Strategic Front-End Project Developer

Danos; Texas; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Danos is seeking a Project Development Engineer to serve as the front-end integrator for green and brownfield upstream locations, facilities, and infrastructure. You will translate business objectives and technical inputs into clear, execution-ready scopes, coordinating with multiple functions to ensure safe, efficient project execution.

In this role, you will lead early planning, develop pre-Gate 3 technical bases, and mentor junior staff, while ensuring strong communication and alignment

Qualifications

• BS degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and comment on discipline engineering work performed both internally and by Contractors and sub-contractors to ensure that work is being executed in accordance with Company specifications, company standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Facilitates effective execution of discipline engineering and design routines that align with the team's goals, objectives, and procedures.
• Assures accurate and timely communication among the team and other company Functions on discipline engineering activities, progress, and issues.
• In addition to technical ability, they should demonstrate sound communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Participates in area Risk Assessment, HAZOP's, Hazard Hunts, Critical Operating Parameter Reviews.
• Lead incident investigations (downtime, process safety related).
• Support Opportunity management-identification of opportunities and development of scope of work for projects.
• Risk assessments on new facility projects, existing facilities and closure of mitigating action items.
• Lead performance testing and plant-based trials.
• Operating guideline development for facilities.
• Coaching and mentoring of fellow and junior colleagues.
• Lead early planning and scoping for well pads, tank batteries, well pad facilities, flowlines, and related infrastructure from inception through design basis readiness.
• Translate business objectives, operational needs, and technical inputs into clear, aligned, execution-ready scopes.
• Support business unit development planning milestones including decision quality assurance reviews (Roadmaps) and drill unit reviews (DUR) ensuring smooth transition into project execution.
• Serve as the front-end integrator across Business Unit, Global Operations (GO), Wells (D&C), Project Execution, Central Engineering, Surface Land, Regulatory, Project Controls, and Supply Chain.
• Build trusted partnerships and align stakeholders early to reduce rework, clarify handoffs, and improve decision quality.
• Frame tradeoffs & options for stakeholders when scope, schedule, cost, risk, and stakeholder expectations are in tension.
• Develop & evaluate infrastructure options to support capital-efficient, value-focused project recommendations for development scenarios to inform subsurface decisions.
• Partner with business, reservoir, operations, and project controls teams to support informed scoping and investment decisions.
• Develop and steward pre-Gate 3 technical basis, project layouts, site requirements, permitting strategies, planning assumptions, and standard design alignment.
• Coordinate early input for regulatory, land, permitting, constructability, equipment demand, inventory forecasting, and execution planning.
• Provide stewardship and coordination to enable smooth project handoff into execution.
• Contribute to a collaborative team culture built on clarity, ownership, constructive challenge, and trusted partnership.
• Identify process gaps, interface issues, and rework drivers across the front-end development process.
• Support development of tools, workflows, and standards that improve scope quality, consistency, and execution readiness.
• The Project Development Engineer works across a broad set of stakeholders, including: Subsurface / Development Planning, Global Operations, Surface Land / Regulatory, Integrated Operations Planning & Scheduling (IOPS), Wells (Drilling / Completions), Project Execution, Central Engineering, Project Controls, Procurement / Supply Chain.

Skills

Strong communication

Stakeholder management

Education

BS degree in Engineering or related technical studies

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Danos is seeking a Project Development Engineer to serve as the front-end integrator for green and brownfield upstream locations, facilities, and infrastructure. You will translate business objectives and technical inputs into clear, execution-ready scopes, coordinating with multiple functions to ensure safe, efficient project execution.

In this role, you will lead early planning, develop pre-Gate 3 technical bases, and mentor junior staff, while ensuring strong communication and alignment