Placing Rare Certified Oil & Gas Supply Chain Talent for an Upstream Exploration Role

The client is a South Korean multinational energy and resources company operating in Indonesia’s upstream oil and gas sector. Its head office is in Jakarta and its operations are in East Java.

The client needed an Assistant Manager–level Supply Chain Specialist with two non-negotiable requirements: PTK 007 SKK Migas certification and hands-on experience in oil and gas exploration.

PTK 007 is SKK Migas’s guideline for supply chain management at production sharing contractors (KKKS). It governs how procurement, contracting and materials management must be carried out in Indonesia’s upstream sector. The client could not consider candidates without proven command of it.

Three factors made the search difficult:

• A small talent pool. Supply chain professionals who hold the PTK 007 certification and have worked on the exploration side are few. Most had come through production or downstream roles instead. Almost all qualified candidates were already employed at other KKKS or service companies, and none were actively looking.
• Exploration-specific know-how. Procurement for exploration is different from procurement for routine operations. It involves seismic surveys, drilling services, rigs and long-lead equipment, all on tight timelines and under strict SKK Migas compliance. Candidates needed real experience managing these.
• A multinational, two-location setup. The role is based in Jakarta with assignments in East Java. It also reports into a Korean corporate environment where English is the working language. This narrowed the pool further.