Lead Geoscientist

Oil Authority; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

BPX Energy in the United States is seeking a senior Lead Geoscientist for the South Texas Eagle Ford development program. You will shape subsurface plans, guide complex evaluations, and influence asset strategies across multiple disciplines.

The role requires 15+ years of geoscience experience, with a focus on unconventional reservoirs, development planning, and cross-functional collaboration. Leaders in this role drive value while balancing technical risk and capital efficiency.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of industry experience in unconventional reservoir development and integrated subsurface characterization.
• Proven ability to mentor geoscientists and cross-disciplinary teams.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to balance technical risk and asset value.
• Experience leading large development programs and coordinating multi-discipline workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead development planning for a multi-rig program and optimize hydrocarbon reserves.
• Provide technical leadership for subsurface interpretations, well placement, and uncertainty integration.
• Develop surveillance and data acquisition plans to de-risk development.
• Mentor staff and build cross-functional networks to align asset plans and budgets.

Skills

Geoscience leadership

Unconventional reservoirs

Development planning

Mentoring and coaching

Education

Master of Science in Geology/Geophysics/Earth Science

Job description

Job Family Group:

Subsurface Group

Job Description:

bpx energy, a major oil and gas producer in the United States, leverages its expertise in unconventional gas, including shale, to deliver hydrocarbon production and technical knowledge worldwide. With operations in Texas and Louisiana, our US onshore business has become both a premier oil and gas producer and a leader in reducing methane emissions.

As part of BP, a global industry leader, we foster a high-energy, high-intensity environment built on accountability, collegiality, innovation, and empowerment. At bpx, we support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and challenging environment where collaboration, continuous improvement, and inclusion are valued.

Discover your place with us and help our business meet the challenges of reimagining and reinventing the future of energy.

Role Synopsis

The South Texas Development Geoscientist is a Lead-level individual contributor within the Eagle Ford Development team at bpx Energy, supporting delivery of a multi-rig development program and helping shape subsurface plans, priorities, and technical workflows across the asset.

The ideal candidate brings a minimum of 15 years of progressively increasing geoscience experience, including unconventional development, operations support, development planning, well planning, subsurface characterization, and integrated reservoir understanding. The successful candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong commercial acumen, consistently making value-driven recommendations that balance technical risk, capital efficiency, production outcomes, and long-term asset objectives.

This role is expected to operate with significant independence, provide technical advice and guidance within the agreed asset strategy, build effective networks across disciplines, mentor and develop others, and contribute to annual plans, priorities, and budget decisions for a small operational area or major development program.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead resource progression by identifying, framing, and recommending optimization opportunities, appraisal strategies, and development concepts that increase hydrocarbon reserves, production output, capital efficiency, and program repeatability.
• Provide technical leadership for development planning in support of a multi-rig program, including subsurface attribute mapping, portfolio high grading, well placement, target zone strategy, competitor performance assessment, and integration of uncertainty into development choices.
• Develop and influence surveillance and data acquisition plans, including fit-for-purpose technology assessment, cost-efficient acquisition strategies, and interpretation workflows that de-risk appraisal and development plans while maximizing return on investment.
• Own or coordinate complex geologic and geophysical evaluations where the technical problem is clear but the approach is not, selecting appropriate methods, techniques, evaluation criteria, and integrated workflows to reach defendable recommendations.
• Apply commercial acumen to technical recommendations by integrating subsurface uncertainty, capital efficiency, production impact, operational risk, schedule, and strategic value into development decisions and tradeoff discussions.
• Lead geological operations planning and execution, including pre-spud risk assessment, geohazard identification and mitigation, offset event correlation, target window protocols, survey frequency protocols, data acquisition programs, and tool-failure contingency protocols.
• Guide integration of drilling, completions, reservoir, production, and subsurface data to diagnose performance drivers, evaluate repeatability, identify risk, and recommend changes to plans, procedures, or development practices.
• Create and improve geoscience workflows, standards, and procedures where needed, including mapping practices, operational readiness checks, geosteering handoffs, data quality expectations, and post-well lookbacks.
• Develop, maintain, and build formal working networks across Subsurface Technology, Land, Reservoir Engineering, Drilling, Completions, Regulatory, Facilities, Finance, Legal, Operations, and external technical providers to align plans, resolve issues, and deliver integrated outcomes.
• Mentor and develop geoscience capability across the asset by providing technical coaching, facilitating knowledge transfer, reviewing technical work, supporting onboarding and development of less experienced staff, and promoting continuous improvement of geoscience practices.
• Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, technical review, and practical guidance to geoscientists, geo-steerers, vendors, and cross-functional partners; serve as a recognized technical resource and role model for collaboration, technical rigor, and development of organizational capability.
• Communicate key findings, uncertainties, recommendations, and trade-offs clearly to technical peers, functional leaders, and decision-makers, including written and verbal reports that support annual planning, prioritization, and execution.

Essential Experience and Education

• Master of Science in Geology, Geophysics, Earth Science, or related technical field, or equivalent relevant professional qualification and experience.
• Minimum 15 years of industry experience with demonstrated success across unconventional reservoir development, operations, development and evaluation planning, detailed mapping, petrophysical interpretation, and integrated subsurface characterization.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex, ambiguous, and cross-functional subsurface issues through in-depth evaluation of variable factors and integrated data sets.
• Proven ability to act independently on new or special assignments, determine methods and procedures, and exercise sound judgment in selecting technical approaches and evaluation criteria.
• Experience contributing to or leading substantial aspects of major projects, programs, or processes, including resource coordination, progress tracking, goal attainment, and alignment with business priorities.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate opportunities through a value-based lens, integrating technical, operational, financial, risk, and strategic considerations into recommendations and decision-making.
• Proven history of influencing development plans and investment decisions by clearly articulating technical and economic tradeoffs, uncertainties, and business impacts to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop geoscientists and cross-disciplinary professionals through technical guidance, knowledge sharing, constructive feedback, and active support of capability development.
• Recognized as a trusted technical resource who strengthens organizational capability by promoting best practices, fostering collaboration, and elevating the technical quality of work products across teams.
• Strong track record of collaborating across disciplines and building effective networks with internal and external technical partners to drive integrated outcomes.
• Ability to provide advice and guidance within agreed policy, strategy, and business rules, and to establish recommendations that support annual plans, priorities, and budgets for a small operational area or development program.