Completions & Well Management Research Engineer - Advanced

ExxonMobil • Spring, TX

3d

About The Position

The Unconventional Technology Development team, part of Upstream Technology Portfolio (UTP), conducts research, technology development, and direct asset support for ExxonMobil's global unconventional assets. The team applies advanced computational, analytical, and experimental approaches to address business-critical challenges in well construction, well completions, well performance optimization, and cube-scale development. We are seeking a Research Wells Engineer to develop and apply novel technologies, modeling capabilities, and data-driven workflows that improve unconventional resource development. The successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment alongside geoscientists, reservoir engineers, data scientists, and operations engineers to advance understanding of hydraulic fracturing, well performance, reservoir stimulation, and field development optimization. This position provides opportunities to lead both fundamental and applied research, influence development strategies, and support implementation of new technologies across ExxonMobil's unconventional portfolio.

Requirements

• Ph.D. preferred; exceptional M.S. candidates will also be considered.
• Degree in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, Geoscience, or a related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated research experience in one or more of the following areas: Hydraulic fracturing and stimulation design, Fracture mechanics and geomechanics, Fluid flow in porous media and wellbores, Coupled physics modeling, Reservoir simulation and production forecasting, Carbonate stimulation and acidizing, Experimental design and laboratory research, Integrated fracture-reservoir modeling, Unconventional reservoir development.
• Experience developing numerical models and analyzing complex datasets.
• Familiarity with scientific programming and data analysis tools, preferably Python.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

• Industry experience in unconventional oil and gas development.
• Experience with hydraulic fracture modeling software such as ResFrac, Kinetix, or similar platforms.
• Experience planning, executing, and evaluating field pilots.
• Knowledge of diagnostic fracture injection tests (DFITs), fiber-optic diagnostics, microseismic monitoring, pressure analysis, tracer interpretation, or other fracture characterization techniques.
• Experience applying machine learning, optimization, uncertainty quantification, or advanced analytics to engineering problems.
• Familiarity with cloud-based analytics environments, Azure Databricks, Power BI, Spotfire, or equivalent platforms.
• Demonstrated capability to identify, develop, and implement innovative technologies that create measurable business value.
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals, industry conferences, or technical societies is considered a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and technology development focused on hydraulic fracture modeling, stimulation effectiveness, and completion optimization in unconventional reservoirs.
• Design, execute, and interpret field pilots to evaluate innovative completion designs, well spacing, landing zones, stacking strategies, production optimization approaches, and emerging technologies.
• Develop and apply physics-based, data-driven, and coupled modeling workflows to improve understanding of fracture propagation, reservoir interaction, and well performance.
• Integrate geological, geomechanical, petrophysical, completion, production, and reservoir datasets to identify key drivers of unconventional asset performance.
• Develop predictive models and analytical tools to support field development planning, production forecasting, and resource recovery optimization.
• Conduct research on emerging unconventional development concepts, fracture diagnostics, stimulation technologies, machine learning applications, and digital workflows.
• Analyze pilot and field-performance results and translate findings into scalable recommendations for business implementation.
• Collaborate with drilling, completions, reservoir, production, facilities, and data science teams to identify and deliver high-value technology solutions.
• Benchmark industry technologies and identify opportunities to improve well productivity, recovery efficiency, operational performance, and capital effectiveness.
• Publish technical findings, develop internal best practices, and communicate recommendations to management, technology, and asset teams.
• Mentor early-career engineers and contribute to the development of technical capabilities across the organization.

Benefits

• Pension Plan: Enrollment is automatic and at no cost to you. The basic benefit is a monthly annuity to be paid to you in retirement for the rest of your life.
• Savings Plan: You can contribute between 6% and 20% of your pay and are encouraged to enroll right away. If you contribute at least 6% to your savings plan, the Company will contribute a 7% match.
• Workplace Flexibility: We have several programs such as “Flex your Day”, providing ad-hoc flexibility around when and where you work, as well as longer-term programs such as leaves of absence and part-time work.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Culture of Health: Programs and resources to support your wellbeing.
• Employee Health Advisory Program: Provides confidential professional counseling for you and your family, including tools and resources promoting mental health and resiliency at no additional cost to you.
• Disability Plan: Income replacement for when you cannot work due to illness or injury occurring on or off the job. Enrollment is automatic and at no cost to you.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior