Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Baton Rouge, LA
Job Type: Classified
Job Number: DCE-OPC-2026-223479-MFR
Department: DCE-Conservation and Energy
Division: Office of Permitting and Compliance
Opening Date: 07/15/2026
Closing Date: 7/29/2026 11:59 PM Central
About this JobOffice of Permitting & Compliance - PermittingThe 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.
This Petroleum Scientist 1, 2, or 3 position is located within the Permitting Division of the Office Permitting & Compliance and is domiciled in Baton Rouge, LA. The incumbent in this position reports to the Petroleum Scientist Manager 1. All work is performed in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
Minimum QualificationsA bachelor's degree in a geoscience field or engineering.
Job Specification The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.
Job Duties and Other InformationJob Duties: Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Process Financial Security pertaining to Bond, CD, and Letter of Credit posted by operators to cover and insure funds for well plugging and abandonment.
- Process Applications for Permit to Drill for Minerals (original and amended) for the State of Louisiana.
- Responsible for assisting in the direction of permitting activities for drilling operations throughout the state.
- Responsible for the issuance of permits to drill, amendments, and for the determination of the requirements placed on such permits.
- Responds to inquiries from industry and citizens via telephone, fax, electronic mail and regular mail.
- Process applications under the Severance Tax Relief Program (S.T.R.P.).
- Ensure the proposed well or existing well for any application is in compliance with existing field orders and will result in the most efficient and economic drainage of hydrocarbons under consideration.
- Ensure the legal notice for substitute unit well and alternate unit well designation is legally advertised in the correct manner and proper notification is given to ensure the fair and equitable rights of all parties are protected.
- Conducts studies, evaluations, economic feasibility determinations, and analysis of various complex proposed projects to improve the recovery of producing oil and gas reservoirs submitted at public hearings for approval.
- Ensure the commingling of gas and/or liquid hydrocarbons and the use of methods will provide reasonable accurate measurement, will not create inequities, etc.
- Responsible for the review and approval of applications for the measurement and transfer of custody of liquid hydrocarbons required by Statewide Order 29-G-1 (LACT).
- May perform other duties as assigned.
Position-Specific Details:Appointment Type: Probational
Career Progression: This position does 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.
ENGINEERING DEGREE (NON-PETROLEUM)/GEOLOGY or GEOSCIENCE DEGREE
Title/Level
Petroleum Scientist 1Petroleum Scientist 2Petroleum Scientist 3Pay Level
SER Hourly Range
$27.65 - $43.28
$30.55 - $49.55
$33.76 - $56.73
SER Monthly Range
$4,792.67 - $7,502
$5,295.33 - $8,589
$5,851.73 - $9,833
SER Annual Range
$57,512 - $90,022
$63,544 - $103,064
$70,220.80 - $117,988
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEGREE
SER Hourly Range
$28.85 - $43.28
$33.03 - $49.55
$37.82 - $56.73
SER Monthly Range
$5,000.67 - $7,502
$5,725.20 - $8,589
$6,555.47 - $9,833
SER Annual Range
$60,008 - $90,022
$68,702.40 - $103,064
$78,665.60 - $117,998
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 Conservation and Energy
PO Box 94396
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9396
Email:
Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.
As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program:
Insurance Coverage More information can be found at
Parental Leave - Up to six weeks paid parental leave
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Holidays and Leave - State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
- Mardi Gras,
- Good Friday,
- Memorial Day,
- Independence Day,
- Labor Day,
- Veteran's Day,
- Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor
State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.
Retirement- State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to):
- Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system
- Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (),
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