Drilling Operations Lead

Stanford Climate Ventures; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Fervo is seeking a Drilling Operations Lead to direct a team of DSMs and field personnel across active rigs, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective well delivery. You will partner with Drilling Engineers to align on execution plans, manage priorities, and drive continuous improvement in well cycle time and performance.

The role demands strong field experience in US onshore horizontal drilling, leadership across multi-rig operations, and a commitment to health, safety, and environment in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (or equivalent field experience).
• 10+ years of drilling engineering/operations experience with field leadership.
• Experience leading or supervising Drilling Operations.
• Competency in well engineering fundamentals: casing design, directional drilling, drill string/BHA design, fluids, cementing, contingency planning.
• Experience in risk assessment, time/cost estimates, and planning complex drilling operations.
• Experience with horizontal drilling in unconventional wells.
• Experience with supply chain and cost management.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem solving and commitment to operational excellence.
• Unwavering commitment to Health, Safety, and Environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of Drill-Site Managers and Field Superintendents across active drilling operations, setting priorities and providing day-to-day direction.
• Support real-time execution decisions on active rigs, coordinating recovery plans and reviews during NPT events.
• Establish and enforce HSE standards and practices across all rig sites, ensuring compliance with requirements.
• Develop, mentor, and grow team members’ technical and leadership capabilities.
• Drive continuous improvement in well cycle time, cost, and performance.
• Coordinate with drilling contractors, service providers, and vendors to ensure resources and equipment support planned operations.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for operational issues and align with planning, supply chain, and engineering.
• Lead post-well closeout reviews and capture lessons learned.
• Represent drilling operations in leadership reviews and communicate status, risks, and resourcing needs.

Skills

Drilling operations

Team leadership

Communication

Risk assessment

Cost management

Directional drilling

BHA design

Casing design

Problem solving

HSE commitment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (or equivalent)

Job description

Job Type

Full-time

Fervo is working to build the most cost-effective, repeatable geothermal power plants in the world. Delivering on this mission requires first-of-a-kind well designs, disciplined execution in the field, and continuous learning across the full well lifecycle. Joining Fervo’s Geoblock Factory organization means operating where subsurface innovation meets real-world execution, with safety, reliability, and capital efficiency as non-negotiables.

We are seeking a Drilling Operations Lead who is excited by Fervo’s mission and motivated to lead a team of engineers and field personnel executing advanced geothermal drilling operations in a highly dynamic environment. This role is ideal for a leader with strong field instincts, deep drilling operations experience, and the ability to build and manage a high-performing team where standard oil and gas playbooks must be adapted—or reinvented—for geothermal applications.

The Drilling Operations Lead is responsible for leading Fervo’s drilling operations team and overseeing daily execution across active rigs to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery of wells. The Drilling Operations Lead will manage and develop a team of field personnel, set operational priorities, and serve as the primary point of accountability for rig-site execution.

Requirements

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of Drill-Site Managers (DSMs) and Field Superintendents across active drilling operations, setting priorities and providing day-to-day direction
• In alignment with the Drilling Engineers, support real-time execution decisions on active rigs, coordinating recovery plans and technical reviews during NPT events
• Establish and enforce HSE standards and practices across all rig sites, ensuring full compliance with company and regulatory requirements
• Develop, mentor, and grow team members’ technical and leadership capabilities, including career development planning
• Drive continuous improvement in well cycle time, cost, and performance
• Coordinate with drilling contractors, service providers, and vendors to ensure resources and equipment support planned operations
• Serve as the primary escalation point for operational issues, resolving conflicts and driving cross–functional alignment with planning, supply chain, and engineering teams
• Lead post-well closeout reviews and ensure lessons learned are captured and implemented across the team
• Represent drilling operations in leadership reviews and communicate program status, risks, and resourcing needs

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (or equivalent field experience)
• 10+ years of experience in drilling engineering / operations, including experience leading field teams (minimum 5 years with an operator in US Onshore horizontal drilling)
• Prior experience leading or supervising Drilling Operations
• Ability to demonstrate competency in core well engineering fundamentals, including casing design, directional drilling, drill string / BHA design, drilling fluids, cementing, and contingency planning
• Experience in risk assessment, well time / cost estimates, and planning complex drilling operations
• Experience executing horizontal drilling in unconventional wells
• Experience with supply chain and cost management
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
• Strong problem solver committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence
• Unwavering commitment to protecting Health, Safety, and Environment in all aspects of design and operations

Preferred

• Prior experience in a field leadership role overseeing multi‑rig drilling operations
• Hands‑on field experience across drilling, completions, and/or workover operations
• Experience managing multiple rigs or crews concurrently
• Experience mentoring or developing early‑career staff into leadership roles
• Experience working on first‑of‑a‑kind, non‑standard, or technically complex well designs