Vice President of Corporate Development

Socket.dev; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Infinity Natural Resources in Houston is seeking a Vice President of Corporate Development to lead strategic planning, capital allocation, and portfolio optimization. You will evaluate and prioritize M&A, divestitures, and grass roots opportunities while coordinating with cross-functional teams and executive leadership.

This hybrid role calls for 7–15 years in upstream oil and gas, including investment banking, PE, or corporate development, plus strong modeling and AI-enabled analytics

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business discipline is required.
• Experience leading multifunctional teams across technical, financial, legal and commercial domains.
• Strong background in investment banking, private equity, or corporate development.
• Proven ability to evaluate, screen, and prioritize opportunities through the deal lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration of strategic planning with portfolio analysis and capital allocation.
• Independently screen acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and grass roots plays.
• Rank opportunities against the portfolio using NAV, IRR, and other metrics.
• Present results to executive leadership and the Board in concise formats.
• Develop AI-enabled tools to enhance portfolio analysis and screening speed.
• Direct multifunctional deal teams through due diligence and deal execution.
• Coordinate with banks, advisors, and counterparties to execute transactions.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Financial modeling

Deal screening & due diligence

Education

Bachelor's in Petroleum Eng / Geology / Finance

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

Aries

Enverus Prism/Analytics

Spotfire

Power BI

Job description

Infinity Natural Resources (NYSE: INR), is an oil and gas exploration and production company deeply rooted in the Appalachian Basin. Headquartered in Morgantown, WV, we are committed to responsible energy development, operational excellence, and strong environmental stewardship across our growing operations in Ohio and Pennsylvania. We pride ourselves on a collaborative work environment, a team dedicated to innovation and safety, and our strong connection to the Appalachian Basin, the region we proudly call home and operate within.

The Opportunity

As the Vice President of Corporate Development, you will be responsible for integrating strategic planning and capital allocation with ongoing analysis of our existing asset portfolio to identify, evaluate, and prioritize the optimal combination of mergers & acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, and grass roots exploration and leasing opportunities.

Location

This hybrid position is based out of our Houston, TX office and requires on-site presence three days per week. The role requires travel several times per year, which may include travel to additional company offices, field locations, conferences, and other work-related destinations.

What You Will Be Doing

• Leading the integration of corporate strategic planning and capital allocation with ongoing analysis of the Company's existing asset portfolio to identify and prioritize the optimal combination of M&A, divestiture, and grass roots exploration and leasing opportunities.
• Independently performing screening-level technical and economic evaluations of inbound and sourced opportunities, including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and grass roots leasing plays.
• Comparing and ranking prospective opportunities against one another and against the existing portfolio (NAV, IRR, DROI, capital efficiency, inventory depth and quality) to develop clear recommendations on prioritization for in-depth analysis and capital deployment.
• Presenting opportunity screening results, portfolio comparisons, and prioritization recommendations to executive leadership and the Board of Directors in a concise, decision-ready format.
• Championing the development and adoption of AI-enabled tools and coding methods (e.g., Claude Code) to build integrated portfolio analysis and rapid opportunity screening tools that improve the speed and quality of decision-making.
• Organizing, directing, and managing multifunctional deal teams (reservoir/subsurface engineering, land, legal, finance, operations, midstream, commercial, and ESG/HSE) through detailed due diligence on prioritized opportunities.
• Synthesizing technical, commercial, legal, and financial inputs, risks, and opportunities from cross-functional teams into clear, concise materials for executive and Board-level decision-making.
• Partnering with the Strategic Planning Engineer, the broader Finance, and multifunctional teams to align the Company's integrated development schedule, long-range plan, and capital allocation priorities with corporate strategic objectives.
• Directing the preparation of economic models, sensitivities, and scenario analyses to evaluate the impact of M&A, divestiture, and organic development alternatives on corporate NAV, returns, and inventory.
• Leading or supporting negotiations, deal structuring, and transaction execution for acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, coordinating with investment banks, advisors, brokers, and counterparties.
• Stewarding integration of acquisitions into existing portfolio to ensure optimization of assets and execution of underwriting case.
• Overseeing technical, financial, and commercial due diligence processes for acquisition and divestiture transactions, including data room management and third-party advisor coordination.
• Monitoring commodity price environments, capital markets conditions, competitor activity, and A&D market trends to proactively identify and evaluate strategic opportunities.
• Supporting long-range planning, annual budgeting, and reserves planning processes by providing strategic and portfolio-level context and inputs.
• Building and maintaining relationships with industry counterparts, investment banks, land brokers, and other external parties to source and evaluate potential opportunities.

Your Background

• Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Finance, or another related technical or business discipline; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7-15 years of progressive experience in upstream oil and gas, including significant experience in investment banking, private equity, corporate development, M&A, reservoir engineering, or corporate planning.
• 3-5 years of experience directly leading or managing multifunctional/multi-disciplinary teams preferred.
• Power-user proficiency with economic and evaluation software such as Aries, Enverus (Prism/Analytics), Spotfire, Power BI, or comparable platforms.
• Knowledge of Appalachian Basin operations and familiarity with Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia regulatory environments is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating, screening, and prioritizing acquisition, divestiture, and organic development opportunities across the full deal lifecycle, from initial screening through due diligence and close.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and direct multifunctional, multi-disciplinary teams (technical, financial, legal, and commercial) through complex evaluations and transactions.
• Strong technical foundation in reservoir engineering, economic modeling, and unconventional resource evaluation, with the ability to independently perform and validate screening-level analysis
• Deep understanding of M&A processes, deal structuring, negotiation, and due diligence in the upstream oil and gas industry.
• Strong capital allocation and portfolio management acumen, with the ability to compare and prioritize opportunities across a diverse asset portfolio.
• Experience presenting strategic recommendations and transaction results to executive leadership and/or a Board of Directors.
• Experience developing or leveraging AI-enabled tools, coding, or advanced analytics to improve portfolio analysis, deal screening, or planning processes is preferred.
• Experience with unconventional reservoir development, preferably within the Appalachian Basin, is preferred.

Infinity Natural Resources is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].