Remote Lead Geoscientist - Exploration

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility

Health benefits

Professional development budget

Pension plan

Supportive remote culture

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Geoscientist for a fully remote role based in South Africa. The successful candidate will drive exploration strategy, lead projects, and mentor a team of geoscientists, applying seismic interpretation and basin analysis to identify hydrocarbon prospects.

You will collaborate with engineers and cross-disciplinary teams, manage budgets and timelines, and present findings to joint venture partners, contributing to the company’s global exploration program and growth.

Qualifications

• Requires Master's or PhD in Geology/Geophysics.
• At least 10 years in exploration geoscience with leadership roles.
• Proven success in generating and maturing exploration prospects.
• Expertise in seismic interpretation, sequence stratigraphy, and structural geology.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage exploration geoscience projects, from regional studies to detailed prospect evaluation.
• Develop and implement exploration strategies, including seismic data acquisition, processing, and interpretation.
• Conduct comprehensive basin analysis, identify petroleum systems, and map play fairways.
• Utilize geological and geophysical software for data analysis, modeling, and visualization.
• Mentor and guide a team of geoscientists, fostering a collaborative and high‑performance culture.
• Collaborate with reservoir engineers, production geologists, and other disciplines to de-risk prospects.
• Prepare and present technical findings, prospect evaluations, and recommendations to management and joint venture partners.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of geoscience workflows and technologies.
• Manage exploration budgets and timelines effectively.

Skills

Geoscience leadership

Prospect generation

Seismic interpretation

Play fairway mapping

Basin analysis

Remote leadership

Education

Master's or PhD in Geology/Geophysics

Tools

Petrel

Kingdom Suite

GOCAD

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a forward-thinking energy company actively seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Geoscientist to spearhead their exploration initiatives. This is a fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere in South Africa, with a primary focus on contributing to our client's global exploration strategy. The successful candidate will leverage advanced geological and geophysical techniques to identify and evaluate new petroleum prospects. This role requires exceptional leadership capabilities, a proven track record in prospect generation, and a deep understanding of basin analysis and play fairway mapping. You will be instrumental in shaping our client's future growth by discovering commercially viable hydrocarbon resources. We are looking for a strategic thinker who can inspire a team and drive innovation in exploration geoscience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage exploration geoscience projects, from regional studies to detailed prospect evaluation.
• Develop and implement exploration strategies, including seismic data acquisition, processing, and interpretation.
• Conduct comprehensive basin analysis, identify petroleum systems, and map play fairways.
• Utilize geological and geophysical software for data analysis, modeling, and visualization.
• Mentor and guide a team of geoscientists, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Collaborate with reservoir engineers, production geologists, and other disciplines to de-risk prospects.
• Prepare and present technical findings, prospect evaluations, and recommendations to management and joint venture partners.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of geoscience workflows and technologies.
• Manage exploration budgets and timelines effectively.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Geology, Geophysics, or a related Earth Science discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in exploration geoscience, with a significant portion in leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success in generating and maturing exploration prospects.
• Expertise in seismic interpretation, sequence stratigraphy, and structural geology.
• Proficiency with industry-standard geoscience software (e.g., Petrel, Kingdom Suite, GOCAD).
• Strong understanding of petroleum systems and play fairway analysis.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage projects in a remote setting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Benefits

• Highly competitive remote salary and bonus structure.
• Flexible working hours and the ability to work from any location in South Africa.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits package.
• Generous professional development budget for training and conferences.
• Opportunity to lead high-impact exploration projects for a global energy company.
• Contribution to a pension fund.
• A supportive and innovative remote work culture.