Business Development Lead

Company Description:

A privately held exploration and production company, Hunt Oil has successfully conducted worldwide petroleum operations for over 90 years and is one of the world’s leading independent energy companies. The mission of Hunt Oil Company is to be a growth-oriented industry leader respected throughout the world for the quality and competency of its people, the efficiency and scope of its operations, and its rich heritage of honesty and integrity. 

Position Summary:

• Position will serve as the primary driver of domestic upstream business development for Hunt Oil Company, supporting the existing domestic asset team and leading efforts to grow the company’s onshore U.S. upstream footprint into new basins and play types
• Position will lead and support efforts to raise third-party capital, manage investor and partner relationships, and advance partnering and co-investment strategies in support of Hunt’s domestic growth objectives; role has potential to expand in scope commensurate with the growth of Hunt’s domestic upstream presence and broader energy portfolio

Responsibilities:

• Support the domestic team in evaluating, advancing, and executing on development opportunities within Hunt’s existing domestic asset portfolio, including working alongside technical and financial teams on capital allocation, partner relations, and operational strategy
• Lead and drive the identification, screening, and evaluation of upstream acquisition and exploration opportunities in key U.S. onshore basins beyond the company’s existing footprint, with a priority on basins and resource types that present strategic fits with Hunt’s operational capabilities and objectives
• Develop and present investment recommendations to senior leadership, integrating technical, commercial, and financial analysis to support acquisition decisions and capital deployment
• Build and maintain relationships with operators, financial sponsors, and advisors across the U.S. upstream landscape to source and evaluate on- and off-market opportunities
• Lead and support third-party capital raising efforts, including preparation of investor materials, management of investor outreach and relationships, and structuring and advancing co-investment and partnering arrangements aligned with Hunt’s domestic business development strategy
• Lead due diligence processes for domestic upstream transactions, coordinating multi-disciplinary cross-functional teams across land, geology, engineering, legal, tax, and finance
• Prepare strategic analyses, market assessments, and executive-level presentations in support of domestic business development initiatives and management reporting
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and planning activities for the domestic business development team

Required Skills:

• Team player with strong work ethic and entrepreneurial drive; comfortable operating in a lean, high-ownership environment
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; ability to synthesize complex technical and commercial information for executive audiences
• High emotional intelligence; ability to build relationships across internal and external constituencies and move transactions and initiatives forward through diverse teams
• Strong upstream technical literacy – working familiarity with reservoir engineering, production geology, petrophysics, and A&D processes sufficient to collaborate effectively with technical teams and evaluate opportunities
• Financial modeling and valuation proficiency, including DCF analysis, economics benchmarking, and transaction structuring; advanced proficiency in MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Experience and comfort with investor-facing roles; ability to develop compelling investment narratives, manage ongoing investor relationships, and structure and negotiate co-investment and partnering arrangements
• Curious and inquisitive problem solver with high attention to detail and strong analytical rigor
• Experience in the understanding of natural gas markets, LNG value chains, and the interplay between upstream resource positions and downstream LNG project economics is highly preferred. 

Required Experience: 

• Minimum 10 years of experience in upstream oil and gas business development, A&D, corporate development, or a related finance or commercial role within the energy industry
• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in engineering, geology, finance, economics, or a related field preferred; MBA or advanced degree a plus
• Demonstrated experience evaluating, structuring, and closing upstream A&D transactions, including full-cycle due diligence and negotiation
• Experience with U.S. onshore basins required; Bakken/Williston Basin experience preferred; familia