) are preferred.

Required Minimum Experience 

• Minimum of 10 years of oil and gas experience.
• 5+ years of Drilling or Completions operations experience required.
• 5+ years of experience leading human performance focused incident investigations.
• Demonstrated capability of partnering with operations personnel to craft and implement sustainable, human performance focused corrective actions.
• 5+ years of experience in a role demonstrating influence without authority.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

• Must align with and adhere to Servant Leadership principles and behaviors.
• Must demonstrate proficiency in Human Performance concepts, including the ability to train and influence others in their application.
• Proficient in process safety, well control critical safeguards, and emergency response.
• Must be able to lead early adoption of AI technology and HSE data analytics.
• Must be able to demonstrate innovation and early adoption of new technologies, industry trends, and initiatives.
• Must possess the ability to build strong relationships of trust and respect with contractors and peers.
• Must possess strong initiative and extreme ownership.
• Coaching and intervention skills; ability to lead complex investigations using interview and analytical skills to identify contributing factors and root causes.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication; ability to facilitate and interact at all levels of the organization and to develop and deliver safety and training material to crews and operations leaders.
• Experience dealing with regulatory bodies and inspections, and a thorough understanding of HSE regulation and its practical implementation. 
• Strong working knowledge of applicable API Drilling and Completions Standards and Recommended Practices (API 4G, 8B, 16A/C/D, & 53. API RP 54, 67)

Working Conditions

• Field-based role with a time split of at least 70% field and 30% office, with travel to drilling and completions locations as required.
• Must be able to respond to night and weekend call-outs as required.
• Regularly exposed to the typical conditions of oilfield locations.

SM Energy offers competitive compensation and benefits programs which include, but are not limited to, variable pay, health care coverage, retirement plan, protection coverage, time off and leave programs, training and development opportunities and a range of allowances connected to specific work situations. Details are available at Careers :: SM Energy Company (SM) (sm-energy.com).

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.