FUL-Engineering Technician (Petroleum).

Bureau of Land Management; Dickinson (ND); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Bureau of Land Management in Dickinson, ND seeks a Petroleum Compliance Technician to perform inspections of oil and gas operations, enforce laws, and document compliance actions. The role includes on-site inspections across drilling, production, environmental, and abandonment phases, plus post-inspection reporting and enforcement actions.

Qualified candidates will have graduate-level education in petroleum-related fields and experience applying standardized rules, with strong documentation

Qualifications

• Education: graduate-level study in petroleum-related field with transcripts.
• Specialized Experience: applies standardized rules and procedures requiring training or experience to select efficient methods.

Responsibilities

• Perform inspections of oil and gas operations and enforce applicable laws, rules, and approvals.
• Conduct on-site compliance inspections for drilling, production, environmental, and abandonment phases.
• Prepare documentation after inspections and issue Written Orders and INCs when issues are found.
• Conduct follow-up inspections to verify compliance and prepare evidence for contests if needed.
• Use government databases to document inspections and enforcement actions.

Skills

Documentation

Rule-based inspection

Education

Graduate education in petroleum engineering

Job description

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Perform inspections of oil and gas operations and enforces all appropriate laws, rules, and regulations as well as the terms and conditions specified in the various approvals.


• Perform on-site compliance inspections for all phases of oil and gas operations, specifically: drilling and work-over, production, environmental, and plugging and abandonment.


• Prepare documentation after compliance inspection(s) are complete and issues Written Orders and Incidents of Non-Compliance (INC) when problems or violations are noted during inspection(s).


• Complete follow-up inspections to determine if compliance was met by operators and recommends further action as necessary. If required, prepare documents for evidence in legal contests.


• Utilize applicable government databases to document inspections and completes enforcement actions as applicable within the database.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.


• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.


• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.


• Direct Deposit participation required.


• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit


• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.


• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.


• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.


• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1-3 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.


• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.


• An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a US Government Motor Vehicle Operator's Identification Card.


• You must successfully complete the BLM Petroleum Engineering Technician (PET) Certification Program and continue service in the Federal Government for 2 years from the date of obtaining certification.


• PET certification is required at the GS-10 and GS-11 grades and must be maintained.

Probationary as a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This Probationary Period Is An Extension Of The Appointment Process And Therefore Requires The Agency To Determine If Continued Employment Would Advance The Public Interest, Meet The Organization Goals And Mission Of The Agency, And/or Otherwise Promote The Efficiency Of The Service. In Determining If Your Employment Advances The Public Interest, The Agency Will Consider:

• your performance and conduct;


• the needs and interests of the agency;


• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government;


• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/16/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level:

Specialized Experience Requirement:

• Applies standardized rules and procedures, requiring extended training or experience to determine and select the most efficient methods.


• Documents observations, recommendations, compliance, noncompliance, and occasional verbal communications, through preparation of forms and data base entries for review by supervisor or more senior technician.

You must include hours per week worked.

Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of this position (i.e., major study in petroleum engineering or a related field). You must include transcripts.

• OR-

Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of this position (i.e., major study in petroleum engineering or a related field). You must include transcripts.

Combination of education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first take the percentage of 1 year course of study completed in graduate school. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

Volunteer Experience:

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Foreign Education:

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is: BLM State Office 99 23rd Avenue West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized

• 575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands:

The duties of this position may require hiking into unusually rugged areas to inspect abandoned sites. PETs are subject to call 24 hours a day and may be required to work long non-stop tours-of-duty, occasionally in excess of thirty (30) hours. Some work is sedentary, although much of the job requires overnight field trips which involve physical activity on irregular terrains and work at physically demanding job sites. Work involves climbing up and down ladders and steep stairways. A large part of the time is spent driving to work sites that are located in isolated areas. This work environment requires the use of hard hats, hard-toe boots, safety glasses, ear protection equipment, poisonous gas detection equipment, and cold weather gear and/or a respirator may also be required.

Working Conditions:

The duties of this position requires walking under and around heavy derrick and hoisting equipment and piping and around other potentially hazardous operating equipment. Work environment involves exposure to extreme weather conditions, hostile flora and fauna, hazardous explosive fumes, poisonous gasses, toxic chemicals, high frequency noises, high-pressure and high temperature equipment, detonating devices, and moving machinery.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.