Deputy Country Manager

Deputy Country Manager Start date: ASAP Duration: until March 2027 Location: Windhoek, Namibia Position Overview The Deputy Country Manager opportunity offers the chance to play a senior leadership role within an upstream oil and gas environment in Namibia. This Deputy Country Manager position is focused on safe and compliant exploration activity, integrated country leadership, stakeholder engagement and value creation in a frontier basin setting. The Deputy Country Manager will act as a key in-country representative, supporting strategy delivery, operational assurance and country-level risk management. This Deputy Country Manager role is well suited to candidates with strong technical, operational and external leadership experience across complex multi-stakeholder environments. Role Context This position sits within the upstream oil and gas sector and supports exploration activity in Namibia across offshore blocks in the Walvis Basin. The role operates within a frontier basin environment, covering exploration-related activity including seismic, drilling planning, logistics and office operations. The position works across an integrated in-country and cross-functional leadership structure and supports engagement with government bodies, national partners, joint venture partners, communities and suppliers. Key Responsibilities Provide visible leadership for safe, secure and compliant operations across in-country exploration-related activity, promoting strong safety culture and operational assurance. Support delivery of the country strategy and annual plan, with a focus on exploration activity, performance discipline and country-level value creation. Manage and escalate country-level risks including political, security, reputational, legal and counterparty risks. Act as a senior in-country representative, building effective relationships with government authorities, regulators, national partners and joint venture stakeholders. Support local content, supplier development, skills development and community engagement activity in line with country requirements. Lead or support crisis, security and business continuity readiness, including emergency response and recovery activity. Promote high standards of ethics, compliance and professional conduct across supplier, partner and stakeholder interactions. Contribute to an effective in-country operating model with clear accountability, strong performance management and integrated team leadership. Qualifications & Experience Essential: Substantial senior leadership experience within the upstream oil and gas sector, with a proven track record of leading integrated teams in complex operating environments. Demonstrable experience in safety leadership and HSE performance, including embedding safety culture and supporting incident learning. Experience contributing to a new country entry, business start-up or joint venture environment, including governance and regulatory set-up. Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience supporting capital planning and value versus cost decision-making. Senior-level stakeholder engagement experience across government, regulators, partners, communities or industry bodies. Experience within joint venture or Operating Committee governance environments. Experience leading through crisis and security-related events, with sound judgement under pressure. Degree in a relevant technical, commercial, legal or business discipline. High level of proficiency in English and Afrikaans/Oshiwambo or another local Namibian language. Desirable: Direct experience in southern Africa and/or working with national oil companies in the region. Advanced qualifications such as an MBA, MSc or relevant professional accreditation. About the Company This company is active in the upstream energy sector and is developing its presence in Namibia within one of the world’s most prospective frontier basins. The company’s focus in country is on safe, compliant and responsible exploration activity alongside long-term stakeholder engagement, local value creation and disciplined portfolio development. About Airswift Airswift is an international workforce solutions provider within the energy, process and infrastructure industries. Airswift serves as a strategic partner to clients, offering a turnkey workforce solution to capture and deliver the top talent needed to complete successful projects by aligning with unique hiring needs. With over 1000 employees and 9,000 contractors operating in over 60 countries, Airswift’s geographical reach and pool of talent available is unmatched, and the level of experience, exposure, and expertise across the organisation is unparalleled. If this opportunity is of interest, please apply now. #LI-KR1