Office of Permitting & Compliance – Engineering

The Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) oversees all permitting and regulatory functions within the Department, ensuring clarity, consistency, and regulatory integrity. By streamlining processes, accelerating permitting timelines and enhancing data-driven decision-making, the Office ensures compliance with environmental standards while supporting responsible economic development.

OPC centralizes all permitting and compliance functions, aligning engineering, geology, ecology, design, and compliance divisions into a single workflow. Its structure includes integrity and production audits, UIC and storage regulation, groundwater protection, coastal permits and mitigation, and reservoir and legacy site management.

The Petroleum Scientist Manager 1 supervises a multidisciplinary team and serves as a senior program representative for the Engineering Division, ensuring that all activities under their supervision comply with federal and state regulations and align with EPA delegation requirements. This Section Manager position is currently assigned to oversee the Cavern Section, which regulates Class III solution-mined caverns and Class II and Class V storage caverns under the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. Assignment is subject to change based on organizational needs.

A bachelor’s degree in a geoscience field or engineering plus four years of experience in the evaluation of oil and gas drilling, oil and gas production and/or oil and gas transportation, mining engineering or geology; OR

A master's degree in a geoscience field or engineering plus three years of the required specialized experience; OR

A doctorate in a geoscience field or engineering plus two years of the required specialized experience.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

This Petroleum Scientist Manager 1 position is located within the Engineering Division of the Office Permitting & Compliance and is domiciled in Baton Rouge, LA. This position reports to the Petroleum Scientist Manager 2.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following, as applicable to the assigned regulatory section:

• Provide leadership and direction for the assigned section(s) in support of the Engineering Division’s regulatory programs.
• Supervise Section Supervisors who manage day-to-day technical and administrative operations; provide guidance on project prioritization, permitting timelines, and compliance strategies.
• Coordinate with other Engineering Division sections, OPC divisions, and Department offices on cross-functional issues, including technical reviews, enforcement actions, and policy updates.
• Review and approve major decisions related to injection well and storage cavern permitting, operational compliance, and enforcement actions in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations.
• Ensure the section(s) meet internal procedural and performance standards; participate in personnel management including hiring, training, and performance reviews.
• Oversee review and interpretation of complex engineering, geologic, and operational data submitted in support of injection, storage, and related permitting and compliance activities.
• Ensure technical soundness and regulatory adequacy of permit decisions, monitoring plans, and operational controls.
• Respond to after-hours or emergency events affecting injection or waste management operations, in coordination with C&E’s emergency management protocols.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

POSITION-SPECIFIC DETAILS:

Appointment Type: Probational or Promotional

Career Progression: This position does not participate in a Career Progression Group.

Work Schedule: Work hours are flexible.

Compensation: The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience. This position is eligible for premium pay of up to $2.00 per hour for licensed employees. A Special Entrance Rate (SER) is offered to qualified applicants.

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

How To Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

* Information to support your eligibility for the position must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

For further information about this vacancy contact:

Human Resources

Department of Energy and Natural Resources

PO Box 94396

Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9396

Email: DNR-Recruiting@la.gov