Vice President, Natural Resource Development (Houston, TX)

FLSA Status: Exempt | Earliest Start Date: Immediately | Hours per Week: 40 hours weekly

About Us

The University of Texas System has improved the lives of Texans—and people all over the world—through education, health care, and research for more than 140 years. The System consists of nine academic institutions, four health institutions, and The University of Texas System Administration. The institutions employ more than 160,000 faculty, health care professionals, researchers, support staff, and student workers. The UT System Administration, primarily based in Austin, Texas, supports the missions of the System’s thirteen institutions by providing financial, legal, planning, purchasing, government relations, communications, development, and other central services. The administration strives to provide a welcoming, supportive work environment that embraces different perspectives to strengthen creativity and thoughtfulness.

Purpose of Position

The Vice President – Natural Resources Development (NRD) reports to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and is a key member of the University Lands leadership team, directly overseeing Geology and Engineering functions. This role leads the daily management and strategic direction of technical teams responsible for evaluating and developing oil and gas resources and reserves. Responsibilities include setting priorities, guiding field development, overseeing contractor work, supporting external relationships, and contributing to goal setting, budgeting, talent development, and execution aligned with organizational strategy.

Responsibilities

• Leadership and Direction: Accountable for planning, direction, and coordination of engineering, geology, and business analytics activities influencing over $1B–$2B in University Lands revenue. Establish short- and long-term strategies with measurable impact on business results and provide strategic leadership across the Natural Resources Development function.
• Stakeholder and Relationship Management: Build and manage relationships across all University Lands departments to enhance efficiency and value creation. Serve as the primary relationship manager for operator subsurface and asset development teams. Implement strategies that build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with academic and state institutions.
• Technical Leadership and Advisory Support: Provide expertise and advice on all NRD matters. Work cooperatively with other departments to allocate NRD resources and time. Lead the team in acquiring, interpreting, and prioritizing high-value production, completions, log, and other operator data.
• Reservoir Characterization and Development Planning: Lead the creation and implementation of full-field oil and gas development strategies with operators, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities. Partner with Land to increase value generated on PUF lands through deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars in present value. Lead the reserves process and assessment resources used for the University of Texas System balance sheet, improving accuracy, efficiency, and maintenance of the process.
• Geoscientific Studies and Interpretations: Ensure high-quality geological and geophysical analysis that informs field development. Set subsurface priorities and provide geoscience expertise.
• Business Planning and Market Analysis: Develop business plans, forecasts, and long-term models. Assess market, operator, and financial trends to support planning and development. Report on industry trends, competitive landscape, and strategic advantages to cultivate business development opportunities. Evaluate company performance metrics using internal and public data.
• Budgeting: Develop and manage budgets, including expenses and headcount, in line with strategic priorities.
• Performance Management: Manage team performance, set expectations, and use metrics to drive improvement.
• Organizational Capability Building: Identify capability needs and strengthen team effectiveness through hiring, coaching, and collaboration. Develop plans to optimize the organization, team functions, and talent needed to execute strategy. Lead team goal setting and ensure alignment within the NRD team and across University Lands.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum of 12 years of industry experience at an oil & gas operator in engineering roles of increasing responsibility, including a minimum of 5 years leading multi-disciplinary teams and 5 years of data analytics and performance analysis experience in business planning, including strategic/business unit level planning for senior leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of industry experience in multiple disciplines, including different types of engineering and planning roles.
• 7+ years of leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• 5+ years of experience in conventional and unconventional Permian, and at least 2 years in other basins.
• Data analytics experience in multiple tools, across varied business units, basins, and disciplines.

Skills

• Strategic Mindset: Translates future possibilities into effective strategies, providing a clear vision and developing long-term plans aligned with market trends and organizational strengths.
• Plans/Aligns: Prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with departmental goals. Builds alignment across teams and adapts effectively to risk, change, and competing demands.
• Business Insight: Applies knowledge of the UT System and external environment to advance departmental goals. Connects team efforts to broader business and industry priorities.
• Communicates Effectively: Communicates clearly for different audiences, listens actively, and seeks deeper understanding of others’ perspectives.
• Balances Stakeholders: Anticipates and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders while upholding ethical standards.
• Optimizes Work Processes: Uses efficient processes and promotes continuous improvement to achieve high-quality results.
• Manages Complexity: Interprets complex or conflicting information and uses multiple inputs to solve problems effectively.
• Decision Quality: Makes sound, timely decisions that comply with policies to move the department forward.
• Financial Acumen: Interprets key financial indicators and applies them to balanced business decisions and forecasts.
• Drives Vision and Purpose: Communicates a compelling vision that motivates others and connects their work to long-term goals.
• Builds Effective Teams: Builds strong teams with the right mix of skills, leveraging individual strengths to achieve shared goals.
• Negotiation: Builds consensus across parties with differing interests to achieve organizational goals.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and manages complex work, including long-range planning, forecasting, and business unit planning.
• Cost/Budgeting: Knowledge of expenses, economics, budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling to support decisions.
• Review/Reporting: Analyzes information and prepares clear reports and executive-level materials.
• Action Planning: Translates requirements and recommendations into practical plans and priorities.
• Technical Development: Broad oil & gas direction, aligning technical, operational, and financial priorities.
• Presentation Skills: Communicates complex technical and business information clearly to varied audiences.

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Uses standard office equipment.
• Requires occasional evening or weekend hours.

Benefits

The standard retirement plan for this position is the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. The incumbent may elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) if the position is 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. Participation in either TRS or ORP is mandatory.

A background check will be conducted on applicants under final consideration, which may include criminal history, prior employment verification, education verification, professional references, and motor vehicle records checks. Background checks are conducted by third-party vendors.