2026CAH - Lead Geoscientist - Oil Sands Stratigraphy and Reservoir Characterization

ExxonMobil • Edmonton, AB

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Imperial is seeking a highly skilled Oil Sands Geoscientist with deep stratigraphic expertise to join their subsurface team. This is a high-impact role at the core of the asset development strategy, where the candidate will shape the understanding of complex oil sands reservoirs and directly influence how they are developed and optimized. As a key contributor, the candidate will lead advanced reservoir characterization efforts, building and applying robust stratigraphic frameworks to unlock value within the McMurray Formation. They will integrate geological, geophysical, and engineering datasets to deliver insight-driven interpretations that underpin geological models, guide drilling programs, improve reservoir and orebody understanding, and optimize development plans. This role combines technical excellence with strategic influence. The candidate will translate complex subsurface data into clear, actionable recommendations, ensuring high-quality geological interpretations underpin critical business decisions. Beyond technical delivery, they will act as a trusted subject matter expert, providing technical assurance, mentoring geoscience peers, and helping shape workflows, standards, and long-term development strategies. The ideal candidate brings a passion for stratigraphy and depositional systems, thrives in solving complex subsurface challenges, and is motivated by the opportunity to make a measurable impact on a large-scale oil sands operations.

Requirements

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Geology or Geoscience (Master’s or PhD preferred, with focus on stratigraphy).
• 10+ years of oil sands experience, with demonstrated expertise in stratigraphic analysis.
• Professional Geoscience designation or eligibility preferred.
• Advanced working knowledge of McMurray Formation stratigraphy, depositional environments, and reservoir architecture.
• Strong understanding of overburden geology, including Quaternary hydrostratigraphy.
• Proven experience with core description, facies analysis, and sequence stratigraphic frameworks.
• Proven capabilities in geological modeling, subsurface data integration, and reservoir characterization workflows.
• Proficiency in industry-standard software (e.g., Petrel).
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex geological concepts clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced stratigraphic correlation and interpretation skills
• Strong sedimentological and depositional systems knowledge
• Critical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Attention to detail and data-driven decision making
• Ability to work both independently and within cross-functional teams
• Experience with mining operations
• Experience mentoring junior geoscientists

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior geological resource and technical leader, providing mentorship, guidance, and quality control to geoscientists and junior staff.
• Champion rigorous stratigraphic interpretation standards and ensure consistency in geological models and subsurface frameworks across the asset.
• Engage with internal stakeholders—including reservoir engineering, mine planning, and operations teams—to communicate subsurface uncertainty and provide actionable recommendations that influence development.
• Lead detailed stratigraphic interpretation and regional-to-local scale correlation within oil sands deposits.
• Develop robust sequence stratigraphic frameworks that integrate core, well log, seismic, and outcrop analog data into coherent depositional models.
• Interpret sedimentological features, facies architecture, and stacking patterns to define reservoir geometry, continuity, and heterogeneity.
• Ensure interpretations are geologically sound, scalable, and aligned with development and mining strategies.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously refine high-resolution 3D geological models to support reservoir development, mine planning, and in situ operations.
• Translate geological interpretations into geomodels that accurately represent facies distributions, net-to-gross variability, and reservoir quality trends.
• Identify and quantify reservoir heterogeneity, including baffles, barriers, and connectivity impacts, ensuring models effectively support simulation, resource estimation, and operational planning.
• Drive multi-disciplinary data integration by combining core descriptions, wireline logs, seismic interpretations, and analog datasets into unified geological frameworks.
• Ensure consistency between datasets and resolve discrepancies to build defensible subsurface interpretations.
• Leverage data integration to enhance confidence in reservoir characterization and reduce uncertainty in development planning.
• Provide geological input into resource assessments and reserves estimations, ensuring compliance with industry reporting standards.
• Support volumetric calculations, classification of resources, and evaluation of recoverability.
• Assess geological uncertainty and communicate its impact on resource potential, development scenarios, and economic outcomes.
• Support drilling programs through well planning, placement recommendations, and real-time geological interpretation.
• Integrate LWD/MWD and wireline data during drilling operations to refine stratigraphic understanding and optimize well trajectories.
• Provide timely, operationally relevant geological guidance to maximize reservoir contact and minimize execution risk.
• Collaborate with mining engineers and operations teams to support production optimization initiatives.
• Use geological insights to explain reservoir performance trends.
• Contribute to identifying opportunities for improved recovery and operational adjustments.
• Continuously evaluate geological models against new data and operational performance, updating interpretations as needed.
• Identify key uncertainties and risks, and develop strategies to mitigate their impact on development and production.
• Lead initiatives to improve geological workflows, interpretation methodologies, and data quality, incorporating new technologies and digital tools where appropriate.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Training and mentorship
• Relocation assistance as required
• Flexible work hours
• Gym facility, café and marketplace located on campus
• Employee resource groups (ERG’s) – opportunity to participate in volunteer groups that support furthering the company’s inclusion objectives

What This Job Offers

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