Senior Counsel

chordenergy; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Chord Energy in Houston, TX seeks a Senior Counsel to provide guidance on upstream oil and gas transactions and operations, focusing on drafting, negotiating, and advising on complex agreements, plus due diligence for acquisitions.

The role collaborates with Land, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to address regulatory, title, royalty, and governance matters while upholding high ethical standards and business judgment.

Qualifications

• Eight years of experience structuring, negotiating and drafting upstream oil & gas agreements.
• Strong written and verbal communication with senior management and external counsel.
• Knowledge of oil and gas exploration, production, and applicable regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrated sound legal and business judgment; high ethical standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide primary legal support for upstream oil and gas transactions, drafting and negotiating agreements.
• Support upstream operations with drilling, service agreements, and regulatory documents.
• Advise on title, lease administration, royalty, regulatory, and development plans.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract drafting

Legal research

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Risk management

Education

Undergraduate degree

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Job description

The Senior Counsel is responsible for providing guidance and advice related to a broad range of legal matters, with a focus on upstream oil and gas transactional and operational matters.

This position is located in downtown Houston, TX.

Hybrid work schedule is an option for remote work on Mondays and Fridays.

Level and salary commensurate with experience.

Essential Job Functions

• Provide primary legal support for the Company's upstream oil and gas transactions, which includes drafting, negotiating and advising on agreements related to the purchase and sale of oil and gas assets, oil and gas lease exchange agreements, joint development and joint operating arrangements, leases, assignments and other conveyance documents, as well as advising on due diligence and integration activities for acquisitions and divestitures.
• Provide primary legal support for the Company's upstream operations, which includes drafting, negotiating and advising on drilling, completion, workover and oilfield services agreements, master service agreements, surface use, right-of-way and easement agreements, water sourcing and disposal arrangements, and other field-level operational matters.
• Work closely with the Land and Operations teams on title, lease administration, royalty, regulatory and operator-level issues, and advise on the operational and contractual implications of proposed development plans.
• Provide legal support to the Company's Supply Chain function, including drafting, negotiating and advising on master service agreements, equipment and materials purchases, rentals, transportation and logistics arrangements, and vendor sourcing and contracting processes.
• Provide legal support for the Company's general corporate and commercial matters, which includes drafting, negotiating and advising on general commercial, confidentiality, services, IT and other agreements, and supporting corporate governance and entity management matters as needed.
• As needed, provide legal support to a variety of other functions within the Company, including Marketing, Accounting and Regulatory.
• Understand and advise on any risks created or identified in connection with upstream transactional and operational matters, and work collaboratively to provide business-oriented recommendations and guidance on how the enterprise should address such matters.
• Advise regarding appropriate legal action to be taken, and provide advice and counsel support in connection with risk management, dispute resolution, and contract management issues.
• Generally provide legal assistance and advice to management.
• Remain current on changes within legal and regulatory environment and communicate regarding potential corporate impact.

This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities of the position. Incumbents will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and duties outside of their normal responsibilities as assigned by their supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university together with a law degree from an ABA accredited school of law
• Eight (8) years of experience structuring, negotiating and drafting agreements, with a substantial portion of that experience in upstream oil and gas transactional and operational matters
• Working knowledge of oil and gas exploration and production activities, including the agreements and regulatory framework that govern them
• Strong written and verbal communication skills coupled with the ability both to interact effectively and to command the respect of Company management, outside counsel and industry peers
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound legal and business judgment without producing a chilling effect on creativity or discouraging legitimate risk-taking
• High ethical standards and ability to properly manages confidences within the Company
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and fluid environment; flexible with the demands of a growing company
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage concurrent priorities

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer, stamina to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions, strength to lift and carry files weighing up to 10 pounds; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten (10) to fourteen (14) years of experience in upstream oil and gas transactional and operational work
• Experience with acquisitions and divestitures of producing and non-producing oil and gas assets
• General corporate and commercial contracting