Types Of Supply Chain Jobs Within The Oil And Gas Industry And How To Get Them

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In a still sluggish global economy, many of the world’s job seekers turn to the oil and gas industry for challenging and lucrative careers with relatively high growth potential. Besides the popular petroleum engineer position that most people associate with the industry, there are plenty of lower profile yet highly important jobs that support every company operating within the oil and gas industry. A greatly demanded business function across all industries is supply chain management, and the function is particularly valuable when applied to the oil and gas industry. Here are the main steps within this industry’s supply chain, some examples of supply chain management jobs and tips on how to get them.

Overview of Oil Industry Supply Chain Management

The two types of products associated the oil industry are crude and refined oil. During the crude oil production processing, the supply chain steps are site identification, exploration, facility construction, production and storage. Site identification and exploration are conducted through surveys done by industry specialists to ensure that there is an adequate supply of oil that can be extracted with minimal impact to the environment. Infrastructure is built to drill, extract and temporarily store the crude oil taken from beneath the earth after the preliminary planning steps are taken. The last step in the crude oil supply chain process is transportation of the oil to refinery facilities. Even before oil is refined, supply chain managers map out ports for shipping the refined oil to both foreign and domestic redistribution centers that either transport the refined fuel to its point of sale or to facilities where additives are incorporated into the fuel.

Oil and Gas Industry Supply Chain Management Jobs

There are a number of supply chain management positions available within the oil and gas industry that require varying amounts of education and experience. The demand is so great that many colleges and universities have business concentrations specifically on supply chain management. The position of supply management systems analyst combines information technology and supply chain management disciplines to ensure raw materials are sent, processed and received efficiently to improve the flow of the supply chain. Those supply chain management professionals with import and export experience are often hired as logistics and customs compliance officers who give entrance instructions to the freight agents about a particular country’s port. Crude oil facilities and refineries utilize specialized equipment throughout their pipelines that often require maintenance. CNC machinists are people who create and repair specialized parts for the oil facilities; they are valued team members because their quickly produced, professional products help to ensure that there is no significant down time within the oil facilities.

How to Transition Into Oil Industry Supply Chain Management Positions

To transition into an oil and gas supply chain management position, one must network with those with knowledge of the industry. This means joining a professional industry organization and participating in its functions. One can also gain professional certifications in the areas where one wants to work; for example, one can get a supply chain management or project management certificate. Additionally, those interested in the oil industry should look for companies that offer free training to entry-level employees entering high demand jobs.

Conclusion

The oil and gas industry is known to be one with high growth job potential and great depth when it comes to the types of jobs available. It is an industry where the demand for skilled professionals is less than the supply which causes many people to look for opportunities to transition their skills into this traditional albeit growing industry that crosses national boundaries.