As a drilling contractor, you deal with large-scale, high-value projects. This means you need an experienced professional to manage your projects so they run smoothly and according to budget. As you begin looking for a project manager, here are a few things you should expect from the ideal candidate.
PMP Certification
PMP certification, or Project Management Professional certification, indicates that a candidate understands what is needed to ensure a project is completed on time, to budget, and according to the client's wishes. In addition to looking for a candidate with a college degree, you should expect that anyone you hire should have this certification.
Experience In the Oil and Gas Industry
The oil and gas industry has its own regulations, and your project manager should be able to quickly determine if your firm is following the rules and laws set forth for any drilling project. While there may be many excellent project managers from other fields, they might not be able to ensure strict compliance in your business. Hiring someone without experience could lead to poor quality control on your projects.
Working Knowledge of Engineering
While your project manager won't be the one actually implementing designs or doing the drilling or building, he or she should understand the physics behind how your project should work. This ensures that your plans will be implemented properly without cutting corners. The ideal candidate will also be able to read technical drawings and plans for each project, as this will help him or her to identify a problem as the project progresses. For this reason, a candidate who has majored in engineering might be the best option for you.
Multiple Language Proficiency
The oil and gas industry is an international one, which means you may have clients from all over the world. Hiring a candidate who can speak multiple languages can set your firm apart from the competition and provide superior service to all of your clients. Look at where the highest concentration of your foreign clients are, and hire a candidate who is fluent in the languages of that region.
Your project manager must be a multi-talented individual who can monitor costs, staffing, project implementation, and business reporting. If you aren't confident that you can find the ideal candidate on your own, consider hiring a staffing company who can vet candidates and conduct pre-interviews. This reduces the amount of time you'll spend looking for a candidate and eliminate any nonqualified individuals from your hiring pool. You may also wish to speak with other drilling contractors, such as those from GeoTek Alaska Inc, for more advice on hiring a project manager.
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