Geomechanics Research Engineer

About Houston

ExxonMobil's state-of-the-art campus north of Houston serves as home to its Upstream, Product Solutions and Low Carbon Solutions businesses and their associated service groups. The facility opened in 2014 and accommodates more than 10,000 employees and visitors.

By bringing many global functional groups together, the campus provides employees with the tools and capabilities needed today, and in the future, to achieve business objectives and accelerate the discovery of new resources, technologies and products. It was designed to foster improved collaboration, creativity and innovation and enhance the company’s ability to attract, develop and retain the top talent in the industry.

The campus is located in Spring, Texas, on 385 wooded acres immediately to the west of Interstate Highway 45 (I-45), at the intersection of I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road, approximately 25 miles from the cultural vibrancy of downtown Houston.

The campus was constructed to the highest standards of energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. Its design incorporates extensive research into best practices in building and workplace design through extensive benchmarking of the world’s top academic, research, and corporate facilities.

Learn more about what we do in Houston here. 

What role you will play in our team

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Research Engineer with strong expertise in Geomechanics to support advanced technology development for oil and gas applications. Candidates will bring deep technical knowledge, creativity, and a passion for solving complex subsurface challenges through numerical modeling and integration of experimental and observational data. The position is based at the ExxonMobil Campus in Spring, Texas.

What you will do

• Perform state-of-the-art research in Geomechanics, including numerical modeling and integration with laboratory, log, and field data.
• Explore new concepts, develop innovative workflows, and advance fundamental understanding of subsurface mechanical behavior.
• Create, refine, and implement new tools, recommendations, procedures, and software solutions with minimal supervision.
• Adapt and integrate geomechanics technologies into operational workflows to support completions, injection, production, and reservoir management.
• Manage and execute research initiatives through effective project planning, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and technical leadership.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality technical presentations and reports for internal leadership and external audiences (e.g., conferences, collaborators).
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Global Business Line, external academic institutions, and others in technology organizations within ExxonMobil.

About you

Skills and Qualifications

Candidates must possess experience in mechanics of porous media, constitutive models of rock and phenomenological models for rock strength, poroelasticity, poroplasticity, rock physics, multi-scale analytical and numerical modeling, advanced numerical simulation and experimental geomechanics. Candidates are also expected to have 1) outstanding oral and written communication skills; 2) a strong work ethic with the ability to work independently as well as in a research team; and 3) good project management skills.

• Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Mechanics.
• In-depth knowledge of numerical methods used in geomechanical modeling, including finite-element methods.
• Application of mathematical models, numerical methods, laboratory experiments and statistics for the purpose of predicting the mechanical behavior of solid, fluid and multi-physics systems at various scales under static or dynamic conditions. 
• Analyses types include Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid flow, flow in porous media, elastic, inelastic and creep deformation, heat transfer, damage and contact mechanics, structural stability and coupled fluid-structure interactions. 
• Relevant analysis examples include subsurface geomechanics, hydraulic fracturing, fault contact / slip, design of casing and completions (injectors, producers, sand control).

Preferred Qualifications 

• Demonstrate familiarity, experience using, or the ability to learn and work with specific geomechanical modeling tools such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, Reveal, VISAGE, Elfen, and HPC environments.
• Familiarity with Mechanical Earth Models (MEM) workflows and applications in geomechanics is desirable.
• Capability to develop and modify technical code in MATLAB/Python/Julia.
• Advanced industry relevant knowledge of deep water injection is very desirable.
• Industry experience of 3-5+ years is highly preferred.

Your benefits

An ExxonMobil career is one designed to last. Our commitment to you runs deep: our employees grow personally and professionally, with benefits built on our core categories of health, security, finance, and life.

We offer you: 

• Pension Plan: Enrollment is automatic and at no cost to you. The basic benefit is a monthly annuity to be paid to you in retirement for the rest of your life. 
• Savings Plan: You can contribute between 6% and 20% of your pay and are encouraged to enroll right away. If you contribute at least 6% to your savings plan, the Company will contribute a 7% match.
• Workplace Flexibility: We have several programs such as “Flex your Day”, providing ad-hoc flexibility around when and where you work, as well as longer-term programs such as leaves of absence and part-time work.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans. 
• Culture of Health: Programs and resources to support your wellbeing. 
• Employee Health Advisory Program: Provides confidential professional counseling for you and your family, including tools and resources promoting mental health and resiliency at no additional cost to you. 
• Disability Plan: Income replacement for when you cannot work due to illness or injury occurring on or off the job. Enrollment is automatic and at no cost to you.

More information on our Company’s benefits can be found at www.exxonmobilfamily.com 

Please note benefits may be changed from time to time without notice, subject to applicable law.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

ExxonMobil is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or physical or mental disability.