Senior Drilling Engineer
Chord Energy
Houston, TX · Posted October 12, 2026
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Where Houston, TX ranks
Where Houston, TX placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for manufacturing and industrial jobs887 openings · of 100
- #1Best cities for energy and utilities jobs704 openings · of 27
- #1Cities hosting the most energy & utilities conferences11 conferences · of 15
- #2Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Southwest481 jobs · of 38
- #2Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Southwest1,018 openings · of 33
- #2Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Southwest74 / 100 · of 15
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among petroleum engineers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for petroleum engineers: 0% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
About the job
The Senior Drilling Engineer designs and implements drilling methods, selects appropriate drilling equipment, oversees third-party contractors, and monitors operations in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. The role identifies opportunities to improve drilling performance, lower costs, and deliver a quality wellbore during each phase of well construction. The Senior Drilling Engineer collaborates with other company disciplines on drilling engineering related issues to help the execution department meet Chord’s objectives. This position is located in downtown Houston, TX, and reports to the Drilling Senior Director. A Hybrid work schedule is an option for remote work on Mondays and Fridays. Level and salary commensurate with experience.
Essential Job Functions
• Work with geo-scientists and reservoir engineers to develop detailed objectives for all new drilling projects
• Develop drilling cost estimates ranging from simple scoping estimates to probabilistic cost estimates
• Review offset wells and identify risks and hazards, as well as best practices
• Develop detailed well designs and perform casing stress calculations
• Aid in the internal development of well plans for pad development with AC concerns
• Evaluate design analysis for thoroughness and accuracy – For permitting and execution purposes
• Write comprehensive drilling programs and contingency procedures
• Provide technical support to field operations
• Monitor drilling operations according to safety and quality control standards, environmental regulations, corporate policy and contract terms
• Visit the drilling rig during critical operations
• Lead pre-spuds and after-action reviews to identify best practices and lessons learned, and document these in a lessons learned database
• Prepare an End of Well report
• Gather and organize information such as equipment specifications, government regulations, operating agreements, permit approvals, technical publications, guidelines and reports
This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities of the position. Incumbents will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and duties outside of their normal responsibilities as assigned by their supervisor.
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering
• 5 years of oil and gas engineering experience
• Currently in drilling engineer role
• Unconventional developments experience
• Must have working knowledge of government regulations and permitting requirements
• Able to travel as needed
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Good communication skills and willingness to work in a team environment
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and fluid environment; flexible with the demands of a growing company
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer, stamina to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions, strength to lift and carry files weighing up to 10 pounds; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Preferred Qualification
• Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering
• 5 years of experience as a drilling engineer
• Drilling experience in Bakken
• Spotfire reporting experience
• Influencing, consulting and collaboration skills
EEO Statement:
Chord Energy does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.