Senior Lead Landman (Midland, TX)

Immediately

Salary commensurate with experience

40 hours weekly

A resume is required to apply. Candidates under final consideration will also be required to submit professional references, college degree information, and employment history to an online third-party vendor.

For more than 140 years, The University of Texas System has improved the lives of Texans - and people all over the world - through education, health care, and research. The System consists of nine academic institutions, five health institutions, and The University of Texas System Administration. The institutions of the UT System employ more than 116,000 faculty, health care professionals, researchers, support staff, and student workers.

The UT System Administration is primarily based in Austin, Texas. It supports the missions of the System's fourteen institutions by providing financial, legal, planning, purchasing, government relations, communications, development, and other central services. Serving a growing state, the UT System Administration strives to provide a welcoming, supportive work environment that embraces different perspectives - not only because it enables the organization to be stronger, creative, and thoughtful, but because it is the right thing to do. To that end, UT System Administration embraces state laws on military and former foster children employment preferences.

Reporting to the Director, Commercial Surface, the Sr. Staff Landman will be responsible for all aspects of oil and gas development and contract administration associated with the 2.1 million acres of Permanent University Fund mineral estate. This position is responsible for supporting and developing relationships with University Lands departments and staff, specifically the Surface Land Team, Regulatory Team, Geology and Engineering, Accounting, IT/GIS, and other internal functional counterparts as needed to responsibly administer leases to enforce Lessee's obligations under its agreements and surface compliance related to mineral development on PUF lands.

Will report directly to the Dir, Commercial Surface and indirectly to the SVP of Land for University Lands; will interact and provide written and verbal information, reports, and summaries regularly to the executive team.

• Support the development of the mineral estate through the leasing of minerals, the negation of oil and gas agreements related to the development & production of the mineral estate, drafting agreements based on negotiated deal terms and UL practices, and supporting Land Administration ownership records and lease terminations.
• Independently negotiate, draft, and finalize oil and gas agreements related to the operation and development of PUF minerals, such as Oil and Gas Leases, Drilling and Development Agreements, Production Sharing Agreements, and Contract for Development Agreements.
• Employ excellent professional judgment to understand when to escalate questions and seek approval and guidance from the appropriate parties.
• Identify opportunities to update our form agreements including our PSAs, Development Agreements, and Lease Forms. This includes the need for critical thinking about long term effects of the agreements negotiated.
• Identify and suggest contract revisions when needed to ensure UL's contracts align with industry practices.
• Assume direct responsibility for tasks or delegation and management thereof: establishing and documenting processes for document management and conformity/clean-up of all agreements related to PUF minerals for signature and distribution, communication and education of agreement terms to other departments.
• Seek advice and approval from other departments on their areas of expertise during agreement negotiations.
• Prepare contract/executive summaries when appropriate.
• Prepare and maintain deal tracking reports, etc.
• Identify communication and other processes or tools for keeping executive management and other departments informed of land strategy and agreements.
• Identify the need for and create procedures involving end of life processes for Development Agreements as well as individual leases. This includes evaluation of lease language, RRC Field Rules, and Development Agreement language as well as drafting associated release documents to be filed of record.
• Ensure compliance with oil and gas-related agreements, for example offset well obligations, cessation of production obligations and tracking, lease extensions, payment dates, shut-in well monitoring, understanding of implied covenants of oil and gas lessees and operators and legal rights of lessor for enforcement of lessee's obligations.
• Apply industry and technical expertise to assist internal and external parties in identifying opportunities, conflicts, recommended solutions, and resolutions to issues that may arise, including those between the surface and mineral estates, and facilitating relationships and potential business deals between lessees if doing so is in the best interest of the Permanent University Fund.
• Develop internal cross functional relationships within University Lands including Regulatory, Surface Land Team, Accounting Team, and the Technical Team.
• Maintain positive working relationships as a key external representative of University Lands with industry participants, surface lessees, grazing lessees, and other key external parties, trade associations and industry groups, and government and regulatory associations such as the Railroad Commission and the GLO.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Knowledge of oil and gas leases and lease management, land and title issues, RRC rules and regulations, and general knowledge of Texas oil and gas law
• Proven ability to independently negotiate and draft oil and gas agreements, plus the ability to research and analyze issues, understand agreements, legal terminology, and statutes applicable to University Lands
• Able to evaluate complex issues and propose a range of solutions
• Able to work independently with little to no supervision
• High degree of professionalism, judgment, responsiveness, and dependability
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office programs
• Independent thinker
• Driven self-starter
• Proven problem-solving skills
• Strong speaking and written skills with all types of audiences
• Strong ability to work with and significantly add value as a team member, be willing to help others find opportunities to succeed and give/share credit to others
• Ability to learn, plus a desire for personal and professional growth and the desire to help lead others to progress and grow

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably Petroleum Land Management, Energy Management, or related field.
• 10 years of direct professional petroleum land experience.
• Experience and expertise in multiple mineral ownership types and negotiation experience and knowledge of wide variety of petroleum agreements and Texas oil and gas regulations.

• Permian Basin experience is preferred
• RPL or CPL Certification through AAPL is preferred

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Use of manual dexterity.

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to a minimum of 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. Participation in TRS is mandatory.

A background check will be conducted on candidates under final consideration. The background check may include any or all of the following: criminal history check, prior employment verification, education verification, professional references check, and motor vehicle records check. Background checks are conducted by third-party vendors. Upon request form the third-party vendor, candidates under final consideration must provide the required information for the background checks to be completed.

The University of Texas System Administration is a federal contractor committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all qualified applicants and employees in all terms and conditions of employment. U. T. System will provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state laws.

For information on accommodations for individuals with disabilities, please contact the Office of Talent and Innovation at oti@utsystem.edu.