Full-Time
Director of AI
Diversified Energy
501-1,000 employees
Independent energy producer acquiring mature wells
No salary listed
Birmingham, AL, USA
In Person
Bachelor's
 Engineering Management (1) |
|---|
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- At least 5 years of experience in software development, automation, information technology solutions, analytics, or a related technical field.
- A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical field is strongly preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Hands-on experience with the Microsoft ecosystem, including Azure, Microsoft 365, and the Power Platform.
- Practical experience building automations and workflows with Power Automate, including cloud or desktop flows.
- Experience deploying, integrating, or managing solutions in Azure, such as functions, storage, identity, or AI services.
- DevOps experience promoting products through Development, User Acceptance Testing, and Production environments, including release management and deployment pipelines.
- Working knowledge of Python for automation, data processing, and prototyping.
- Hands-on experience with Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, or building AI agents, with familiarity with large language models, prompt engineering, and agent orchestration.
- Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills across applications, workflows, integrations, and data pipelines.
- Experience managing vendors or delivery partners, including balancing cost against delivered value.
- Ability to explain technical concepts clearly through training, documentation, and hands-on support, and to coordinate multiple projects and partners while keeping delivery on track.
- Ability to lift up to 15 pounds at a time.
- Design, build, and support generative and agentic AI solutions using Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, and the Power Platform.
- Diagnose and resolve agent failures, workflow breakdowns, integration errors, and performance or accuracy issues.
- Evaluate, pilot, and benchmark emerging AI tools and models, and recommend fit-for-purpose approaches.
- Use Python and scripting for data preparation, automation, and rapid proof-of-concept development.
- Establish technical standards for prompt engineering, agent configuration, and reusable frameworks.
- Manage the promotion of solutions through Development, User Acceptance Testing, and Production environments, following DevOps and release-management best practices.
- Translate business needs into technical solution approaches, integration points, and data dependencies, partnering with Data, IT, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity teams on architecture, data sourcing, and deployment.
- Support the transition of successful prototypes into scalable, governed, production-ready solutions and drive adoption across the organization.
- Identify, engage, and manage external experts, vendors, and delivery partners.
- Align partner workstreams to the roadmap, ensure adherence to architecture, security, and governance standards, and manage cost-to-value outcomes across vendor engagements.
- Keep active AI initiatives on track alongside PMO and BPA functions, and surface risks and resourcing needs to the VP of AI Enablement.
- Provide training and hands-on support on the AI tools and solutions built by the role, and create practical documentation and standard operating procedures so solutions can be used and maintained reliably.
- Support business champions and help build AI fluency across the organization.
- Snowflake.
- Model Context Protocol.
- Unstructured-to-structured data processing, including optical character recognition and document intelligence.
- AI governance.
- Problem solving.
- Vendor and partner management.
- Cost-to-value analysis.
- Consultative or advisory experience.
- Training and enablement.
- Technical documentation.
- Coordination across multiple projects and partners.
Diversified Energy buys and operates mature natural gas and oil wells to generate steady cash flow. It acquires long-lived assets from other producers, optimizes operations to boost production and reduces emissions, and then retires the wells. Revenue comes from selling gas, NGLs, and oil from wells across the Appalachian Basin and Central U.S., supported by midstream gathering pipelines and a disciplined hedging strategy. Through its Next LVL Energy subsidiary, it manages asset retirement for its wells and offers retirement services to third parties, aiming for predictable, long-term cash flow while carefully handling end-of-life costs and environmental impacts.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Birmingham, Alabama
Founded
2001
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Q2 2026 production reached 1,253 MMcfepd, while adjusted free cash flow hit $115 million.
- Camino added 300 MMcfed and 101,000 acres, unlocking 450-plus economic Oklahoma locations.
- The first operated rig starts September 2026, and management targets 12,500 boe/d decline offset.
What critics are saying
- Diversified faces well-plugging liability scrutiny; a 2026 investigation targets understated asset retirement obligations.
- The February 2026 $200 million bond tap and $1.175 billion Camino deal increased leverage.
- If Oklahoma drilling disappoints, Diversified still carries legacy wells, litigation, and refinancing pressure.
What makes Diversified Energy unique
- Diversified buys mature wells others abandon, then harvests cash and reduces decline.
- On August 5, 2026, DEC posted $240 million adjusted EBITDA on $504 million revenue.
- Rusty Hutson’s Oklahoma drilling program adds operated upside without abandoning Diversified’s acquisition engine.
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Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 18%1 year growth
↑ 18%2 year growth
↑ 18%Diversified Energy confirms early talks to buy Birch Resources. Fri, 14th Aug 2026 08:03 (Sharecast News) - Diversified Energy confirmed on Friday that it has had preliminary discussions about a possible acquisition of oil and gas company Birch Resources. Talks are ongoing and remain at an early stage and no agreement has been reached, it said. It added that there is no certainty any transaction will occur, nor as to the terms on which any transaction might proceed. "Diversified has an acquisition strategy driven by discipline, focus, skill, and precision," it said. "The company has made 35 acquisitions totalling over $7 billion of value since its IPO in 2017. Acquisitions are a core aspect of the company's strategy, and the company regularly engages in preliminary discussions with potential counterparties in this regard." The statement came after Bloomberg reported that Diversified was in advanced talks to buy Elliott Investment Management-backed Birch for more than $1.7bn in cash. See latest RNS on Investegate
Diversified Energy picks up its first drilling rig in 25 years and sends it to Oklahoma. Posted on August 12, 2026 For a quarter century, Diversified Energy Company has made its name by buying what other operators leave behind. The Birmingham, Alabama, company built a business model around acquiring mature, low-decline wells across Appalachia and the mid-continent, squeezing steady cash flow from assets that larger producers had moved past. It was a strategy that carried the company from a small Appalachian operator to a publicly traded firm with production across 14 states. Now, for the first time in the company's history, Diversified is going to drill its own wells. And it is doing it in Oklahoma. CEO Rusty Hutson announced during the company's second quarter earnings call that Diversified will pick up its first operated drilling rig and deploy it in the Anadarko Basin, where the company has assembled a large and growing position through a series of acquisitions over the past two years. Hutson framed the move not as a departure from the company's core philosophy but as a natural extension of it. "We are expanding our value creation playbook through the introduction of a disciplined, operated development program in Oklahoma," Hutson said. "Our focus within this expansive set of development opportunities in Oklahoma is to add future reserves and new production, which we expect will enhance and grow our cash flow." The program will start at a one-rig pace, with plans to drill approximately 19 gross wells, or 17 net, over the first 12 months beginning in September. Diversified expects to spend between $35 million and $50 million on the program during the remainder of 2026, with annualized capital of roughly $145 million. The company said it holds an average 90% working interest in the planned wells. A billion dollar bet on the Anadarko Basin. The drilling program is the direct result of Diversified's $1.175 billion acquisition of assets from Camino Natural Resources, a deal the company closed in July with backing from private equity firm Carlyle, which holds a 60% stake in the special purpose vehicle that owns the properties. Diversified retained the remaining 40% and will operate the assets. The Camino package added roughly 101,000 acres and approximately 300 million cubic feet equivalent per day of production in the SCOOP, STACK, and MERGE plays of western Oklahoma. The acreage sits directly adjacent to holdings Diversified had already accumulated through earlier Oklahoma transactions, making it what the company described as a bolt-on acquisition with immediate synergies. Combined with its existing Oklahoma inventory, Diversified said it has now identified more than 450 drilling locations that are economic at $65 per barrel oil and $3.25 per million BTU natural gas. At a one-rig pace of 11 to 14 wells per year, that inventory represents more than 30 years of development runway. The company is not relying solely on its own rig to generate new production. Diversified maintains non-operated development partnerships with Continental Resources, Mewbourne Oil Company, and a private Northwest Shelf operator, giving it exposure to drilling activity across multiple Oklahoma basins without bearing the full capital cost. Between the partnerships and the new operated program, Diversified said it expects to offset roughly half of its portfolio's natural production decline, adding an estimated 12,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day during 2026. Trimming the edges to sharpen the core. While building up its Oklahoma position, Diversified has been paring back assets that no longer fit. During the second quarter, the company sold its Barnett Shale properties in North Texas for approximately $130 million and a package of Arkansas wells for $17 million. The divested assets produced a combined 54 million cubic feet equivalent per day but carried higher operating costs that weighed on margins. Since 2023, the company has generated more than $500 million through asset sales and acreage divestitures, a figure that underscores the breadth of the portfolio Diversified assembled during its acquisition years and the optionality it now has to redeploy that capital toward higher-return opportunities. The second quarter numbers reflected a company in solid financial shape heading into its first drilling campaign. Diversified reported net income of $248 million on commodity revenue of $504 million. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $240 million, and adjusted free cash flow totaled $115 million after roughly $10 million in transaction costs. The company held $678 million in available liquidity and maintained leverage at 2.45 times. Average daily production for the quarter was 1,253 million cubic feet equivalent per day, with a mix of 71% natural gas, 15% natural gas liquids, and 14% crude oil. Approximately two thirds of production came from the company's Central region, which includes Oklahoma, with the remainder from Appalachia. For full year 2026, Diversified guided to production of 1,180 to 1,210 million cubic feet equivalent per day, adjusted EBITDA of $960 million to $1.01 billion, and adjusted free cash flow of approximately $440 million. The company also declared a dividend of 29 cents per share for the second quarter and announced that board chairman David Johnson will retire after more than nine years of service, with Hutson stepping into the chairman role.
Diversified Energy provides Board of Directors update. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Diversified Energy Company (NYSE: DEC, LSE: DEC) (the "Company" or "Diversified") today announces that David Johnson is retiring from the Board of Directors and stepping down as Chairman of the Board, effective August 5, 2026, following over nine years of service, having joined the Board in February 2017. Mr. Johnson is retiring in order to pursue personal interests and leaves with the Company's best wishes. Commenting on the retirement of Mr. Johnson, Rusty Hutson, Jr., said: "On behalf of everyone at Diversified Energy, I extend my sincere appreciation to David for his extraordinary leadership and steady presence throughout his tenure as a member of the Board, as well as the valuable expertise and guidance he has provided to our organization. His leadership and commitment to strong governance have helped position us for long-term success." Mr. Johnson states: "Serving on the Board of Diversified Energy, including as Chairman for several years, has been a huge privilege and honor. Diversified is a company with extraordinary employees and Board members who will remain good friends. The company has seen strong growth since its IPO in 2017 and has always maintained a strong culture of working hard and getting things done. I'm proud to leave the company in great shape and know that Rusty will lead it to even further success in the years to come. I wish Rusty and the whole Diversified team the very best for the future." In light of his extensive knowledge of Diversified's operations, industry and strategic objectives, the Board has appointed Rusty Hutson, Jr., Diversified's Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board member, to serve as the Chairman of the Board, effective August 5, 2026. The Board is also making the following additional updates: * David Turner, Jr. will become the Lead Independent Director, acting as a liaison on behalf of the independent directors and supporting independent Board oversight; and * Martin Thomas will become a member of the Compensation Committee. Diversified remains committed to maintaining a high-quality group of Board members who can bring complementary expertise to support the Company's long-term goals. For further information, please contact: | Diversified Energy Company | / | | Doug Kris | [email protected] | | Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications | 973 856 2757 | | FTI Consulting | [email protected] | | U.S. & UK Financial Public Relations | / | | / | / | About Diversified Energy Company Diversified is a leading publicly traded energy company focused on acquiring, operating, and optimizing cash generating energy assets. Through its unique differentiated strategy, Diversified Energy Co. acquire existing, long-life assets and invest in them to improve environmental and operational performance until retiring those assets in a safe and environmentally secure manner. Recognized by ratings agencies and organizations for its sustainability leadership, this solutions-oriented, stewardship approach makes Diversified the Right Company at the Right Time to responsibly produce energy, deliver reliable free cash flow, and generate shareholder value. Released August 5, 2026
AI data center proposal advances in Letcher County. JENKINS, Ky. (WXKQ) - A local company has secured an option to purchase land in Letcher County to build artificial intelligence data centers. Diversified Energy is evaluating construction of a 100-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant to power a future AI data center at the Gateway Regional Business Park in Jenkins. Although officials say no data center has committed to the site, local leaders say the project remains in the due diligence stage, while supporters point to economic development opportunities and opponents raise concerns about potential environmental impacts and increased demands on public utilities.
Diversified Energy provides Board of director update. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Diversified Energy Company (NYSE: DEC, LSE: DEC) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has appointed Kirk Oliver as an independent non-executive director, effective May 21, 2026. Mr. Oliver brings approximately 20 years of energy industry and financial expertise. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Equitrans Midstream Corporation. Prior to joining Equitrans, Mr. Oliver was the Chief Financial Officer of UGI. Mr. Oliver has also held senior executive and financial leadership positions at Allegheny Energy, TXU Corporation and Hunt Power. Earlier in his career, Mr. Oliver worked in investment banking at Lehman Brothers in the Global Power and Energy Group. Mr. Oliver received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Lawerence Technological University and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Upon his appointment, Mr. Oliver will become a member of the Board's Audit and Risk and Sustainability and Safety Committee. Commenting on the appointment, David Johnson, Chairman, said: "It is my pleasure to welcome Kirk to Diversified's Board of Directors. His breadth of experience, leadership, and reputation in the energy industry will provide valuable perspectives. We look forward to Kirk's contributions as Diversified continues to progress its strategy of acquiring, operating, and optimizing cash generating energy assets that create value for shareholders." For further information, please contact: | Diversified Energy Company | / | / | / | / | | Doug Kris | / | / | / | [email protected] | / | | Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications | / | / | / | 973 856 2757 | | FTI Consulting | / | / | / | [email protected] | | U.S. & UK Financial Public Relations | / | / | / | / | About Diversified Energy Company Diversified is a leading publicly traded energy company focused on acquiring, operating, and optimizing cash generating energy assets. Through its unique differentiated strategy, Diversified Energy Co. acquire existing, long-life assets and invest in them to improve environmental and operational performance until retiring those assets in a safe and environmentally secure manner. Recognized by ratings agencies and organizations for its sustainability leadership, this solutions-oriented, stewardship approach makes Diversified the Right Company at the Right Time to responsibly produce energy, deliver reliable free cash flow, and generate shareholder value. Released May 21, 2026