Land Administration Manager

Land Administration Manager

About the Company

Our client is a family-owned oil and gas operator headquartered in Midland, Texas. With a long-standing footprint across both the Delaware and Midland sub-basins of the Permian Basin, the company operates a substantial portfolio of producing assets alongside a deep inventory of undeveloped leasehold.

The organization is distinguished by its genuine commitment to long-term stewardship of its mineral and working interest positions. This is a company that thinks in decades, not quarters — built on relationships, integrity, and operational excellence.

The platform is actively engaged across the full asset lifecycle: drilling, leasing, acquisitions, and ongoing divestiture activity, offering the successful candidate exposure to a dynamic and high-quality work environment within a stable, privately held structure.

Most importantly, the oil company is steadfast in its commitment to cultivating exceptional talent, recognizing that enduring success is inseparable from the intellectual rigor, integrity and ingenuity of its people and sophisticated systems. Through deliberate mentorship, disciplined professional development and meaningful opportunities for leadership, this oil company invests in its people.

Position Overview

The Land Administration Manager will serve as a key member of the Land team, responsible for managing and overseeing the employees responsible for the day-to-day administration of the company's leasehold and mineral interest portfolio across the Permian Basin. This role requires both strategic oversight and hands-on execution — managing title curative, lease records, contract administration, and compliance functions that underpin the company's drilling program and commercial activities. This role will concentrate on lease maintenance and lease reports, with little division order or revenue involvement.

The successful candidate will bring deep technical expertise in upstream land administration combined with the judgment and professionalism required to operate within a closely-held family company. This is a high-visibility role with meaningful impact on asset integrity and transactional execution. Current platforms in use include iLandman and BOLO.

Key Responsibilities

Lease & Title Administration

• Maintain and manage the company's leasehold database, ensuring accuracy of lease records, ownership interests, and expiration dates across both sub-basins
• Track lease terms, primary and secondary obligations, continuous drilling clauses, depth severances, and special provisions
• Coordinate lease renewals, extensions, and top leasing activity in collaboration with field landmen and outside counsel
• Review and interpret oil and gas leases, assignments, division orders, and related instruments
• Manage lease maintenance payments including delay rentals, shut-in royalties, and minimum royalties

Title & Curative Efforts

• Direct title curative efforts associated with drilling, acquisitions, and divestitures — working closely with in-house attorneys and outside title counsel
• Review and analyze title opinions; prepare and track title requirement checklists and curative documentation
• Coordinate with county clerks and courthouse vendors for document retrieval, recording, and abstracting
• Oversee the management of wells in pay status, including working with division order analysts on set-up and any ownership disputes

Contract & Agreement Administration

• Administer surface use agreements, ROW agreements, pooling and unitization instruments, JOAs, and farmout agreements
• Maintain organized contract files and summary abstracts for all key agreements affecting the leasehold position
• Support the negotiation and execution of land contracts in partnership with the VP of Land and business development team

Acquisitions & Divestitures Support

• Support land due diligence on A&D transactions, including leasehold screening, data room preparation, and title gap analysis
• Assist in post-closing integration of acquired leasehold into internal systems and processes
• Coordinate with land brokers and outside landmen on acreage trades, swaps, and non-consent elections

Systems, Reporting & Compliance

• Serve as the primary administrator and subject matter expert for the company's land management software (e.g., iLandman, BOLO, or similar)
• Prepare internal reports on leasehold status, lease expiration summaries, and well-to-lease lookups for drilling and operations teams
• Ensure compliance with all lease obligations, regulatory filings (RRC), and reporting requirements
• Develop and enforce internal processes and controls for land records management

Team & Stakeholder Management

• Supervise and mentor land administration staff, including land technicians and division order analysts, as applicable
• Serve as a key liaison between the Land, Legal, Accounting, and Operations departments
• Engage with royalty owners, mineral owners, and surface owners in a professional and responsive manner

Qualifications

Required

• 8+ years of progressive land administration experience in upstream oil and gas, with meaningful Permian Basin exposure
• Strong working knowledge of Texas oil and gas leases, title concepts, and relevant conveyance instruments
• Demonstrated experience managing lease records, curative processes, and contract administration at scale
• Proficiency with land management software (iLandman, BOLO, or comparable platforms)
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office Suite; comfort with data management and reporting
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to interface effectively with internal and external stakeholders in both professional and relaxed environments

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Petroleum Land Management, or a related field; RPL or CPL designation a plus
• Experience supporting A&D transactions in a land administration capacity
• Familiarity with Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) systems, GIS/mapping tools, and county deed record platforms
• Supervisory or team lead experience

What the Company Offers

This is an opportunity to join a financially sound, respected operator with a long history in the Permian Basin and a clear runway for continued growth. The company offers:

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
• Performance-based bonus program
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision
• Collaborative, relationship-driven culture with strong organizational tenure
• Exposure to a broad range of land and commercial activities within a lean, high-functioning team
• Long-term career stability within a values-driven, family-owned organization