Senior Drilling Engineer: Lead Unconventional Wells & Performance

Oil Authority; Midland (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ConocoPhillips in the United States seeks an experienced Senior Drilling Engineer for our Midland, Texas operations. You will design and execute safe, cost-effective drilling programs across unconventional assets, leading well planning and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams.

You will apply advanced engineering principles, mentor teammates, and drive continuous improvement in drilling performance while ensuring regulatory compliance and environmental stewardship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Petroleum, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical) required.
• 5+ years in drilling engineering or operations.
• Willing to travel 10–20% annually and be on call outside hours.

Responsibilities

• Lead well planning and execution by developing detailed drilling programs aligned with safety, cost, and performance objectives.
• Ensure regulatory compliance by preparing permits and maintaining adherence to standards.
• Support field operations with daily engineering guidance to onsite personnel and troubleshoot challenges.
• Optimize drilling performance by analyzing data to improve safety, efficiency, and outcomes.
• Develop and track performance metrics to support continuous improvement.
• Drive cost and schedule accuracy by collaborating with asset, planning, and finance teams.
• Evaluate and standardize processes by applying lessons learned from past operations.
• Conduct benchmarking to identify best practices in engineering and operations.
• Strengthen vendor relationships to ensure alignment with needs.
• Engage in knowledge sharing with internal experts and industry networks.
• Mentor colleagues within a one-team environment.

Skills

Drilling engineering

Well planning

Regulatory compliance

Field operations

Data analysis

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Petroleum, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical)

Tools

WellView

Landmark

Job description

ConocoPhillips in the United States seeks an experienced Senior Drilling Engineer for our Midland, Texas operations. You will design and execute safe, cost-effective drilling programs across unconventional assets, leading well planning and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams.

You will apply advanced engineering principles, mentor teammates, and drive continuous improvement in drilling performance while ensuring regulatory compliance and environmental stewardship.