Environmental Specialist

General Responsibilities

• Respond to reported releases of crude oil, produced water, condensate, and other oilfield fluids at company-operated sites; direct initial containment, source control, and free-product recovery.
• Complete required release notifications and regulatory filings, including New Mexico Form C-141 (release notification and corrective action) within applicable timeframes, and Railroad Commission notifications for reportable spills in Texas.
• Coordinate with the New Mexico State Land Office, BLM and/or private surface owners on release notifications and remediation access where state trust and federal minerals/surface are involved.
• Manage remediation projects in New Mexico under 19.15.29 NMAC (release notification and corrective action) and, where groundwater or surface water impacts are identified, 19.15.30 NMAC (abatement/corrective action); and in Texas under RRC Statewide Rule 91 (cleanup of soil contaminated by a crude oil or condensate spill) and Statewide Rule 3.8 for produced water (saltwater) spills.
• Scope and oversee in-situ and ex-situ remediation of crude oil, produced water, and chemical releases, including excavation, land application, delineation of the area of contamination, and other agency-approved treatment methods.
• Prepare and submit closure reports and supporting documentation to NMOCD or the RRC within required timeframes, and track remediation projects through to regulatory closure.
• Manage closure and site reclamation of pits, closed-loop systems, and below-grade tanks under 19.15.17 NMAC, and coordinate reclamation bonding and release requirements under 19.15.25 NMAC.
• Manage pit closure and surface reclamation associated with well plugging in Texas under RRC Statewide Rules 8 (pit closure/water protection), 14 (plugging and site restoration), and 15 (surface equipment removal on inactive wells).
• Coordinate final grading, topsoil replacement, and revegetation of well pads, pits, and disturbed locations to meet landowner, surface use agreement, and regulatory reclamation standards.
• Track reclamation status across the company's well and facility inventory and prioritize reclamation of inactive or plugged locations.
• Manage environmental consultants and remediation/reclamation contractors, including scope of work development, cost tracking, and schedule management.
• Conduct or oversee site assessments, verification sampling, and progress evaluation to confirm remediation effectiveness and reclamation completion.
• Maintain remediation, reclamation, and spill records per regulatory, corporate, and legal recordkeeping requirements; track open remediation and reclamation sites and report status to the Environmental Manager.
• Support environmental due diligence for acquisitions and divestitures, including review of legacy spill/remediation records, open regulatory obligations, and site-specific environmental risk.
• Assist with integration of acquired assets' open remediation sites into the company's tracking and reporting systems.
• Support other environmental compliance projects as assigned, including SPCC/SWPPP-related containment and spill prevention improvements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Geology, or a related technical/scientific discipline
• 3+ years of spill remediation and reclamation experience in upstream oil and gas; OR equivalent combination of experience in lieu of a degree
• Working knowledge of New Mexico & Texas remediation, reclamation, and release-reporting requirements
• Experience managing remediation and reclamation contractors and consultants, including scope, schedule, and budget oversight
• Ability to read, interpret, and consistently apply regulations from NMOCD, NMSLO, BLM, and the RRC.
• Familiarity with upstream production and facilities operations (tank batteries, flowlines, gathering systems, wellsite equipment) sufficient to assess release sources and remediation access
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including regulatory report writing and coordination with landowners, regulators, and internal field teams
• Valid driver's license and safe driving record; ability to travel to field locations across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with environmental due diligence or M&A support in an upstream or midstream context
• Professional certification or coursework in soil/groundwater remediation, hydrogeology, reclamation, or a related discipline
• Experience coordinating well plugging, surface reclamation, or bond release activities with NMOCD or the RRC
• Experience with environmental data management or remediation/reclamation tracking software