Business Unit Emergency Response Advisor at DNO · Gaza

Job Summary

The Business Unit Emergency Response Advisor is a field-based, rotational role responsible for maintaining excellence in Emergency Response, Crisis Management, and Business Continuity across the Kurdistan Business Unit (BU). This role ensures the organisation maintains a strong capability to respond effectively to incidents and business disruptions.

As a key member of a dynamic and proactive HSE team, you will help ensure the BU is fully prepared to manage incidents that may impact operations. A major focus of this role is coaching and training BU personnel to competently manage all credible emergencies.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Tactical Planning

• Ensure the availability of appropriate resources to manage incidents across all facilities and offices, including drilling and well sites.
• Provide tactical and technical support across all levels of the DNO Incident Command System.
• Ensure alignment with industry best practices and regulatory standards.
• Oversee the full Business Continuity cycle, maintaining the effectiveness of the programme through continuous business impact analysis, response planning, and support for organisational resilience.
• Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plans: Maintain, review, and update the organisation’s emergency response, crisis management, and business continuity plans to ensure operational readiness and effective risk mitigation.

Training & Development

Train and coach designated teams in the following areas (at a minimum):

• Fire and explosion response.
• Confined space and at-height rescue.
• Vehicle accident response.
• Hazardous substance spill response.
• Toxic gas releases, including H2S.
• Health-related emergencies (in coordination with the Medical and Health Superintendent and field medics).
• Security-related incidents (in coordination with the BU Security Manager and field-based security personnel).
• IT-related incidents (in coordination with the Chief Information Officer).
• Coordinate the maintenance of the ER capability at BU Incident Management locations through document management and IT infrastructure upkeep.
• Plan and schedule training to ensure nominated personnel can effectively use location resources.
• Ensure Family Liaison and Relative Response teams are trained and able to effectively support families during an incident.
• Ensure all Department Heads receive regular Business Continuity training and awareness to ensure competence and continual improvement.

Testing & Exercising

• Lead the planning, design, and execution of all BU drills and exercises, ensuring lessons learned are captured, actions are assigned, and follow-ups are completed.
• Coordinate testing and exercising across key departments, including: Production & Operations, Drilling & Wells, IT, Security, Medical, Office Locations, and Business Continuity.

Equipment Management

• Procurement: Advise on the procurement and use of equipment necessary to respond to credible scenarios based on site-specific risk assessments.
• Maintenance: Ensure that all emergency response equipment and fixed firefighting systems at all sites are tested, inspected, and recorded at recommended intervals. Report any defects and ensure all repairs are carried out in a timely manner.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Coaching: Develop the competencies of assigned national personnel in Emergency Response, progressing staff via competency development and assessment frameworks.
• Local Stakeholders: Work closely with CSR to enhance the capabilities of local and national authorities in Emergency Response and Crisis Management. Collaborate with local authorities to improve their capacity to assist DNO during an incident.
• Contractors: Work with local contractors to ensure their Emergency Response Plans meet DNO’s expectations.
• Safety Champion: Act as a Safety Champion within DNO, playing an active role in BU programmes such as safety observations and putting safety first (RICH: Report, Intervene, Comply, and Help).
• Continuous Improvement: Continuously improve DNO's readiness through written, documented improvement plans derived from drill outcomes and up-to-date industry best practices.
• Compliance and Ethics: Operate strictly within DNO ethics and compliance procedures.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Certifications: Internationally or nationally recognised qualifications in Incident Command Systems (ICS), Emergency Response, Crisis Management, and Business Continuity.
• Industry Experience: At least 15 years of practical experience in emergency response, crisis management, and business continuity, which must include onshore oil and gas experience.
• Training Delivery: Practical and theoretical training development and delivery experience, ideally with familiarity in virtual delivery and competency management frameworks.
• Proven Track Record: Must have successfully fulfilled a similar role and be able to provide capability references.
• Tactical Expertise: Extensive experience in a range of tactical response matters, including firefighting, country evacuation, pollution response (including Oil Spill Response), fatality management, security or civil crisis response, road traffic collisions, confined space rescue, and rescue from height.