Economist – Crude, Natural Gas & LNG

ConocoPhillips•Houston, TX

About The Position

We are seeking a highly analytical Economist to lead the technical evaluation and structuring of short-term and long-term commodity contracts across the energy value chain. This role is responsible for LNG offtake and sales agreements (SPAs), crude oil sales and purchase contracts, and long-haul natural gas and crude pipeline transportation agreements. The successful candidate will combine rigorous economic analysis, financial modeling, and commercial structuring to maximize value, manage risk, and support strategic growth in volatile global energy markets. This is a high-impact role that sits at the intersection of economics, markets, and commercial strategy. The right candidate will directly influence multi-billion-dollar contract decisions and help shape the company’s position in the global crude, natural gas, and LNG markets.

Requirements

Legally authorized to work in the United States
Bachelor’s degree or higher in Economics, Finance, Energy Commerce, Petroleum Engineering, a quantitative discipline, or foreign equivalent
3 or more years of direct experience in commodity contract evaluation, deal structuring, or economic analysis within LNG, natural gas, or crude oil markets.
Willing and able (with or without reasonable accommodation) to travel 10% of the time on a yearly basis

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated expertise in LNG SPA structuring and offtake agreements and/or long-haul pipeline transportation contracts (crude or natural gas).
Advanced financial modeling skills in Excel (VBA); experience with Python, R, or Monte Carlo tools is a plus.
Understanding of energy pricing mechanisms, indexation formulas, and basis differentials across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Strong commercial judgment and the ability to translate complex quantitative analysis into clear, actionable deal recommendations.
Previous experience at an LNG producer/marketer, major oil company, pipeline operator, commodity trading house, or energy-focused investment bank.
Previous experience with hybrid pricing structures.
Professional qualifications such as CFA or FRM.
Exceptional analytical and quantitative skills with meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deal-driven environment with tight deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership.
Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative team player mindset.
High integrity and sound business judgment when balancing risk and reward.
Builds strong relationships based on trust and seeks opportunities to collaborate across the matrix/organizational boundaries to achieve business goals.
Drives thoughtful and pragmatic change by encouraging innovative thinking and continuous improvement, and models adaptability by responding resourcefully, flexibly, and positively when faced with new challenges and demands.
Analyzes stakeholder needs, global, political, and market trends to understand how they shape the future and impact our business results.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive economic and financial evaluations of short-term (spot, forward, monthly) and long-term (5–20+ year) contracts, including LNG offtake commitments, LNG sales and purchase agreements (SPAs), crude oil term sales, and natural gas/crude long-haul pipeline capacity contracts.
Build, maintain, and stress-test complex financial models (NPV, IRR, DCF, breakeven, Monte Carlo, and real-options analysis) to quantify contract value, price-risk exposure, volume risk, counterparty credit risk, and basis differentials.
Design and optimize contract structures, including pricing formulas (oil-linked, gas-indexed, S-curve, fixed-price), take-or-pay provisions, destination flexibility, cargo diversion rights, make-good mechanisms, and pipeline tolling / ship-or-pay terms.
Monitor and leverage global and regional market fundamentals for crude oil (WTI, Brent, Dubai, etc.), natural gas (Henry Hub, Waha, other basis), and LNG (TTF, JKM, other derivative markets).
Develop and run price simulation models (Monte Carlo, Geometric Brownian Motion, Mean-Reverting Processes, and Scenario-Based Forecasting) for crude, natural gas and LNG to assess contract value under various market conditions, volatility regimes, and long-term supply-demand scenarios.
Support deal negotiation and execution by preparing sensitivity tables, bid curves, risk matrices, and executive-level presentations.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Trading, Marketing, Origination, Finance, and Operations teams to align contract terms with portfolio strategy, hedging programs, and corporate risk appetite.
Continuously improve structuring tools, templates, and analytical frameworks to increase speed and accuracy of deal evaluations.