Staff Landman

Position Summary

Directly oversee and manage operations areas to prepare units for drilling. This independent position will lead a team of field Brokers that is responsible for title, curative, leasing, and acquisitions within the operations area. Represent the Company in negotiating and acquiring lease agreements, leasehold acquisitions, and trades with other companies and/or mineral owners holding acreage in the same general area. Applies strong contractual knowledge, and information where their opinion will be given strong consideration by senior management. Facilitate deal-making opportunities and build relationships with key outside groups, such as attorneys, counterparts at other operating companies, or mineral buying groups. Role will exercise discretion over process, and the ability to deviate from normal process in limited circumstances.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and direct Broker teams on a daily basis for leasing, title, heirship research, and pooling modifications for operations areas to prepare land for drilling. Depending on the assignment or project, responsible for the management of multiple prospect areas and Broker teams.
• Manage negotiations and prepare individualized lease language with mineral owners for the acquisition of lease contracts and securing the rights to the minerals. Also responsible for negotiating and executing agreements with competing companies in prospect areas for the exploration and/or development of minerals.
• Negotiate, prepare, and execute leasehold acquisitions with operators to operate on the land. Oversee and maintain lease extensions and renewals within operating areas.
• Review and negotiate terms and conditions for unique agreements, such as Purchase and Sale, Trade, or other Land agreements. Frequently this in-depth negotiation will occur with other attorneys and professional mineral buying groups.
• Utilize contractual knowledge and information to work with title attorneys to develop acceptable language for leases and contracts.
• Review title issues, analyze options, and coordinate with title attorneys to make recommendations for a determination about how best to resolve. Curing title defects to reduce title risk associated with adverse claims or disputes with respect to mineral ownership.
• Analyze lease terms and identify issues or unique provisions requiring action. Coordinate and assist attorneys in legal actions such as missing heirs petitions and partitions.
• Perform a lead role with limited supervision on larger, more complex transactions that can be over 5,000 net acres, either via trades or acquisitions.
• Lead unique projects for the Land Department. Provide regular input and updates to management, and participate in the decision-making process of various projects. Projects include 'held by production' verification and reporting, Company's Land Portal database and interface, and GIS mapping templates.
• Lead internal special projects and assist with complicated legal inquiries for the Land team.
• Develop relationships with key attorneys and professional mineral buying groups that are actively competing with the Company in core areas. Will require updates to, and frequent collaboration with, the rest of the Landman team to coordinate negotiation strategies.
• Within a designated operations area, keep close and accurate accounting of money spent with respect to money allocated by budget, and work closely with the Business Analyst (Land) to calculate budget projections or any supplemental authorizations required.
• Take the lead role on behalf of the department in interacting with Governmental Agencies for leasing activities.
• Communicate and present weekly results and status updates to Senior Management. Ensure ongoing communication and coordination with other departments to manage changing priorities for drilling.
• Train and direct efforts of Land Technician assigned to operating area.
• Provide assistance and expertise regards to inquiries from internal and external individuals, such as Land team, other departments, landowners, brokers, other operators, attorneys, etc. Coordinate with Land Administration for division order related questions, typically linked to title questions.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with miscellaneous Land maintenance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Education, Experience, Licensure

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution.
• At least eight (8) years of in-house (Company) or twelve (12) years of field experience.
• Previous contract negotiation experience.

Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure

• Bachelor's Degree in Petroleum Land Management, Energy Management, Law, or related discipline.
• At least eight years (8) years of Land, Land Title, Leasing, or related experience.
• Landman Education Certificate or Certified Professional Landman (CPL).

Required Core Competencies - Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Good knowledge of Petroleum Land Management principles.
• Good understanding of Oil & Gas Exploration terms, Land and Legal documents.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite including MS Excel, Word, Outlook, etc. and use/operation of standard office equipment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to interface with management, colleagues, field personnel, landowners, and business contacts.
• Excellent negotiation and presentation skills.
• Good conflict management skills, with ability to operate in a high stress environment in calm and professional demeanor.
• Able to plan, analyze evaluate data, and quickly make important decisions.
• Able to be detail oriented, self-starter, and work independently while maintaining goals and tasks.
• Able to understand and exhibit ethical behavior and business practices. Ensure own behavior and the behavior of others are consistent with these standards and align with the values of the Company.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with others both internally and externally.
• Able to lead a project and/or team. Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Good organizational and time management skills.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Functions as an individual contributor with no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Job is performed in an office setting with exposure to computer screens and requires regular use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.

Physical Demands

• The employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee will minimally lift, carry, and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Travel Requirements

• Minimal travel may be required to other locations.
• Minimal travel to Company's field operations and/or offices.

The above declarations are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job.

Summary of Available Benefits*:

• Health Care eligibility including Medical & Prescription, Dental and Vision coverages
• Health Savings Account (HSA), Dependent Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA match
• Employer Paid Insurance: Basic Life and AD&D (employee, spouse, child), Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Voluntary Insurance: Life and AD&D, Accident, Long Term Care, Critical Illness, Pet Insurance, Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Student Loan Repayment Reimbursement
• Vacation, Personal Choice Days (PCD), Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company paid Holidays
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Subsidized Parking and Public Transportation
• Financial Well-being Program
• Professional Membership Reimbursement
• Employee Discount Programs

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on the employee's job classification. Effective date is the first of the month after the event date or the first of the month if the event date is the first of the month.