Lead full lifecycle well engineering for complex geothermal wells, including trajectory design, casing programs, cementing strategies, drill string/BHA configurations, hydraulics modeling, and contingency planning.
Develop execution-ready drilling programs and procedures that translate engineering design into clear, field-ready operational guidance.
Build detailed time and cost models, support AFE development, and ensure engineering assumptions are technically sound and economically optimized.
Identify and proactively mitigate subsurface and operational risks through formal risk assessments, stress modeling, and scenario planning.
Serve as the accountable engineering lead during drilling operations, providing real-time technical guidance and ensuring alignment between design intent and field execution.
Diagnose and resolve drilling dysfunctions (e.g., vibration, wellbore instability, losses, stuck pipe) using structured root cause analysis and data-driven decision making.
Lead technical response during NPT events, coordinate recovery plans with field teams and contractors, and minimize operational and cost impacts.
Uphold rigorous HSE standards in all design and operational decisions, reinforcing a culture of safety and execution discipline.
Own plan vs. actual tracking for well cost and schedule performance, identifying variance drivers and implementing corrective actions.
Develop and monitor performance KPIs (ROP, NPT, flat time, connection efficiency, cost per foot) to systematically improve well cycle time and capital efficiency.
Lead structured post-well reviews and ensure lessons learned are embedded into subsequent well designs and operational practices.
Evaluate contractor and service provider performance using quantitative metrics and support data-driven improvements in execution.
Collaborate with completions, reservoir, and production engineering teams to ensure integrated well architecture aligned with long-term injection and production requirements.
Support vendor selection, technology pilots, and adoption of new tools suited for high-temperature and first-of-a-kind geothermal applications.
Contribute to development of scalable drilling engineering standards, workflows, and documentation as Fervo transitions to multi-well development programs.
Mentor early-career engineers and elevate technical rigor across the drilling organization through example and knowledge sharing.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline
7+ years of drilling engineering experience, including at least 5 years with an operator in US onshore horizontal drilling environments
Demonstrated ownership of full well lifecycle engineering; from planning and AFE development through execution support and post-well analysis
Strong competency in core well engineering fundamentals, including casing design, torque & drag modeling, hydraulics, drill string/BHA design, directional drilling, cementing, and contingency planning
Proven experience improving drilling performance metrics (e.g., cycle time, NPT reduction, cost per foot) through structured analysis and execution discipline
Experience building time and cost estimates and managing plan vs. actual tracking during operations
Proficiency in industry-standard well engineering software and modeling tools
Strong problem-solving capability with the ability to make sound technical decisions in dynamic field environments
Demonstrated commitment to Health, Safety, and Environmental excellence.
Experience in geothermal or other high-temperature, technically complex well environments (preferred)
Experience with casing and tubing stress analysis under thermal and mechanical loading conditions (preferred)
Familiarity with WellCat or comparable casing design software (preferred)
Hands-on field experience across drilling, completions, or workover operations (preferred)
Experience working on first-of-a-kind, unconventional, or technically novel well designs (preferred)
Prior experience mentoring or informally leading early-career engineers (preferred).