For more information on our Lubricants, Oil & Gas services, get in touch with

Luca Dowdell

Principal Consultant

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Lubricants, Oil & Gas Executive Search

Helping Lubricants, Oil & Gas companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Automotive Lubricants Downstream Oil Gas Food-grade Lubricants Fuel Specialty Chemicals Heavy Duty Lubricant Additives Industrial Lubricant Additives Industrial Lubricants Lubricant Speciality Chemicals Marine Lubricants Metalworking Fluid Metalworking Fluid Additives Midstream Oil Gas Oilfield Chemicals Passenger Car Lubricant Additives Petrochemicals Refinery Chemicals Upstream Oil Gas

The global lubricants market is valued at approximately USD 150–180 billion and is projected to grow steadily toward USD 220–270 billion by 2035. Specialty oilfield chemicals are forecast to expand from roughly USD 16.8 billion in 2025 to over USD 26 billion by 2035, reflecting sustained investment in production efficiency and advanced chemical technologies.

Lubricants and oil & gas remain fundamental to global industrial output, transportation and energy security. From upstream exploration and drilling through to refining, fuels production and industrial lubrication, this is a market built on chemistry, capital intensity and operational resilience.

Performance is non-negotiable. Products must function under extreme temperature, pressure and mechanical stress while meeting increasingly stringent regulatory and environmental standards.

Leadership success requires a blend of chemical expertise, operational understanding and strategic commercial capability.

Growth in synthetic formulations, electrified mobility fluids, industrial automation and efficiency-driven maintenance programmes continues to reshape the competitive landscape. Technical leadership and innovation pipelines are central to market differentiation.

Despite ongoing energy transition discussions, hydrocarbons continue to support global transport, petrochemicals and industrial demand. Investment remains concentrated in efficiency, asset life extension and lower-emission fuel technologies.

Recruiting within lubricants and oil & gas demands more than functional alignment. It requires sector fluency, understanding of OEM approval frameworks, awareness of commodity cycles and access to technically credible leadership talent.

We partner with integrated energy companies, independent producers, refiners, specialty chemical manufacturers and additive technology providers to secure senior leaders and technical specialists who can drive innovation, operational efficiency and commercial growth in complex, performance-critical environments.

Download the Lubricants, Oil & Gas Brochure

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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

97% Placement Rate 1
1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities

1,908 placements made across 25 sectors

262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Jane Scates

Packaging Engineer, US

Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!

Henry Spooner

Packaging, Paper, Recycling

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

Lily Newton

Animal Health

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Todd McBroom

District Sales Mgr, US

Great Experience!! This was my first time dealing with a recuiter and could not have been a better experience. Jack ...

Jack Purnell

Material Handling & Automation

Jeff Borchardt

Director of Planning, US

Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Tim Staniels

Territory Sales Manager, US

Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

I found Joseph to be extremely professional in every way when going through a recent recruitment process, always doin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Veronica Hagborg

Senior Director Global HR, Sweden

I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Sara Benoit

Regional Account Manager, US

Irving Knight Group is a fantastic company. I was contacted by Aidan Kerr regarding a sales position opportunity in t...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Eduardo Valle

Development Mgr, US

This opportunity fell on my lap at the perfect time and the overall process with Christopher was great. It was a very...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Tim Mitchell

Plant Manager, US

Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Nathan Radue

Channel Marketing Manager, US

Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances